A division intended to protect undocumented immigrants has been created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The division, created on Tuesday, was in a bid to fight immigration policies that Donald Trump could develop, once he becomes President of the US, next week.
Supervisor, Hilda Solis, says that immigrants will be protected at all levels of state government by the new office. Supervisor, Kathryn Barger was the lone voice of dissent in the ranks, concerned by the costs inherent in the creation of the division, particularly given that it was based on a lot of supposition about what the new President will do and that nothing has been so far confirmed. Jim McDonnell, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, was also in attendance. He said department policy and the law ensures that immigration status alone will not see anyone placed under arrest or police activity.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department did previously work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2015, to enable deportation of the most violent prison inmates in the country from the US, once they had concluded their jail sentences. But, McDonnell noted that the actual figure of deportees was small, with less than 1200 from the 120,000 immigrants released from county jails picked up for deportation by USCIS.
McDonnell also says that he believes the actions of the Trump administration may not end up being as aggressive as indicated by his campaign rhetoric.