LA declares itself a ‘city of sanctuary’

LOS ANGELES — It took nearly a year and a half, but officials voted Friday to declare Los Angeles a “city of sanctuary,” long after other left-leaning cities took a similar stand against the Trump administration’s policies toward immigrants who lack legal status.

The Los Angeles City Council voted 12-0 to approve a symbolic resolution that elected officials first proposed in September 2017. The resolution doesn’t provide any new legal protections for immigrants but instead reaffirms existing policies, including Special Order 40, which bars Los Angeles police officers from initiating contact with someone solely to determine whether the person is in the country legally.