Los Angeles County officials have voted to declare a state of emergency in response to the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown, a move typically reserved for natural disasters.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Oct. 14 to approve the emergency declaration, which will allow the county to mobilize resources, expedite contracting and procurement, coordinate interagency response, and request state and federal assistance to protect communities affected by recent federal immigration raids. The board of supervisors said the proclamation will remain in effect until it's terminated by the board.

The proclamation, introduced by county supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath and Janice Hahn, said the tactics used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and other federal agents have "created a climate of fear, leading to widespread disruption in daily life and adverse impacts to our regional economy."

Ongoing immigration raids and operations across Los Angeles County — which is home to over three million immigrants — have led to a decrease in workplace attendance and strained critical services such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship, according to the board of supervisors.

"What’s happening in our communities is an emergency — and Los Angeles County is treating it like one," Horvath said in a statement on Oct. 14. "Declaring a Local Emergency ensures that the full weight of County government is aligned to support our immigrant communities who are being targeted by federal actions."

"For months, families have lived under threat, and workers have been taken from job sites. This proclamation is about action and speed — it allows us to move faster, coordinate better, and use every tool available to protect and stabilize our communities," the statement continued. "We will continue to stand with our immigrant neighbors — today, and for as long as it takes."

LA County supervisor warns of potential legal challenges

County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who opposed the emergency declaration, has argued that the motion was "not the right or responsible way" to respond to federal immigration actions and warned that potential legal challenges could further strain the county's "already stretched thin" budget.

"Emergency powers exist for crises that pose life and death consequences like wildfires — not as a shortcut for complex policy issues," Barger said in a statement on Oct. 15. "Stretching emergency powers for federal immigration actions undermines their purpose, invites legal challenges, and circumvents the public process."

But other county officials say the move will provide assistance and resources for those who have been affected by immigration raids. Citing a study by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute in partnership with the University of California, Merced, officials contended the raids would contribute to the loss of $275 million in gross domestic product in the state.

Raids earlier this year had a dramatic and immediate impact on the workforce. Almost 465,000 California workers fled from the labor ranks during the week of June 8, as immigration authorities raided worksites across the Los Angeles area, according to the study released in July.

As a result, people working in private-sector jobs in California dropped by 3.1%, a decline not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, the study noted, though it's unclear whether they left permanently or just for a short time.

Emergency declaration could be a step closer to eviction moratorium

The emergency declaration could also be the first step in enacting an eviction moratorium, which would help tenants who have been financially hurt by President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Such a moratorium would still need to be voted on by the board of supervisors.

The vote allows Los Angeles County to impose an eviction moratorium that would protect renters from eviction for failing to pay rent if they can prove they have been financially impacted by the immigration raids. Renters would still owe that money to their landlord and would need to pay it once the moratorium expired.

During a county supervisors meeting last week, a slide presentation noted that an eviction moratorium would inflict hardships on landlords. The presentation also stated that the county increasing rent relief assistance to tenants could be an alternative.

Immigration operations in Los Angeles have sparked widespread protests

Los Angeles County has been at the epicenter of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. In June, Trump sent the National Guard and U.S. Marines into the city to protect federal buildings and protect ICE agents as they carried out raids, prompting widespread protests and outrage.

The protests in Los Angeles County began as a reaction to a handful of immigration raids, including one outside a Home Depot and another at a clothing manufacturer in the city's garment district. The raids and subsequent outrage came as the Trump administration stepped up its detention and deportation of immigrants, including at workplaces, traffic stops, and routine legal check-ins.

The Trump administration has said the raids are lawful and meant to remove immigrants in the U.S. illegally from the country. The president has since attempted to deploy the National Guard into other Democratic cities, including Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, Chicago, and Portland, Oregon.

Contributing: Terry Collins and Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles County declares state of emergency to combat federal immigration raids

Reporting by Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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