los angeles — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County officials will vote Tuesday on whether to declare a state of emergency that would give them the authority to provide aid to residents who say they have suffered financially as the crisis continues. Federal immigration raids.
The move will allow the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to provide rent relief to tenants who have fallen behind as a result of… Suppression of immigrants. A local emergency can also divert state funds for legal aid and other services.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office said rent money will be available to people who apply through an online portal that will be launched within two months. This proposal could also be a first step toward an eviction moratorium, but that would require separate action by supervisors.
Landlords are concerned it will be another financial hit following an extended ban on evictions and rent increases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since June, the Los Angeles area has become a battleground in the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration strategy, which has sparked protests and protests. National Guard deployment The Marines for more than a month. Federal agents have been rounded up immigrants Without legal status to be in the United States from Home Depots, car washes, bus stations, And the farmer. Some American citizens were also arrested.
Horvath and Janice Hahn said Raids It spread fear and destabilized families and businesses.
“They are targeting families, disrupting classes, silencing workers, and forcing people to choose between staying safe and staying home,” Horvath said in a statement, referring to actions taken by the Trump administration. She added that declaring a state of emergency “is the way we respond.”
Last week, the five-member council voted 4-1 to put the declaration to a vote at its regular meeting on Tuesday. The only “no” vote came from Supervisor Katherine Barger, who said… Immigration raids It does not meet the criteria for an emergency and may be unfair to property owners.
“I’m sure we’ll face a legal challenge,” Barger said. Eviction moratorium in the county during Covid-19 pandemic It led to multiple lawsuits.
Landlords are “still reeling” from coronavirus-era freezes that have cost them “billions of dollars in uncollected rent and blocked annual rent increases,” said Daniel Yukelson, CEO of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles.
He said housing providers are sympathetic to tenants and their family members affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities. But he said the association is not aware of anyone unable to pay rent due to immigration enforcement.
“If local jurisdictions again allow rent payments to be deferred due to ICE enforcement activities, it will lead to further deterioration and loss of affordable housing in our community,” Yukelson said.