As a whole Neighborhoods in Los Angeles are burning to the groundCity Council members in nearby Long Beach voted to double down on their sanctuary city policies, and vowed to fight back President-elect Donald Trump planned mass deportations.
Long Beach joins an ever-growing list of Democratic-controlled cities and states that have pledged to resist the Trump administration's plans to crack down on illegal immigration. Among other provisions, the measure allocates an additional $200,000 in city funding to give immigrants facing deportation free legal representation.
Local port Long Beach Post The council voted Tuesday to further strengthen the Long Beach Values Act, which was originally passed during Trump's first presidency in 2017, she reported.
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A US Border Patrol agent (right) talks to migrants before transporting them from a temporary camp between the border walls, between the United States and Mexico, on May 13, 2023, in San Diego, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Speaking before voting Long Beach Mayor Rex RichardsonThe Democratic representative said: “Today we find ourselves preparing once again for an administration that apparently challenges some of our values and beliefs.”
“It's going to be a challenge – the next few years – but I'm confident that if we keep working together, and keep supporting each other, we'll get through this,” Richardson said. “No matter who is in power in Washington, I believe we have a responsibility to stand firm on our principles, so all of our residents feel safe and protected no matter how they pray, who they love or where they were born.” “.
The additional $200,000 in funding adds to the $1.1 million already available to immigrants for legal representation against deportation through the Long Beach Justice Fund.
The measure also prohibits outside city contractors from sharing city data with federal immigration authorities and requires other city authorities — including the police watchdog, city attorney, district attorney and city auditor — to formally commit to compliance with the Long Beach Values Act.
Migrants line up at a remote US Border Patrol processing center after crossing the US-Mexico border on December 7, 2023 in Lukeville, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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The local immigrant rights activist group, Ural, celebrated the passage of the measure, calling it “an important step toward true sanctuary status that will measurably improve the lives of members of our community.”
While Richardson expressed confidence in resisting Trump's agenda, the Long Beach Post reported that a December 31 memo by Deputy City Manager Meredith Reynolds to city officials warned that Long Beach would lose millions in federal funding if they did not cooperate with immigration authorities.
Trump is coming Frontier Czar Tom Homan He told Fox News in November that local officials who obstruct ICE or federal authorities from enforcing the law will face consequences.
“Do not cross this line because harboring and concealing an illegal alien from ICE is a crime,” Homan said.
