Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger issued the following statement today, after casting the lone vote opposing a motion to proclaim a local state of emergency in response to federal immigration enforcement actions:
“I want to be clear: my opposition to this motion is about good governance, not immigration status.
Families across Los Angeles County are afraid, and that fear is real. I’ve spoken with members of our Latino community who live with the daily anxiety that immigration actions could separate families and destabilize neighborhoods. That fear deserves to be acknowledged with honesty and compassion. Declaring a local emergency is not the right or responsible way to respond to that.
Emergency powers exist for crises that pose life and death consequences like wildfires—not as a shortcut for complex policy issues. Stretching emergency powers for federal immigration actions undermines their purpose, invites legal challenges, and circumvents the public process.
Potential legal challenges will also put an additional fiscal burden on Los Angeles County’s budget–a budget that’s already stretched thin.
We need real solutions, not symbolic gestures. I’ll continue to support targeted, community-centered programs like legal aid and rental assistance that provide meaningful help to vulnerable families while respecting legal limits, protecting County resources, and preserving public trust.”