Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto released a draft ordinance last week pushing for sanctuary status for the city, in lieu of Donald Trump's expected policies regarding deportations in his upcoming administration. "This moment demands urgency," said Bass through a statement on the city's official website, adding that "immigrant protections make our communities stronger and our city better."
The proposal seeks to codify protections that have existed informally in Los Angeles for years, including restrictions on Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers questioning immigration status or making arrests based on legal status, initially established through a 2019 executive directive by former Mayor Eric Garcetti.
