Trump vows mass deportations / Los Angeles adopts special status, promises to protect undocumented immigrants

Los Angeles has adopted a special status for the city that offers protection to undocumented immigrants. The decision is in response to President-elect Donald Trump's pledge of mass deportations when he takes office in January.

As VOA correspondent Angelina Bagdasaryan reports, the ordinance won't stop federal officials from deporting undocumented immigrants, but it reinforces the city's commitment to protecting immigrants who live in the city.

Claudia Ventura has been living and working for 20 years in Los Angeles, together with her family, but she does not have American documents. Ms. Ventura is among about 800,000 Los Angeles residents who lack legal status. Like many others, she feels uneasy after Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election.

"Now I don't see many people on the street. There's less… I think people are afraid of evictions,”  Ms. Ventura says.

The Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance on Nov. 19 through which local police and state authorities will not share information on the immigration status of residents with federal immigration authorities, except when they have been involved in a serious crime .

"An ordinance like this sends a very strong message to the community in Los Angeles and to the rest of the country that here resources will be used to keep the community safe. This will maintain the trust the community has in its leaders. This means that the city will not arrest, or cause chaos in their communities",  says Jorge Mario Cabrera, immigrant rights activist.

However, not everyone in the city agrees with this decision. Mr. Trump's supporters, who according to the election results are about 38% of residents, do not want Los Angeles to have this special status for undocumented immigrants.

"I think it's shameful. We must take care of ourselves first. When we mention the political platform, 'America First,' it doesn't mean you don't care about others, it's just about taking care of ourselves first,"  says California resident Linda Hanna.

Ms. Hanna's parents are from Mexico. They came to the United States legally. She believes that those who entered illegally should be deported.

Los Angeles' ordinance will have little practical impact, since the city has barred police or immigration officials from questioning a person about their immigration status since 1979.

New city status doesn't mean there can't be evictions. The ruling simply means that local authorities will not help federal officials find and deport undocumented immigrants.

Immigration attorney Tatyana Edwards-Behar says federal officers will conduct mass raids primarily in factories and the agricultural sector where undocumented immigrants are thought to be most likely to work.

"I think federal officers will start with mass raids instead of asking passers-by on the street for documents. I believe there will be massive raids on factories and the agricultural sector where, according to official data, undocumented immigrants are most likely to work,"  says Tatyana Edwards-Behar, an immigration attorney.

Activist Jorge Mario Cabrera believes amnesty is a better idea than deportations.

"We must insist that mass legalization is the solution. We must insist that there is a better way to treat immigrants in this country,"  says Mr. Cabrera.

After his inauguration on January 20, President-elect Trump has suggested that he might declare a national emergency and use US military personnel to carry out mass deportations, a move that immigration advocates have vowed to fight in court./ VOA