March to urge Los Angeles to become a sanctuary city

The Local SEIU 721 Union organized a march on Saturday, November 9, to ask the city of Los Angeles to turn into a sanctuary city. The March started at Pershing Square and ended at City Hall.

Earlier this year, the  Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a motion to make Los Angeles a “sanctuary city” for immigrants. The motion was introduced by Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Nithya Raman, and Hugo Soto-Martínez, which directs the city attorneys to prepare an ordinance that would enshrine the sanctuary policies into the city’s municipal code to ensure that no “city resources, property, or personnel are used for federal immigration enforcement,” according to a news release.

Immigrant rights organizations in Southern California are bracing for stricter immigration policies in the months ahead, anticipating the return of former President Donald Trump to the White House following his victory in the 2024 election.

According to the groups, what's different this time is that they now have a clearer understanding of what to expect from a second Trump administration. The organizations made this point during a press conference outside Los Angeles City Hall on Thursday.

"We've been here before," said Masih Fouladi, executive director of the California Immigration Policy Center, in a video on Instagram. "This time, we know what he will do because he has told us. He led one of the most hateful, xenophobic, anti-immigration platforms of all time in this country, and he promised mass deportation of our communities."

Loyola Law School professor Marissa Montes also attended the conference and said that she expects more than what happened during Trump's first presidency, including large-scale deportations. "In terms of deportation, he has the authority to do it," Montes said. "What I see happening is mainly raids on workplaces or in certain communities that have a high number of immigrants."

The organization also mentioned it is focused on building the infrastructure needed to quickly respond to mass raids and deportations. While California and Los Angeles serve as sanctuaries for immigrants, Montes warned that they will likely have limited ability to stop Trump from exercising his presidential powers.

Organizations like CHIRLA, the Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project and others are anticipating greater demand for support in the coming year, expecting a surge in requests for assistance from immigrant communities starting in January.

"Immigrants are resilient, defiant, and united. We are not afraid to keep fighting for our communities!" CHIRLA said in a statement via Instagram. "Despite anti-immigrant sentiments and divisive hate towards marginalized communities, CA immigrant & social justice organizations gathered at LA City Hall following the election to say: we will continue to protect our communities, share resources, & RISE UP against attacks."