Blitz Bureau
LOS ANGELES: The resistance promised by blue state Governors after the election of Donald Trump is beginning to take shape as city leaders, advocacy groups and the nation’s second-largest school district launch efforts to oppose mass deportations, reports NBC News.
According to the report, the cities of Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia have vowed to shield people living in the US without authorisation from efforts by the incoming Trump administration to carry out what it has said will be the largest deportation effort in history.
The Los Angeles Unified School District has declared itself a sanctuary for migrants, and the ACLU of Southern California filed a lawsuit this month against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, demanding details on how the incoming administration plans to carry out the roundups. Local officials acknowledge the ordinances and declarations cannot stop deportations, but they say the tactics can tie up efforts and slow down enforcement on the ground, said the NBC report.
“People’s fear is incredibly high,” it quoted Philadelphia Councilmember Rue Landau as saying. “They are bracing for the worst, and it’s up to us as local leaders to show the strength of our cities.”
The incoming President has said he has “no choice” but to deport people living in the country illegally, telling NBC News “there is no price tag” on getting the job done. A spokesperson for the incoming Trump administration did not respond to a NBC News request for comment.
Opponents of mass deportation say it will tear families apart and make communities less safe as unauthorised residents stop reporting crimes and sharing information with police out of fear they will be deported. Detractors also say it’s inhumane to send people back to the countries they fled because of gang violence, drug cartels and extreme poverty.
“Sanctuary cities are not just a legal framework,” Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr. said recently. “They represent a moral commitment to upholding human dignity, protecting families and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their immigrant status, can live without fear.” Supporters argue that illegal immigration contributes to crime, keeps wages low and takes away jobs from US citizens.
