The Board of Supervisors is set to vote on a motion today that would remove federal agents from L.A. County jails.
The county partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) nearly a decade ago to expedite the deportation of inmates convicted of certain crimes, who are in the country illegally. As part of the partnership, immigration agents were placed in jails and jail employees were trained to investigate undocumented inmates.
The motion, sponsored by supervisors Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley Thomas, will be opposed by supervisors Don Knabe and Michael Antonovich. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl will likely cast the deciding vote.
The motion has vocal supporters on both sides and the deliberations are expected to take hours.
Should L.A. County put an end to its agreement with ICE?
Guests:
Chris Newman, legal director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network
Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) - a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization seeking to stop illegal immigration