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The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pass the “sanctuary city” ordinance, shielding queer youth who travel to the city to receive gender-affirming care from prosecution.
Los Angeles officials have declared the city a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ youth and immigrants, enacting several policies aimed at preventing Donald Trump's Project 2025.
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pass the “sanctuary city” ordinance, shielding queer youth who travel to the city to receive gender-affirming care from prosecution, as well as preventing city resources from being used in immigration enforcement or assisting federal immigration officials.
At the same time, the Los Angeles Unified School District passed several emergency resolutions, one of which amended its school policy about “respectful treatment of all persons” to include gender identity. The policy cited how “nationwide proliferation of anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and narratives exacerbates discrimination, invalidates people’s humanity, and stokes fear and anxiety," per CNN.
The board also vowed to “protect and defend students, families, and staff from the harm intended by Project 2025," specifically rejecting its call to dismantle the Department of Education and undo civil rights protections.
California became a sanctuary state for gender-affirming care following Gov. Gavin Newsom's signing of SB 107 in 2022. The law prohibits states that have banned the life-saving treatment from punishing those who travel to California to receive it by preventing the release of information or the arrest and extradition of someone based on another state's court orders.
While California was already a sanctuary state for LGBTQ+ youth, Los Angeles' policy will specifically ensure the city's local resources are not used to aid law enforcement from other jurisdictions in their attempts to prosecute the families of minors receiving gender-affirming care, as well as their healthcare providers.
“We know what’s coming," school board President Jackie Goldberg told the outlet. "They’ve said what’s coming, and we want to tell our students and their families and all of our personnel that you are welcome here."
