The Los Angeles City Council instructed its legal staff Wednesday to prepare an ordinance prohibiting municipal workers and sworn personnel from taking on outside employment with federal agencies conducting immigration enforcement.
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In a 14-0 vote, the council approved a motion introduced by members Monica Rodriguez and Ysabel Jurado on Sept. 12 to ensure that city employees "do not participate in immigration enforcement agency actions," calling it "critical to maintaining community trust and ensuring legal compliance with city and state policies."
Councilman Curren Price was absent during the vote.
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso and City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo are expected to draft the ordinance for the council's approval.
"I thought it was important for us to really enshrine our city values -- and what would not be considered or entertained is the opportunity to seek outside employment with an agency that has constantly rolled into our city and countless other cities across the country and assaulted and abducted members of our community," Rodriguez said.
"It's for that reason that I thought it was important for us to enshrine in our rules the prohibitions from allowing city employees to be able to engage in this outside employment at a time when we need to continue to foster trust in our local government, particularly at a time when our federal government has made it quite clear they have absolutely zero intention in shoring up and strengthening people's trust in their government," Rodriguez added.
The Los Angeles Administrative Code states that city officials, other than elected city officers and part-time board and commission members, shall not accept a payment for honoraria or other outside earned income or employment without prior written approval.
Approval must be obtained from the general manager or chief administrative officer of the city official's department.
This policy does not restrict any related work with immigration enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Patrol, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is what the new policy aims to address for all city and sworn personnel.
Other secondary employment related to immigration enforcement that may be restricted as it relates to immigration enforcement involves law enforcement support and contractual work such as data analysis, legal support, community outreach or advocacy.
A representative for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing Los Angeles Police Department officers up to the rank of lieutenant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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