"We Are a Sanctuary for Illegal Immigrants"... The 'City of Angels' Provokes Trump

US Federal Government Plans to Refuse Cooperation on Illegal Immigrant Policy
Concerns Arise Over Worsening 'Homelessness Issue'

Los Angeles (LA), the second largest city in the United States and known as the "City of Angels," has declared itself an "Immigration Sanctuary." The LA city authorities have directly announced that they will not support any policy if the U.S. federal government attempts to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

On the 20th (local time), the British BBC reported that the LA city authorities passed the "Sanctuary City" ordinance the day before. This ordinance states that the city will not spend its resources on immigration-related policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

On the 19th (local time), the LA City Council passed an ordinance establishing a 'sanctuary city' to protect undocumented immigrants. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The incoming Trump administration, which will take office in two months, has already announced plans for "mass deportations" of illegal immigrants. Because of this, LA's "Sanctuary City" ordinance is expected to directly confront the upcoming Trump administration.

However, not all LA residents support the city authorities' ordinance. Some have expressed concerns that the already severe homelessness problem in LA could worsen significantly due to the "sanctuary city" status.

The term "sanctuary city" has been used in various U.S. cities over the past decade. These cities reject the policies of the federal immigration authorities. Although it is not an official legal term, areas that declare themselves as "sanctuary cities" protect immigrants through various approaches, such as establishing their own immigration policies or changing local police practices. Currently, there are 12 cities in the U.S., including LA, that claim to be sanctuary cities.

LA plans to use this sanctuary city ordinance to protect immigrants who are at risk of deportation. Nithya Raman, a member of the LA City Council, explained in an interview with CBS that "the ordinance is intended to prevent federal immigration law enforcement agencies from accessing city facilities or using our resources to enforce immigration laws."

Team Horman, who will be the top official in charge of immigration policy in the second Trump administration. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Additionally, LA has decided to prohibit sharing certain immigrant-related data with immigration authorities and federal officials. Other U.S. cities such as Boston and New York have also announced similar ordinances. These cities have declared that they will not cooperate with the central government's immigration law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Tim Homan, known as the so-called "border czar" appointed by President-elect Donald Trump, warned sanctuary cities not to "interfere with federal immigration enforcement." Homan was also responsible for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations during Trump's first term.

In an interview with Fox News on the 11th (local time), he emphasized, "Nothing will stop us from deporting illegal immigrants," and added, "(Sanctuary cities) must work with us. If they do not, we will operate without them."

Meanwhile, Trump’s anti-immigration stance remains unchanged. In his first interview after being confirmed as president-elect, he named "border strengthening" as his top policy priority and stressed, "There is no choice. On the first day after my inauguration next year, I will begin the largest deportation of illegal immigrants in U.S. history."