Los Angeles County Municipal Code Ch. 13.02 Preserving County Real and Personal Property for County Purposes

A.

The County of Los Angeles (County) is committed to the well-being of all its residents, irrespective of immigration status, and to serving its diverse community in an inclusive, safe, and secure environment. Critical to this commitment, the County has fundamental interests in securing for all residents safe and unimpeded access to County spaces and facilities, and in fostering a relationship of trust between the County's immigrant community and County agencies. Violative of these fundamental interests, unauthorized civil law enforcement activity involving County owned or controlled real or personal property impedes County residents and employees from accessing or using County owned or controlled real or personal property for its intended purpose, endangers residents and employees using it, and undermines the relationship of trust between the County and the community. In addition to sowing fear and distrust amongst County residents, unauthorized civil law enforcement on County property discourages residents from seeking essential County services. The County finds that unauthorized civil law enforcement on County property is a lower priority than ensuring safety, trust, and reliance on County services and property.

B.

As authorized by law, and for nearly a decade, the County has prohibited the use of County resources to help enforce federal immigration laws, except in narrowly defined circumstances. The County has an interest in: (1) protecting its resources and personnel from being forced to undertake costly federal enforcement efforts, in violation of the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution; (2) protecting its private spaces from unwarranted intrusion, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution; and (3) following applicable State law.

If the County permitted the use of County owned and controlled real and personal property as a staging area, processing location, or operations base for unauthorized civil law enforcement including, but not limited to, of federal immigration laws, the County would relinquish its resources contrary to its established policy, undermining trust in local government by County residents of all immigration statuses.

The County does not seek to obstruct or impede lawful federal immigration enforcement. The County's interest is in ensuring that such enforcement is carried out by federal immigration officers, not by County officials or employees, and in a manner that comports with the County's proprietary right to unimpeded use of its real and personal property for County purposes, such as County programs and services that further the well-being of all residents irrespective of immigration status.

C.

Since June 7, 2025, federal immigration agents have frequently conducted raids across the County in public parks, streets, hospitals, businesses, swap meets, parking lots, and in front of courthouses, amongst a multitude of other locations. For County residents, the raids reach virtually every facet of life. Video footage and eyewitness accounts of the raids reveal that federal immigration agents typically have not shown judicial warrants or even administrative ones. Video recordings and eyewitness accounts show also that during the raids, federal immigration agents often wear masks and plainclothes and do not identify themselves. This practice heightens tension and fear among County residents, including those investigated or detained, bystanders, and those who learn about the raids through the news, social media, or word of mouth.

The warrantless raids by masked, unidentifiable officers have compromised public health and safety. County residents, having been turned fearful and distrustful, have been forgoing vital medical care for themselves and their children. After June 8, 2025, cancellations and no-shows for appointments for medical care in the County's health systems increased; the number of patients seen at County public health clinics fell year-over-year in June 2025 by 25 percent. Concurrently, victims

of and witnesses to crimes have become unwilling to cooperate with local law enforcement and prosecutors. Consequently, to protect public health and safety, County health and law enforcement officials have had to use the County's limited resources to restore the community's trust that County health facilities are safe to visit and that County law enforcement is safe to use or assist.

D.

Federal immigration operations are increasingly taking place in public spaces including on County property endangering public health and safety, and impeding and disrupting County purposes. The County has been compelled to expend its funds and dedicate its resources to mitigate the harms. It has, therefore, become imperative that the County act to protect its real and personal property to preserve it for access and use by the public for its intended County purposes. This protective action includes prohibiting the use of its real and personal property as a staging area, processing location, or operations base for unauthorized civil law enforcement actions, including civil immigration enforcement.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

The purpose of this ordinance is to protect County real and personal property so it remains accessible to the public and useable for its intended County purposes by prohibiting County real or personal property from being used as a staging area, processing location, or operations base for unauthorized civil law enforcement actions, including civil immigration enforcement.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

As used in this Chapter, the following definitions apply:

A.

"The County" means the County of Los Angeles, a body corporate and politic, with all the powers specified by the constitution and laws of the State of California and by the Charter of the County of Los Angeles, and such powers as are necessarily implied, and with the boundaries defined by California Government Code section 23119.

B.

"County Property" means real or personal property belonging to, or subject to the control of, the County.

C.

"Judicial Warrant" means a type of authorization issued by a federal judge or other judicial official that gives authority to perform a specific act, for example, to conduct a search or arrest a person.

D.

"Law Enforcement Officer" means any peace officer as defined in California Penal Code section 830, as may be amended, and any officer or agent of any federal law enforcement agency, any state law enforcement agency, any local law enforcement agency, or any person contracted to conduct civil law enforcement including, but not limited to, civil immigration enforcement.

E.

"Operations Base" includes a physical location that serves as a hub for planning, coordinating, managing, administering, commanding, controlling or supporting operational activities.

F.

"Processing Location" includes a place or area of land, a tent, vehicle, structure, stockade, or other facility where detainees or arrestees are temporarily held during their investigation or identification, or during their administrative processing before transfer to a permanent detention facility or release.

G.

"Staging Area" includes an area that is used to assemble, mobilize, and deploy vehicles, equipment, or materials, and related personnel.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

No Law Enforcement Officer may use County Property as a Staging Area, Processing Location, or as an Operations Base for unauthorized civil law enforcement activities including, but not limited to, civil immigration enforcement, unless (a) the use furthers a County purpose; (b) is conducted in a manner that does not disrupt or impede its use for the County purpose; (c) is conducted within regular business hours; and (d) the County has authorized the use in accordance with Subsection C of Section 13.02.050, below.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

A.

County Property that either has been used, or has the potential to be used in the future, as a Staging Area, Processing Location, or Operations Base for unauthorized civil law enforcement activities conducted by Law Enforcement Officers including, but not limited to, civil immigration enforcement, shall bear signage clearly stating the following:

"This property is owned and controlled by the County of Los Angeles. It may not be used for unauthorized civil law enforcement including, but not limited to, civil immigration enforcement, as a Staging Area, Processing Location, or Operations Base. (LACC Ch. 13.02.)"

B.

County departments shall ensure that signage and physical barriers, such as locked gates, are used to limit access to County Property that has been identified pursuant to Subsection A, above.

C.

All Law Enforcement Officers that seek to use County Property as a Staging Area, Processing Location, or Operations Base for civil law enforcement activities must obtain a permit from the appropriate County department in advance of such operations, except under exigent circumstances or under the authority of a Judicial Warrant. In reviewing an application for a permit to conduct civil law enforcement on County Property, the County department shall consider whether the applicant has shown that it has no reasonably available alternative location on which to conduct such operations.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

A.

Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to interfere with or inhibit any exercise of the constitutionally protected rights of freedom of speech or assembly or to prevent the use of, or access to, County Property as required by law.

B.

The prohibitions in Section 13.02.040, above, do not apply under exigent circumstances involving imminent danger to persons or property, or when access or use is required by federal, State, or local law, nor do they restrict or interfere with the execution of Judicial Warrants or the enforcement of criminal law, nor do they limit the rights of any person or entity under State or federal law.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

Nothing in this Chapter shall be interpreted or applied to create any requirement, power, or duty in conflict with any federal or State law.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

Nothing in this Chapter shall be interpreted or applied to affect or interfere with any property interest or agreement, deed, easement, lease, license, or permit including, but not limited to, amendments thereto, to occupy or use County Property entered into or effective on or before the effective date of this ordinance.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

A.

A violation of Section 13.02.040, or Subsection C of Section 13.02.050, is punishable as an infraction or misdemeanor.

B.

County Counsel may bring a cause of action against any person or entity that violates, attempts to violate, or conspires to violate Section 13.02.040, or Subsection C of Section 13.02.050 by using County Property for an unauthorized purpose.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)

If any provision of this Chapter, or any application thereof to any person or circumstance, is found to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Chapter which can be implemented without the invalid provisions and which are declared to be severable. The Board of Supervisors hereby declares that it would have adopted this Chapter and each provision thereof irrespective of whether any one or more provisions are subsequently found invalid, unconstitutional, or otherwise unenforceable.

(Ord. 2026-0007 § 1, 2026.)