The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a state of emergency this week that could benefit tenants and others hurt by the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown in Southern California.
The action Tuesday is the latest and one of most sweeping efforts by local authorities to push back at immigration raids that have targeted several major American cities this summer and fall.
Los Angeles County was the first area to see widespread immigration arrests, which netted thousands of people, and local officials say they are using those experiences to craft protections.
The move comes amid weeks of clashes between immigration officers, protesters and others on the streets of Chicago.
A state of emergency is a precursor to enacting an eviction moratorium for households that have lost income due to the raids. The proclamation also allows local agencies to expedite the hiring of government positions needed to assist tenants.
The raids have prompted some to go underground and leave their world out of fear of being arrested.
A study from UC Merced that calculated that the mass deportation of California’s undocumented residents — who make up an estimated 8% of California’s workforce — would create a $275-billion hole in the state’s economy.
The proclamation was introduced by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn, and allows the country to coordinate interagency response and request state and federal assistance to help affected communities, according to a news release from Horvath.
“What’s happening in our communities is an emergency — and Los Angeles County is treating it like one,” Horvath said in the release. “Declaring a Local Emergency ensures that the full weight of County government is aligned to support our immigrant communities who are being targeted by federal actions. For months, families have lived under threat and workers have been taken from job sites.”
Tenants who can prove they are affected by the ongoing state of emergency cannot be evicted for unpaid rent under eviction moratoriums, but they still owe back rent once the moratorium expires.
The eviction moratorium could have unintended consequences because it could mean the immigration status of residents is revealed to their landlord if they use it to fight an eviction order in court. The proclamation also faces the possibility of lawsuits or backlash from the Trump administration.
Federal immigration raids have swept up thousands of people in Southern California and resulted in decreased attendance at work, widespread fear, disruption of local economies and a strain on hospitals, schools and places of worship.
“What’s happening across Los Angeles County is an emergency. It may not be a wildfire or an earthquake, but it is a man-made emergency — created by our own federal government,” Hahn said in the release. “I want our residents to know that we are in this crisis with them — and I want us to have every tool at our disposal in this effort. For that reason, I think this emergency proclamation is not just symbolically important as a message to our residents, but critical to our response moving forward.”
Historically, states of emergency have been declared during natural disasters; however, county staff said the criteria for such an action could be applied to the hardships generated by immigration raids.
The proclamation will be in effect until terminated by the Board of Supervisors.
The move comes as local governments move to help immigrations caught up in the raids. Top California officials, including Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom have decried the raids.
In July, Bass announced a plan to provide direct cash assistance to people who have been affected. The aid will be distributed using cash cards with a “couple hundred” dollars on them, which should be available in about a week, Bass said at a news conference.
The mayor emphasized that the money will not come from city coffers but from philanthropic partners. The cards will be distributed by immigrants rights groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Santa Ana created a $100,000 fund to help affected families cover basic necessities such as food, rent and utilities.
In September, Newsom signed a package of bills aimed at protecting immigrants in schools, hospitals and other areas targeted by federal agents. He also signed a bill that bans federal agents from wearing masks, making California the first state to do so.
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