For the second time in less than a month, a large group of immigrant advocates protested outside Lynwood City Hall to demand that its council members declare the city a Sanctuary City. Coincidentally, hours earlier, the presence of federal immigration agents had been reported in the cities of Lynwood and Huntington Park. The proposal to make Lynwood a sanctuary city has not even been included on the city council's agenda. Apparently, some council members are afraid that the Trump Administration will retaliate and cut off their federal funding. It was Councilman Juan Munoz Guevara who presented the proposal to the Lynwood City Council last summer, and it would need three votes to pass. “The enforcement of immigration laws is controlled by the federal government, but at the local level, we must use every tool at our disposal to at least participate, since the current administration has been very cruel and has separated families with its detentions,” said Councilman Munoz Guevara. He noted that it was the Sanctuary Cities Alliance that presented them with the idea that the city of Lynwood had the opportunity to pass a Sanctuary Ordinance. “The goal is for the city not to share information about its residents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), nor to work with contractors that do business with this agency,” he commented.

She said that to pass the ordinance, they need at least three votes in favor from their five council members.

“We are trying to convince two council members to make the three needed.”

She said it is within the current mayor Rita Soto's authority to include the issue on the agenda.

It should be noted that Councilwoman Gabriela Camacho was expected to assume the presidency of the Lynwood Council on Tuesday, December 2, because Soto's term as mayor is expiring.

Unofficially, it has been reported that some council members are not very willing to vote for Lynwood to be declared a Sanctuary City. Apparently,There is fear of retaliation from President Trump's administration. "I've spoken about this with the Lynwood city attorney, but it's not a real threat. Trump's intention is to cause fear and chaos. A couple of years ago, during the first Trump administration, they sued San Francisco for being a sanctuary city, and San Francisco won," said Councilman Munoz Guevara. He added that they also observed that the administration tried to cut federal funding to the University of California over the Jewish student issue, and the federal government lost the case. "We understand that immigration is a controversial issue, but we must keep in mind that Lynwood is 80% Democratic; more than half of the community is immigrant or of immigrant descent. All the members of the city council are Latino, and the population is more than 85% Latino," he emphasized.

So he argued that Lynwood should be one of the first to become a Sanctuary City and there should be no negative consequences.

The Lynwood City Council is composed of five Latinos: Rita Soto, Gabriela Camacho, Luis Gerardo Cuellar, Juan Munoz Guevara, and Lorraine Avila Moore.

Located in southeastern Los Angeles County, this city has a population of approximately 67,265 according to the Census, and is predominantly Latino.

88.35% of its residents are Latino, 7.88% African American, and 1.80% Asian.

A local law is needed

“As part of the Sanctuary Coalition, we have made the effort to get the sanctuary ordinance passed. We know we won't stop ICE from entering the streets of Lynwood, but we can prevent their access to its “resources, facilities, and municipal buildings,” said Carlos Amador of the Clean Car Worker Center, an organization that advocates for the rights of car washers in Los Angeles and one of the groups pushing for Lynwood to become a Sanctuary City. “A local Sanctuary law would prohibit sheriffs from collaborating with ICE, and would prevent companies that have contracts with the city of Lynwood from sharing information with the federal government and from being contracted with companies that work with federal immigration agents.” Amador dismissed the possibility that Lynwood could face federal sanctions that would jeopardize its federal allocations. “The city of Los Angeles declared itself a Sanctuary City more than a year ago, and it hasn't stopped receiving its federal funds; and there are many other examples of other cities. The point is to protect the immigrant community; and we already have the state Sanctuary law, but we need a local law to strengthen that protection.” He said that on December 2nd, the same day they held the protest, ICE was reported to be present in Lynwood and Huntington Park.

“Several immigrant advocacy groups have gone city by city, seeking the passage of a sanctuary ordinance. We already succeeded in Huntington Park, and in Lynwood, Councilman Munoz Guevara is leading the effort.”

Amador lamented that the City Council has had the proposal since the summer and has done nothing yet.

“They have lacked the courage to defend their own community. They haven't given us a reason for not including it on their meeting agendas. The only reason is that they are afraid of attracting attention, but that's unacceptable when it comes to a city of immigrants like Lynwood.”

Interviewed on the subject, Rita Soto, the current mayor of Lynwood, stated that she had no comment.

Just a symbolic gesture

Chamba Sanchez, the political science professor at the Los Angeles community colleges, said that these efforts for cities to declare themselves sanctuary cities are Symbolic and superficial gestures that give immigrants a false sense of security.

“Furthermore, they risk federal funding, so necessary for the provision of basic services in many municipalities.”

He noted his surprise at the lack of support from immigrants with legal status, who might want to support undocumented immigrants, but don't want municipal services cut.

“If these cities really want to help, they should create resources that provide food and rental assistance to immigrants affected by these raids.”

La Opinion requested a reaction from Assemblyman Jose Luis Solache, who represents Lynwood and was formerly mayor of that city, but received no response. She also contacted Councilwoman Gabriela Camacho, but she did not respond.

The Democratic Socialists of America in Los Angeles launched a petition to gather signatures in support of Lynwood's Sanctuary Ordinance: Lynwood City Council: Pass a Sanctuary Ordinance Now.

“Now more than ever, it is crucial that every city commit to keeping all of our municipal resources, including our personal data, out of the reach of ICE agents,” the petition states.

The DHS List

In August, the Department of Justice released a list of states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

“Sanctuary policies obstruct law enforcement and put U.S. citizens at risk by design,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated.

“The Department of Justice will continue to litigate against sanctuary jurisdictions and will work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies across the country.”

Anti-Mask Ordinance

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors held a first vote to approve an ordinance proposed by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey P. Horvath, to prohibit law enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, from wearing masks or concealing their identity while conducting police work in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

“ICE agents are violating the rights of our residents who are on our streets. These agents are covering their faces. They refuse to wear badges. At gunpoint, they put people in unmarked vans and wonder why they are resisting arrest,” said Supervisor Hahn.

“We are clearly stating that in the County In Los Angeles, police don't hide their faces. That's our expectation, and this ordinance will make it law.”