Los Angeles County issued a local state of emergency on Tuesday in response to President Donald Trump’s administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the California county.
In a Tuesday press release, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors explained that the emergency proclamation will allow Los Angeles County to “mobilize resources, expedite contracting and procurement, coordinate interagency response, and request state and federal assistance to protect and stabilize impacted communities.”
Fox News reported that the state of emergency proclamation will also allow Los Angeles County to provide rent relief and state funding for legal aid for county residents impacted by the ongoing ICE raids against illegal immigrants.
“What’s happening in our communities is an emergency – and Los Angeles County is treating it like one,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said. “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.”
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Fox News reported that the emergency proclamation was approved in a 4-1 vote by county supervisors. Tuesday’s press release noted that the proclamation will remain in effect until it is terminated by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn claimed that the state of emergency proclamation was a necessary response to “the fear, the pain, and the disorder these ICE raids are causing our community.”
“We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces,” Hahn said. “I want our immigrant communities to know that we are in this emergency with them.”
Tuesday’s press release explained that Los Angeles County has over three million immigrant residents and claimed that the Trump administration’s ICE raids targeting illegal immigrants throughout the county have caused disruptions to the economy, decreased work attendance, and strains on hospitals, schools, and places of worship.
In response to the emergency declaration, Emily Covington, an ICE spokesperson, told Fox News that the only state of emergency in Los Angeles County is “the one the residents of Los Angeles face after electing officials who give a middle finger to the law.”
Perhaps the board should ‘supervise’ funds to support law-abiding fire victims who still haven’t recovered, instead of criminal illegal aliens seeking refuge in their sanctuary city,” Covington stated. “While they publicly fear-monger, I would be shocked if they didn’t agree with ICE removing a child rapist from their neighborhood.”
