Local resistance to the Trump Administration’s harmful anti-immigrant agenda is strong, and growing faster by the day. In the face of relentless federal attacks, localities nationwide are fighting back and publicly affirming their commitment to protecting immigrants.
We’re seeing local electeds in Evanston, IL strengthen their Welcoming City Ordinance to make it even more protective; a school district in Bridgeport, CT publicly affirming that ICE agents will be denied access to school buildings, buses, and events; local law enforcement in Grand Prairie, TX making abundantly clear that their department will not support immigration sweeps; and countless other local leaders doubling down to keep residents safe.
The following are just a handful of examples of how communities nationwide are resisting – standing up to the Trump Administration’s harmful policies and protecting their communities.
- Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, led by Chairwoman and LP Board Member Marcelia Nicholson, passed a resolution opposing ICE agents “operating outside the limits of the law in and around the the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex” and calling on local law enforcement and local officials to “ensure access to services and safeguard every individual’s constitutional right to due process.”
- Philadelphia, PA – City Council just approved a bill that will expand legal protections for domestic workers, including protection from employers threatening retaliation against workers based on their immigration status. The POWER Act would enable the Philadelphia Department of Labor to investigate and penalize employers for retaliating against domestic workers for asserting their rights on the job in the city. That includes protection from employers threatening retaliation against workers based on their immigration status. Philadelphia City Councilmember and LPPA member Kendra Brooks is a co-sponsor.
- Minneapolis, MN – City Councilmembers and LPMN members Elliott Payne, Robin Wonsley, Jason Chavez, Aurin Chowdhury, among others forcefully condemned the abduction of a University of Minnesota graduate student by ICE. This comes after the Minneapolis Police Chief made it clear that his department would play no role in helping ICE, and may actively oppose these efforts with lawsuits and other efforts. And the City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the Neighbors not Enemies Act to combat the Trump administration’s executive orders that endanger our immigrant neighbors.
- New York, NY – The New York City Council plans to take up two bills aimed at protecting immigrant workers from fraudsters looking to prey on the influx of new arrivals in New York City. City Councilmember and LPNY member Shahana Hanif authored one of the bills, Intro 205, that would require outreach to new arrivals about common fraudulent schemes and how to avoid them; outreach would be done through specific media, including television, internet, radio, print, subway advertisements, and LinkNYC kiosks. The other bill, Intro 980, would increase penalties for first and subsequent violations.
- Miami-Dade County, FL – The Miami-Dade School Board voted in favor of a symbolic resolution to ask the Trump administration to create new protections for immigrants who will soon lose their Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS.
- Los Angeles, CA – The City Council approved a package of motions aimed at protecting immigrants in Los Angeles amid cruelty at the federal level and threats to welcoming cities. These motions instructed staff to report back on policies that would require businesses to notify the city of all ICE activity, as well as to inform workers of their rights ahead of potential raids. Additionally, the council directed city staff to identify about $540,000 to maintain immigration legal services – which would cover a gap created when the Trump Administration froze such funding. The proposals follow the city council’s December decision to declare Los Angeles a sanctuary city.
- Alameda County, CA – In response to a barrage of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump aimed at immigrants, transgender people, and reproductive rights, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has formed a committee to secure protections for community members whose civil rights and safety could be impacted. The committee is chaired by LP member and County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas.
- Denver, CO – Denver Public Schools filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order to stop DHS from revoking sensitive location status for schools. This emergency filing comes after several ICE arrests took place in neighborhoods surrounding some Denver schools, negatively impacting some Denver Public School families and students.
- Allentown City, PA – One of our PA member leaders, Ce-Ce Gerlach, led an effort to unanimously pass a ‘Welcoming City’ ordinance on immigration. The unanimous vote came after hours of testimony from dozens of residents and advocates who called on council to pass the ordinance and ensure the city is protecting immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
- Chicago, IL– Chicago City Council doubled down on its “Welcoming City” ordinance, signaling that the Trump Administration will have no help from Chicago police when / if he makes good on his threat of mass deportations. Additionally, local organizers, advocates, and electeds throughout the city have been organizing community trainings, mutual aid networks, and other forms of local protections to limit the scale of deportations. And in the week’s following Trump’s victory in November, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city “will not bend or break” on its sanctuary laws.
- Austin, TX – Austin City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes said local police won’t enforce federal immigration law or help ICE with raids.
- Bridgeport, CT – The school district in Bridgeport issued a statement saying ICE agents will be denied access to school buildings, buses or events without permission from officials.
- Providence, RI – In response to the Trump administration’s threats to our immigrant communities, Councilor Miguel Sanchez issued a statement reaffirming Providence’s commitment to being a welcoming city for all.
- Denver, CO – Denver’s city government posted an editorial on its official website doubling down on its intention to be a welcoming city. The Mayor also said it’s likely the city will join lawsuits to protect migrants’ rights.
- Evanston, IL – The city amended its Welcoming City Ordinance to make it even more protective by broadening the definition of “immigration agent” and restricting city data sharing not only with ICE but also with third parties that might in turn share data with ICE. Evanston’s ordinance is now the strongest TRUST-type law in the state.
- Onondaga County, NY – Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley says his office will not comply with ICE requests to detain undocumented immigrants.
- Omaha, NE – The Omaha Police Chief publicly stated that the Omaha police department has no plans to participate in any raids and “do not and will not” stop people to check their legal status. The city’s Republican Mayor agreed: “Enforcing immigration law is the responsibility of federal law enforcement agencies, not the Omaha police department.”
- Berkeley, CA – The day after the inauguration, Berkeley councilmembers voted unanimously to strengthen its “sanctuary city” policy, vowing to protect migrants in schools, hospitals and churches.
- Grand Prairie, TX – The Police Chief said his department won’t support immigration sweeps – “My officers would not be using their time efficiently if they were driving around trying to find people who might have been born in another place.”
- San Francisco, CA – The city reaffirmed its sanctuary city status directly after Trump’s inauguration; and a large network of local legal aid providers are ramping up to defend anyone who needs legal representation.
- Washtenaw County, MI – Newly-elected Sheriff Alyshia Dyer stands firm that her department will not assist ICE.
Photo retrieved from Berkeleyside – photo credit to Vanessa Arredondo
