LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles County officials passed a state of emergency declaration Tuesday giving them authority to provide assistance to residents said to be suffering continued economic damage. federal immigration raids.
The move allows the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to provide rent relief to tenants who have fallen behind as a result of illegal activity. immigration crackdown.
Escalating raids on migrants over the summer have spread fear among immigrant communities, leading many to limit their travels. Federal agents arrested the immigration Home centers, car washes, bus stops, and the farm. Some Americans were also detained.
A local state of emergency could also funnel state funds to legal aid and other services.
The loan funds will be available to those who apply through an online portal expected to open within the next two months, according to Superintendent Lindsey Horvath’s office. The motion could be the first step toward an eviction moratorium, but that would require other action by regulators.
Landlords feared further economic damage after bans on evictions and rent increases amid the COVID-19 pandemic were extended.
The declaration passed on a 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Kathryn Berger dissenting.
Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn said. raid Fear spread, destabilizing household finances and businesses. In late August, more than 5,000 people were arrested in Los Angeles as part of a crackdown. Approximately one-third of the county’s 10 million residents are foreign-born. Some cities in this region Independence Day canceled Due to safety concerns, families stayed home and held celebrations and summer movie nights.
Since June, the Los Angeles area has been a battleground for the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration strategy, with protests and National Guard deployment And the Marines for over a month.
“We have residents who are afraid to leave their homes. We have constituents who have contacted my office because their loved ones haven’t come home and they don’t know if they’ve been taken by ICE or where they’ve been taken,” Hahn said. “Entire families are being pushed into extreme poverty because mothers and fathers are taken from their jobs and there is no way to pay the rent or put food on the table.”
Last week, the five-member board voted 4-1 to bring the declaration to a vote at Tuesday’s regular meeting. The only “no” vote also came from Mr. Berger, who argued: Immigrant attack They said it didn’t meet the criteria for an emergency and could be unfair to the landlord.
“We are confident that there will be a legal challenge,” Berger said. During the county’s eviction moratorium. COVID-19 pandemic This resulted in multiple lawsuits being filed.
During the public comment portion of Tuesday’s vote, several people said they would oppose the emergency declaration if it led to a moratorium on evictions.
Landlords are “still reeling” from the coronavirus-era freeze, resulting in “billions of dollars in unpaid rent and prohibited annual rent increases,” said Daniel Yukelson, CEO of the Greater Los Angeles Apartment Association.
He said housing providers are sympathetic to tenants and their families affected by the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, he said the association is not aware that some people are unable to pay rent due to immigration enforcement.
“If local governments again allow rent deferrals due to ICE enforcement activity, it will lead to further deterioration and loss of affordable housing in our communities,” Yukelson said Monday.
