Mayor Karen Bass Signs Directive to Protect Immigrant Neighborhoods from Federal Raids

Executive Directive to Protect Angelinos

• 🎯 Mayor Karen Bass is signing an executive directive to help the city understand how to protect itself from federal government actions, specifically immigration raids.
• 💡 The directive aims to establish preparedness plans with specific protocols for city departments and workers on how to address immigration officials.
• 🤝 It emphasizes abiding by the law while understanding the rights of city employees and ensuring the safety of immigrants at city events or on city property.

Addressing Federal Immigration Enforcement

• ⚠️ The directive comes in response to ongoing immigration raids in Los Angeles over the past six weeks, which have occurred without predictable timing or location.
• ⚡ Examples of recent raids include those in the general region, Camarillo, and MacArthur Park, the latter described as a "display of force" by federal authorities.
• 🗣️ City contractors who were working on city property were also approached by ICE, highlighting the need to inform them of their rights as well.

City Protocols and Information Dissemination

• 📞 Each city department will be required to have an immigration affairs liaison who will contact the mayor's office immediately upon encountering federal officials.
• ℹ️ This ensures that all city departments and workers are informed on how to deal with such encounters and allows for an accounting of these events.
• 📢 The city will also disseminate information on city services and assistance programs for families impacted by federal enforcement actions.

Freedom of Information Act Requests

• 🔍 The city is submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding the dates and locations of all federal enforcement activities in Los Angeles.
• ❓ This is crucial because when individuals are taken from the city, their whereabouts are often unknown, and families are left without information about their location or access to legal counsel.
• ⚖️ The raids have reportedly impacted not only undocumented individuals but also those in the country legally, those attending annual immigration visits, and even U.S. citizens.

Irony of the Directive

• 🎭 Mayor Bass highlighted the irony of needing an executive directive to protect the city's workforce and residents from the federal government.
• 🇺🇸 The directive is intended to help the city family understand how to protect Angelinos from federal actions, emphasizing the city's commitment to its residents.