The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday declared a local state of emergency, CBS reported. The step was in response to the current ICE raids under Trump’s administration that have affected immigrant communities across the region. In LA, however, the emergency declaration is a rare move and is usually reserved for natural disasters or major crises.
LA County declares emergency amid Immigration raids
The declaration was approved by a 4–1 vote. The emergency is meant to give the county more power to provide relief and legal protections to residents caught in the middle of federal enforcement actions. This comes as several local families in the area are facing financial instability. The ongoing crackdown on immigration and mass deportations has caused emotional distress. Sudden workplace raids and family members getting detained have sparked fears.
A report cited by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute and University of California, Merced, estimates that the immigration crackdown could cost California’s economy nearly $275 million in lost productivity. According to migration policies between 2000-2020 the Indian population living in the LA county was estimated to be nearly 100,000
Economic impact and fear among immigrant workers
County officials cited a recent survey that revealed that average weekly earnings among immigrants have dropped to 62%. Meanwhile, 71% of respondents said they returned to work despite the risk of deportation. There are concerns over a growing desperation among families who can’t afford to stop working. Supervisor Janice Hahn, who introduced the motion, said, “We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces,” Hahn said. “I want our immigrant communities to know that we are in this emergency with them, we see them, and we understand what they are going through.”
LA County’s new decision aims to open the door for measures like temporary eviction protections for renters struggling due to lost income.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger was the only one who voted against the emergency declaration. In a statement, she expressed her concerns over fiscal responsibility. “Families across Los Angeles County are afraid, and that fear is real,” Barger said. “But declaring a local emergency is not the right or responsible way to respond to that fear.”
What the emergency declaration does
With the emergency proclamation, county supervisors will now have the ability to enact an eviction moratorium for renters who can prove that immigration raids or detentions brought financial instability for them. County attorneys, however, have cautioned that any such measure would have to be temporary and focused to comply with state law. Tenants who fall behind on rent would still be required to repay what they owe once the plan expires.
With this declaration, the county can also request financial assistance from the state of California to help provide rent relief, legal aid, and social services to affected residents. Housing and immigrant advocacy groups have been requesting county leaders for weeks to take action. They argue that federal immigration crackdowns have left hundreds of families unable to pay rent or meet basic needs.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who co-authored the motion, said the decision sends a message that Los Angeles County will stand by its immigrant communities. “When our immigrant neighbours are targeted, our entire county feels it, in our workplaces, our schools, and our homes,” she said. “We will not stand by while fear and chaos spread throughout our neighbourhoods.”
In recent months, federal agents, National Guard and US Marines have carried out coordinated raids across the city and have detained hundreds of undocumented immigrants. The operations have triggered mass protests, with activists calling the raids “inhumane” and “disruptive to community life.”
