Los Angeles County Declares Local State of Emergency Over ICE Raids

Los Angeles County officials declared a local state of emergency Tuesday in response to ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

The proclamation, issued by County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office, described the situation as an emergency, saying, “What’s happening in our communities is an emergency and Los Angeles County is treating it like one.”

“Declaring a Local Emergency ensures that the full weight of County government is aligned to support our immigrant communities who are being targeted by federal actions,” Horvath said.

The declaration allows the county to provide aid to residents financially affected by the raids, including rent relief and legal assistance. It will remain in effect until the Board of Supervisors votes to terminate it. The board approved the measure in a 4–1 vote.

County officials said the ICE operations have “created a climate of fear, leading to widespread disruption in daily life and adverse impacts to our regional economy.” This includes reduced work attendance, temporary business closures, and increased strain on schools, hospitals, and churches.

Supervisor Janice Hahn defended the move, saying the declaration was needed to address “the fear, the pain and the disorder these ICE raids are causing our community.”

“We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces,” she said. “I want our immigrant communities to know that we are in this emergency with them,” she claimed.

In response, ICE issued a sharp statement criticizing county leaders, telling Fox News that the “only state of emergency is the one the residents of Los Angeles face after electing officials who give a middle finger to the law.”

“Perhaps the board should ‘supervise’ funds to support law-abiding fire victims who still haven’t recovered, instead of criminal illegal aliens seeking refuge in their sanctuary city. While they publicly fear-monger, I would be shocked if they didn’t agree with ICE removing a child rapist from their neighborhood,” a spokesperson said.