The Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, signed an executive order last week aimed at strengthening protocols and providing support to undocumented immigrant communities in response to the immigration raids carried out by the Donald Trump administration.
This action seeks to protect undocumented immigrants in the city during the federal immigration enforcement operations that Trump ordered in the city, which have intensified over the past six weeks.
During a press conference, Bass explained that the measure was taken due to the lack of transparency and coordination on the part of the federal government. The order demands that federal agencies provide detailed information about the raids they plan to conduct, including who was detained, the reasons, and the associated costs.
The plan to support undocumented immigrants
The Democrat indicated that the directive also instructs municipal agencies to develop free training plans on how to respond to immigration agents who show up at their facilities.
Nevertheless, the most notable measure announced by the mayor is the implementation of a direct economic assistance plan for undocumented immigrants affected by the raids.
This way, the municipality plans for organizations defending immigrants' rights to distribute cards with cash equivalent to hundreds of dollars to every undocumented immigrant who resides in the city, with this proposal being funded through "philanthropic donations."
Bass plans to implement these measures on the grounds that Los Angeles is a sanctuary city, a legal status created by Democrats that allows municipalities to evade federal law and protect undocumented immigrants from deportation and any legal repercussions.
