Los Angeles County declares emergency over federal immigration raids

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has passed an emergency proclamation over the ongoing federal immigration raids, saying they have created a “climate of fear” for local residents.

The emergency proclamation passed by a 4-1 vote on Tuesday. It states that the raids, which began in early June, “have caused residents to be fearful of leaving their homes to go to work, take public transportation, and access county services,” among other issues.

According to officials, the motion, which was introduced by Third District Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath and Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn, allows the county to mobilize resources, expedite contracting and procurement, coordinate interagency response, and request state and federal assistance to protect and stabilize communities that have been impacted by federal immigration raids.

The board says that the raids and federal enforcement tactics have caused widespread fear, led to decreased attendance at workplaces, caused disruption of local economies, and strained critical services like schools, hospitals, and places of worship across L.A. County – which is home to more than three million immigrants.

“What’s happening in our communities is an emergency, and Los Angeles County is treating it like one,” said Supervisor Horvath. “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.”

“It may not be a wildfire or an earthquake, but it is a man-made emergency — created by our own federal government,” added Supervisor Hahn. “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.”

Board officials say the state of emergency proclamation, which authorizes all county departments to take “necessary actions to protect and stabilize communities” impacted by the raids, will remain in effect until they decide to terminate it.