Los Angeles County Declares State of Emergency Over Federal Immigration Raids

Los Angeles County officials voted yesterday to declare a state of emergency in response to ongoing federal immigration raids, authorizing potential financial assistance for residents impacted by the enforcement actions.

The motion, passed by a 4-1 vote with Supervisor Kathryn Barger dissenting, allows the county board of supervisors to provide rent relief to tenants struggling financially as a result of the increased immigration enforcement. An online portal for applications will launch within two months, according to Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office, and the declaration could pave the way for a future eviction moratorium. The move comes as concerns grow about the economic fallout from increased deportations and the chilling effect on communities.

Since June, the Los Angeles region has experienced heightened immigration enforcement activity, including raids at workplaces like Home Depot, car washes, and farms, with over 5,000 arrests made in late August alone. Some U.S. citizens have also been detained during the sweeps. “We have residents afraid to leave their homes, we have constituents contacting my office because their family members never came home and they don’t know if they’ve been taken by Ice or where they’ve been taken,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. Landlords, however, expressed concern about further financial strain, recalling losses incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic’s eviction moratorium. You can learn more about the impact of immigration policy at the Migration Policy Institute.

Barger argued the raids did not meet the criteria for a state of emergency and predicted legal challenges, citing previous lawsuits stemming from the county’s Covid-era eviction moratorium. Daniel Yukelson, CEO of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, stated that housing providers are “still reeling” from billions of dollars in uncollected rent during the pandemic and worry that deferring rent payments due to ICE enforcement will further diminish affordable housing options. The county is currently reviewing options for providing legal aid to those affected by the raids, building on existing county immigration services.

Officials stated they will continue to assess the situation and explore all available resources to support residents impacted by the federal immigration enforcement actions.