Image Attribution: Advocacy group at City Hall in support of making LA a Sanctuary City for immigrants AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
LOS ANGELES — On Tuesday, November 19, the L.A. City Council approved a sanctuary city law that would essentially bar city employees and resources from being utilized as means to support federal immigration enforcement.
This action follows the election victory of President Donald Trump, who has made promises of bolstering an even more stringent immigration policy than the one that he backed during his first term. Through his campaign, President Trump shared his plans to commence mass deportations of millions, a plan that could see workplace raids, military involvement and more resources invested into the expansion of the U.S. and Mexico border wall. This would be a significant shift in America’s immigration policy, potentially targeting millions of undocumented immigrants. His administration stated that the effort to remove about 11 million estimated people from the country would benefit American workers, but others argue that this could cause economic issues in industries reliant on immigrant labor, such as agriculture and hospitality.
Additionally, President Trump has cited the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in favor of a proposal to use the military for immigration enforcement, pulling thousands of troops serving overseas and re-stationing them at America’s southern border. With the usage of this controversial act comes restricted civil liberties and limited speech against the government, as seen in 1798 when it was passed by John Adams as a component of the Alien and Sedition Acts. The potential issue with Trump’s modern approach to immigration policy is that it creates a negative connotation for all undocumented immigrants, painting them as an immediate security threat that could encourage excessive—and in this case, military—force against vulnerable peoples. Also, it should only be used in the event of active war, and Congress has not declared a war since 1942. It might be difficult for President Trump to argue that undocumented immigration constitutes an invasion necessitating a declaration of war in Federal Court, so this is a situation to monitor.
Aside from the plan to use military troops for border security, Trump has spoken on a proposal to utilize frequent workplace raids that he believes will ultimately benefit American workers. However, this might disrupt local economies and also discourage migrant families from reporting crimes or seeking assistance in dangerous situations or workplace abuse due to a fear of deportation. President Trump has also promised to issue an executive order that contradicts the Constitutional principle that children born in the U.S. are citizens. This order would strip American–born children of their citizenship if they do not have a parent who is a permanent resident or citizen of the U.S. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution grants citizenship to those born in America, regardless of race, and was instituted to negate the harm caused by the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857. Therefore, Trump’s alleged plan may be challenged up to the Supreme Court.
The aforementioned implications of President Trump’s plan for foreign policy are the very reason why Los Angeles City Hall stands with its immigrant population and forbids city employees and resources from involving themselves in federal affairs of immigration enforcement. While this doesn’t prevent the federal government from operating in Los Angeles, it still raises an obstacle between city affairs and federal deportation and policing. Simultaneously, it prevents city employees from seeking information about the citizenship status of an individual and requires that this information be treated as confidential.
During his campaign, President Trump stated that he will attempt to get Congress to pass a nation-wide law banning sanctuary cities, blocking federal grants to these areas. Ultimately, this is a situation to monitor as the country will observe how Trump’s proposed policy and resistance from local communities correspond once he takes office.
