The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to codify a "sanctuary city" ordinance into the municipal law, which protects illegal immigrants in the city from being deported in President-elect Donald Trump's second administration.
Several liberal cities are taking preemptive measures to protect undocumented residents ahead of the next presidential administration, including Boston where Mayor Michelle Wu said she would protect residents who use city resources regardless of immigration status.
Trump has made illegal immigration and border security one of the focal points of his presidential campaign, and even teased on Monday that he could declare a national emergency and use the military to conduct mass deportations if necessary.
The new Los Angeles ordinance will prohibit the city from using any of its resources or personnel to help the federal government with deportations or enforcing immigration law, according to Fox News. California is already a sanctuary state.
Los Angeles residents debated the new policy during the Tuesday city council meeting, with some pushing the city to adopt the resolution because they believe migrants should be protected from the "unimaginable cruelty" of raids.
City residents who opposed the ordinance claimed that it would give too many resources to illegal immigrants when Los Angeles is already struggling with homelessness and housing issues.
The Los Angeles County Republican Party also blasted the resolution as potentially protecting criminals who are also in the country illegally.
"A country without secure borders isn't a country at all," LACGOP Communications Director Rozanne Hodge told Fox News. "So-called ‘sanctuary’ cities and states sound warm and fuzzy, but the protections they offer aren't for abuelas getting ice cream, they're for people who've entered the country illegally and committed additional crimes.
"Whether drunk driving, robbery, sexual violence, assault or murder, none of those should go unpunished," she continued. "Perpetrators should definitely not be protected by the largesse taken from hard-working taxpayers."
Related Story: Trump Vows Legislation to Ban Sanctuary Cities: ‘We Will Stop the Invasion’
