Board of Supervisors Immigration & Justice Uncategorized

Supes Seek to Increase Protections for Undocumented

Taylor Walker
Written by Taylor Walker

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to consider the county’s authority to limit federal immigration enforcement at schools, health care
facilities, courthouses, and other sensitive locations in the county.
The motion aims to ensure that all LA residents have “unimpeded access” to locations that provide county services.

Supervisors’ Hilda Solis and Sheila Kuehl’s motion points to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ arrest of Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez while he was dropping his daughters off at school. Avelica-Gonzalez’s 13-year-old daughter filmed the arrest of a father of four who only had a decade-old DUI, and a 20-year-old conviction regarding a registration sticker on his car.

On March 16, California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye’s sent letter blasting the feds for “stalking undocumented immigrants” in California courthouses. In his response, Sessions implied that the state and local jurisdictions’ lack of cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has forced the feds to seek out and arrest immigrants in safe public places, like courthouses.

“The perception of increased enforcement activities at such locations, even if
unfounded, threatens to chill the access to County offices and agencies on which core
County functions depend,” the motion reads.

The supes delayed a vote on another immigration motion to allocate $1 million for legal representation for immigrants facing deportation who are unable to afford an attorney.

The legal defense fund is a collaborative effort between the city of Los Angeles, LA County, and local non-profits to set aside a total of $10 million for defending undocumented residents.

The motion, by Supes Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, proposes considering giving priority for legal representation to immigrants with “deep community ties” to LA County, including those who have served in our armed forces, victims of crime, and people whose families are US citizens.

The board delayed the vote in order to look more closely at concerns that were raised during the meeting.

The defense fund excludes people who have prior convictions. Many community members and representatives from non-profits argued that everyone deserves access to legal representation.

“This carve-out is unfair and undermines due process, the cornerstone of our justice system,” the ACLU of Southern California said. “It would make for an ineffective and inefficient eligibility system. Los Angeles should endorse universal representation and stand above the president’s misleading and dangerous framing of “good” and “bad” immigrants.”

Another motion, to set up a selection process for membership within the County’s new Immigrant Protection and Advancement Task Force (IPAA). The task force’s goal is to present the board with a comprehensive strategy for protecting and advancing the rights of immigrants by the end of the year. (The supes voted in December to convert the County Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Task Force into the IPAA.)

A stakeholder subcommittee within the task force will be comprised of community stakeholders, including philanthropy and labor groups, academia, local chambers of commerce, immigrant rights organizations, legal organizations, and ethnic media networks.

Each supe will select a single member of the subcommittee. Those five selected will have the power to select up to 6 additional members in order to “achieve sufficiently broad representation of stakeholder groups.

A separate subcommittee will be comprised of representatives from the LA County Sheriff’s Department and other relevant county departments.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger opposed both of the motions that the board passed.

This week’s motions are part of a broader effort on the part of the supervisors to improve protections for undocumented Los Angeles residents.

In January, the supes voted in favor of creating an Office of Immigrant Affairs to aid the 3.5 million immigrants (including hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants) living in LA County.

19 Comments

  • It’s amazing that the County and State is spending all this money to help ILLEGAL immigrants yet they will not spend the money on US citizens. Homelessness and poverty are rampant in LA but we are more concerned with the illegal population.

  • Timmy,

    Perhaps you did not read the previous story, the one about the County spending $62 million on the U.S. Citizen Sheriff Deputies who screw up on the job. That is $62 million in one year coming from the county, which is 6 times the amount referenced here coming from the city, county and nonprofits. I do not know about you, but I would rather pay $10 million to “illegal” immigrants than $62 million because of some cowboy, government employee who can’t do his job properly. In case you do not have your calculator handy, 10 is less than 62. Ironically, some of those $62 million are going to “illegal” immigrants because Deputy Dan cannot do his job.

  • Given the recent anti cop hysteria that ran from the former POTUS on down to good old Witness La, I’d call that 62 million merely the cost of doing business. Business that desperately needed to be done. 62 million here ,62 million there, it’s all heading down some government black hole anyways. A good example would be giving it to illegal aliens to evade our own federal government.

  • Can someone tell more or maybe witnessla explain how many illegal immigrants have been arrested and deported for doing nothing? Also, advise how many illegal immigrants are getting pulled out of their homes, churches, schools or the courthouse. Scare tactics nothing more. The children of illegal immigrant parents are being told that their parents are going to get deported, nonsense. If you want to help the illegal immigrants instruct them on how to become a citizen, without getting ripped off by their own people.

  • @CF, 62 million means nothing unless you break it down into how many lawsuits were settled because the County figured it would be cheaper to settle than fight. If the County took all these lawsuits to court you would find the payout would be less but attorney fees would be higher.
    With our anti cop atmosphere, every Tom, Dick and Harry lawyer will sue the County for anything no matter how trivial.

  • Notice the racist similarities Trump and Adolf Hitler.
    1) Building a wall ONLY for the US Mexico border. Hint hint (as if, the only entrance for undocumented people) 2) The anti Muslim hatred as evident by travel ban. The most toxic agenda by any POTUS in history.

  • Really, your hysteria is just that. Besides Muslims, who do you think of when you hear of a terrorist attack killing and maiming people anywhere in the world? When other presidents instituted travel bans were they similar to Hitler? Are we having issues on our northern border same as our southern? We do have problems with people over staying their visas who have flown into our country, a problem that’s starting to be addressed under Trump that’s been left alone for too long.
    Lastly Muslims are not a race, they are a religion with a fanatical membership causing more death and destruction in the world than everyone else put together. You would do what, ignore it?

  • @Sure Fire – Embrace your racism. Besides Muslims, how about Jared Loughner, Ted Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh, or that little redneck boy, Dylann Roof. Where these not terrorist? How about us, the great US of A, who killed a shitload of Iraqis looking for weapons that werent there. There have been no nationals from the 7 countries that our great orange commander in chief has singled out who have killed Americans in terrorist attacks, not one. And, in case you did not know, only three Americans have been killed by terrorist refugees, and those terrorists came from Cuba. And, are you really that ignorant or is it just racism that you can say muslims are “causing more death and destruction in the world than everyone else put together.” Really, are ignorant or just racist. Embrace your racism.

  • You dimwitted little man CF, you named four White guys, four. That’s about .00001% of attacks compared to Muslims when it comes to terrorism isn’t it. Your big mouth means nothing and proves nothing as usual. How many beat downs will it take before you get tired of them? Facts are what they are shill. You answered nothing of mine and are fine with the Obama double standard, stfu poser. I don’t have a racist bone in my body same as you don’t have any honest one. Playing that card constantly shows what a weakling you are. You’re truly as dumb as a rock and a hypocrite. I said world wide attacks so as the true humanitarian you are you show you’re ok with the slaughter of others, just run from that sissy, real nice. If Reg ain’t dead you’re his just as big a dumb ass punk twin.

  • Thank you for your words of wisdom, but don’t get all upset. I’m beginning to think you are that fine officer in Sacramento that likes to teach jaywalkers a lesson. Since you might be on desk duty, you probably want to teach your lessons online to big mouths like myself and that guy who was jaywalking. You are, as you claim, a real big man. You forgot to tell me how you are racist because you have a black friend. Based on my dimwitted math, I calculate that you assume there are 40 million terrorist and only four are white. I’m not surprised about your estimates, as you probably think they are everywhere. The next black guy jaywalking could be ISIS. Thank you for keeping us safe.

  • That jaywalker challenged the cop to fight, challenging is a crime and if you want to stretch that to some type of racist action or brutality you’re a bigger sissy and Chicken Little type crying every time some minority gets a little lumped up fighting cops than I even thought you were. Not a NoCal boy, hate this state and what it’s turned into but family is here so will put up with the sleaze like you.

  • No problem, Sure Fire. I like having a few rednecks in the mist. Reminds how much better off we are in this state, illegals and all, than in your neck of the woods, back down in Alabami. It must be hard wearing the sheets with our hot weather. And, how did I know you’d find some way to justify that fine officer that tackles jaywalkers. No doubt you’re one of the ones that thought that 13 year that was manhandled by the pissed off cop in Anaheim was posing a danger to Deputy Dan and the fine deputy had to defend himself. Lets be frank, you beat up a black man (or, as you probably call them, a nigger, or if you are over 60, a colored or negro) or brown man and then you charge him for resisting arrest. I know your M.O. The problem is that shit does not fly anymore. It may in Alabami, but not in California. Not only are there video cameras everywhere, you now even have to wear one. No doubt you hate that too. Take care.

  • Maybe one of you ladies could point out where it says anywhere that you allow anyone who challenges you to fight the first punch. No, don’t think I’ll see that coming from you posers. Good job by the cop and re-read my comments on the Anaheim incident little man, might be surprised. You girls go watch some Lifetime and have a good weekend.

  • Just like the cops in Georgia who feigned “use of force” to assault the driver on the traffic stop. Dont defend bad cops. It makes you look like an IDIOT.

  • I don’t know where you did police work or even if you did any, but when took off a jacket while challenging me to fight it wasn’t a gesture of good will. That’s what he did and now it’s not the first time he’s done it, go figure.

  • Talent Scout, be careful what you say. If you call Sure Fire a Zebra, he may hurt himself trying to cut out the black stripes.

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