As a whole neighborhoods in Los Angeles burned to the groundcity council members in nearby Long Beach voted to double down on the sanctuary city policy, vowing to resist President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations.
Long Beach joins a growing list of Democratic-controlled cities and states vowing 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 funds to provide free legal representation to immigrants facing deportation.
Local socket Long Beach Post reported that the council voted Tuesday to further strengthen the “Long Beach Values Act,” originally passed during Trump’s first term as president in 2017.
PHOTO GALLERY: CALIFORNIA FIRES BEFORE AND AFTER
A US Border Patrol agent (R) talks to immigrants before they are transported from a makeshift camp between the US-Mexico border walls on May 13, 2023 in San Diego, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Speaking before the vote, Long Beach Mayor Rex RichardsonDemocrat, said: “Today we are once again preparing for an administration that has challenged some of our values and beliefs from the outside.”
“It’s going to be a challenge – the next few years – but I’m confident if we keep working together, 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 that all our residents feel safe, seen and protected no matter how they pray, who they love or where they were born.”
The $200,000 in additional funding is in addition to the existing $1.1 million available to immigrants for legal representation against deportation through the Long Beach Justice Fund.
The measure also prohibits third-party city contractors from sharing city data with federal immigration enforcement and requires other city officials — including the police department, city attorney, city attorney and city auditor — to formally commit to complying with the Long Beach Values Act.
Immigrants stand in line at the U.S. Border Patrol remote center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on December 7, 2023, in Lukeville, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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The measure’s passage was celebrated by local immigrant rights group Órale, which called it “a significant step toward true sanctuary status that will significantly improve the lives of members of our community.”
While Richardson projected confidence in resisting Trump’s agenda, the Long Beach Post reported that a Dec. 31 letter from Deputy City Manager Meredith Reynolds warned city officials that Long Beach would lose millions in federal funding if they did not cooperate with immigration authorities.
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Trump is coming border king Tom Homan told Fox News in November that local officials who obstruct ICE or federal law enforcement will face consequences.
“Don’t cross that line because it’s a felony to harbor an illegal alien from ICE,” Homan said.
