Los Angeles officials are considering creating “ICE-free zones,” prohibiting federal immigration enforcement agents from using property owned or controlled by the county as staging areas, processing locations or operations bases for civil immigration enforcement without a permit.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is set to consider the proposal, submitted by L.A. County supervisor Lindsey Horvath, which would require an ordinance be drafted and brought before the board within 30 days, according to a report from FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The ordinance would also mandate physical barriers and signage be placed on all county property, with the signs reading: “This property is owned and controlled by the County of Los Angeles. It may not be used for unauthorized civil law enforcement, including civil immigration enforcement, as a Staging Area, Processing Location, or Operations Base,” according to the report.
The proposal noted federal litigation may arise, with more than $1 billion in annual federal funding at stake.
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While federal law supersedes local law, local governments retain control over their property and cannot be forced to cooperate with or enforce federal law—the basis for previous “sanctuary” policies.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in October established “ICE-free zones” during Operation Midway Blitz, restricting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s use of public spaces for staging.
In response, Republican lawmakers in December introduced the Safeguarding Homeland Immigration Enforcement from Local Detention (SHIELD) Act, which would prohibit local police from arresting federal agents.
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A single act of arresting, detaining, prosecuting or obstructing a federal immigration agent would trigger the loss of all federal assistance for the remainder of the fiscal year, with funding restored only if the municipality stops the action and certifies compliance in writing, Fox News Digital previously reported.
The Los Angeles County proposal comes amid a surge of anti-ICE protests across the nation, triggered by the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an immigration enforcement operation last week in Minneapolis.
One day after Good’s death, a Border Patrol agent was accused of shooting and wounding an illegal immigrant couple in Portland after DHS said they tried to ram their car into federal officers during a targeted traffic stop.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
