Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass doubled down on sanctuary policies just hours after a major immigration raid rescued child laborers at a nearby marijuana farm.
Bass signed an executive directive on Friday that bolsters LA sanctuary laws prohibiting cooperation between local officials and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a press release from her office. The order came only hours after ICE and other federal immigration authorities raided a marijuana farm in a nearby California town, rescuing numerous illegal migrant minors. (RELATED: Previously Detained Columbia Graduate Now Seeks Big Payday From Trump Admin)
The Democratic mayor has repeatedly spoken out against the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration in LA and the Southern California region.
“We are a proud city of immigrants, and with the Trump Administration signaling that they will ratchet up their chaotic approach, I’m making sure we deploy every resource and tool available within the City to ensure that we are supporting immigrant communities,” Bass said in a prepared public statement.
“I will never accept these unlawful and chaotic raids and will continue to do all that I can to defend the rights of the people of Los Angeles,” Bass continued.
The order doubles down on “protocols and training” regarding LA’s sanctuary law restricting the use of city resources for immigration enforcement and establishes a “working group with the Los Angeles Police Department, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and other immigrant-rights organizations to formulate guidance for police officers when responding to ICE activities, according to mayor’s office.
Bass’ order additionally seeks records from the federal government on illegal migrants who were detained during raids, along with other information.
Federal immigration authorities conducted a raid at a marijuana farm on Thursday in Camarillo, California, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The administration revealed that 10 illegal migrant minors — eight of whom were unaccompanied — were rescued during the operation.
“At the California marijuana facility, ICE and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] law enforcement rescued 8 unaccompanied migrant children from what looks like exploitation, violation of child labor laws and potentially human trafficking or smuggling,” a DHS spokesperson stated to the DCNF.
In a public statement, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott revealed that the marijuana farm is now under investigation for child labor violations.
The executive order marks the latest back-and-forth between Bass and the Trump administration, particularly regarding the crackdown on illegal immigration.
Just days after President Donald Trump won election to a second term, the LA City Council approved an ordinance designating LA as a sanctuary city, largely prohibiting city law enforcement and resources from helping or otherwise cooperating with ICE agents. Bass has since announced legal action against the Trump administration for immigration raids in the LA region.
The Trump administration has taken LA to court over their sanctuary policies, arguing that the city is obstructing ICE’s mission and violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.
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