Los Angeles City Council approved on Tuesday a “sanctuary” city ordinance, which prohibits city resources from being utilized for immigration enforcement. It also prevents city departments from sharing data on those without legal status with federal authorities. This is in anticipation of possible mass deportations by President-elect Donald Trump.

The measure was unanimously approved by the council, which joins more than a dozen other cities in the United States that have similar provisions. The terms sanctuary cities and states are not legally defined, but they have become a symbol of a commitment to support and protect immigrant communities. They also refuse to provide information voluntarily to immigration enforcement officers. Advocates claim they are safe havens where immigrants can feel secure and report crimes without fear of being deported.

As a formality, the measure will be brought back to council for another vote. The Mayor Karen Bass has stated that she supports the ordinance, even though she has the right to veto.

Immigration advocates in Los Angeles urged council members to act quickly after Trump promised a massive crackdown on immigration upon his return to Washington, D.C. in January.

Hugo Soto Martinez, a councilmember from Los Angeles, said: “We are going to send a clear message to ICE that we will not be cooperating in any way with them.” He was referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “We want the people to feel safe and have confidence in their government, and we also want women to be able report crimes and domestic violence.”

Soto-Martinez is one of the councilmembers that introduced the original motion last year. He said many of his constituents and his parents are immigrants who do not have legal status. He said they are “embedded” in the community, from cleaning and cooking to being nannies.

It’s not clear how much the ordinance will change, since the city does not already cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Los Angeles Police Department enforces a policy that prohibits officers from asking about immigration status of a person or making arrests based solely on their legal status. Jim McDonnell, the new chief of police in Los Angeles, has pledged to not cooperate with federal immigration agencies or mass deportation work.

The former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti released an executive directive that offered immigrants protections in 2019. Tuesday’s ordinance codifies those protections.

California offers similar protections. Former California Gov. Jerry Brown, the former California governor, signed sanctuary state legislation to prohibit police from asking about immigration status or participating federally in immigration enforcement activities.

The then-President Trump tried to stop federal funding for sanctuary cities, and favored cities that agreed to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

New York, San Francisco and other cities have had policies supporting immigrants for many years. However, the criticism has grown with the increase in migrants. The backlash began after Republican governors of Texas and Florida bussed migrants to Democratic “sanctuary” cities last year, in what critics called a political stunt.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for increased cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. He attacked the city policies that limit such communication, claiming they are detrimental to public security.

Los Angeles also received migrants, but in smaller numbers.

On Tuesday morning, more than 100 people gathered in front of City Hall to urge the council to pass the ordinance.

Martha Arevalo of the Central American Resource Center, Los Angeles, said that the law was “long overdue.”

Arevalo stated, “This is Trump 2.0. He ran on a platform based on hate and division. He separated families and deported thousands of people.” It’s traumatizing for the immigrant communities. There is a great deal of trauma and fear.

Many of those who support the sanctuary city ordinance are themselves people with no legal status. They spoke about their own personal experiences of being threatened with deportation.

“I grew in the shadows and was constantly afraid of being separated from my family and sent back to the place we fought so hard for,” said Jesus Carreon. He is a student at Harvard Law School, and a graduate of University of Southern California.

Some people expressed concern that this could encourage more migrants to enter the city without legal status and divert resources from efforts to address homelessness.

Charles Brister, before the vote in the city council, said: “I am sure that there are millions of people who want to come here and we cannot be a sanctuary for everyone.” “We have homeless Americans in this city, people who do not have beds.”

Mayor Bass recently said “this moment requires urgency.” Immigrant protections strengthen our communities and make our city stronger.