The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday will decide on a series of measures intended to protect immigrants amid a crackdown by the administration of President Donald Trump.
Five motions proposed by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, 13th District, would require businesses to report to the city any activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, create a “know your rights” campaign to educate Angelenos and support state funding for legal defenses against deportations, among other items.
In the first three months of his second term, Trump and his allies have targeted immigration and migrants from a variety of angles, reducing support for those who need help and deporting many.
One prominent incident involved a Laguna Niguel couple who had been in the U.S. for 35 years, raising three children who are U.S. citizens. Despite neither having a criminal record, they were detained and deported to Colombia.
One protester near City Hall pointed out to KTLA’s Omar Lewis that even in California, where the state and many local governments declared themselves sanctuaries for migrants, many face an unsure future.
“Immigrants are afraid right now at this present time,” he said.
