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as a whole Los Angeles neighborhoods burn to the groundCity council members in nearby Long Beach voted to double down on their sanctuary city policies, vowing to resist President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations.
Long Beach joins a growing list of Democratic-controlled cities and states vowing to resist the Trump administration’s plans to crack down on illegal immigration. Among other provisions, the measure allocates an additional $200,000 in city funding to provide free legal representation to immigrants facing deportation.
Local point of sale the Long Beach Post reported that the council voted Tuesday to further strengthen the “Long Beach Values Act,” originally passed during Trump’s first presidency in 2017.
PHOTO GALLERY: CALIFORNIA FIRES BEFORE AND AFTER
A U.S. Border Patrol agent (R) speaks with immigrants before they are transported from a makeshift camp between the U.S.-Mexico border walls on May 13, 2023, in San Diego, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Speaking before the vote, Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beacha Democrat, said: “Today, we find ourselves again putting together an administration that outwardly challenged some of our values and beliefs.”
“It’s going to be a challenge, these next few years, but I’m sure if we keep working together, keep supporting each other, we’ll get through it,” Richardson said. “No matter who is in power in Washington, I believe we have a responsibility to stand firm on our principles so that all our residents feel safe, seen and protected no matter how they pray, who they love or where they are. born.”
The $200,000 in additional funding is in addition to the $1.1 million already available to immigrants for legal representation against removal through the Long Beach Justice Fund.
The measure also prohibits third-party city contractors from sharing city data with federal immigration enforcement and calls for other city authorities, including police oversight, the city attorney, the city attorney and the city auditor, formally agree to comply with the Long Beach Securities Act.
AMERICANS IN FAVOR OF TRUMP ON IMMIGRATION, SUPPORT MASS DEPORTATION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, POLLS
Immigrants line up at a remote US Border Patrol processing center after crossing the US-Mexico border on December 7, 2023 in Lukeville, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
The passage of the measure was celebrated by local immigrant rights group Órale, which called it a “significant step towards true sanctuary status that will tangibly improve the lives of members of our community.”
While Richardson projected confidence in resisting Trump’s agenda, the Long Beach Post reported that a Dec. 31 memo from Deputy City Manager Meredith Reynolds to city officials warned that Long Beach could lose millions in federal funding if they don’t cooperate with immigration authorities.
Trump enters border czar Tom Homan told Fox News in November that local officials who obstruct ICE or federal law enforcement authorities will face consequences.
“Don’t cross that line because it is a crime to harbor and harbor an illegal alien from ICE,” Homan said.
