Los Angeles passes 'sanctuary city' ordinance to protect migrants

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a "sanctuary city" ordinance to protect immigrants living in the city, a policy that would prohibit the use of city resources and personnel to carry out federal immigration enforcement.

The move by the Southern California city, the second most populated city in the US after New York City, follows President-elect Donald Trump's vow to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.

The ordinance codifies the protection of migrants in municipal law. Council member Paul Krekorian said the measure addresses "the need to ensure that our immigrant community here in Los Angeles understands that we understand their fear."

Pro-immigrant protesters spoke on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall before the vote, holding up signs saying "Los Angeles Sanctuary City Now!" They chanted in Spanish "What do we want? Sanctuary. When do we want it? Now."

The city is home to 1.3 million migrants, council members said, without specifying how many entered the country legally.

"We are extremely concerned, given that this is a city where about a third of the population is immigrants," Shiu-Ming Cheer said at the rally. She is deputy director of immigrant and racial justice at the California Immigration Police Center.

People were "afraid that the National Guard or other people are going to be forced to execute Trump's mass deportation plans," she said. "But, you know, we're also organised."

Eleven states have, to varying degrees, taken steps towards reducing cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, according to the non-profit Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Trump, winner of the Nov. 5 election, takes office on Jan. 20.

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.