The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has reaffirmed the county’s support for immigrants, citing concerns about threatened mass deportations during President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming term.

On Tuesday, the supervisors voted 4-0 to establish a task force to monitor the impact of changing federal immigration policies and to establish a Department of Immigration Affairs. Other measures include increased mental health support for immigrants, securing ongoing funding for immigration-support offices, and launching an awareness campaign.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstained from the vote.

The motion also reaffirms L.A. County’s ban on using local resources for immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant.

The motion added, “The recent presidential election has raised concerns that shifts in federal immigration policy could severely impact the lives of undocumented immigrants in the county and throughout the nation.”

There are currently more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants living in Los Angeles County.

“Promises of mass deportations have been made, creating a deep sense of fear and instability not only among undocumented residents but also for those who have less than citizenship status and mixed immigration status households,” the motion states.

The motion also noted that 60 percent of children born in the county have at least one immigrant parent.

Supervisor Hilda Solis said that in addition to undocumented immigrants, the county is home to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients (DACA dreamers), Temporary Protected Status holders, and asylum seekers — all of whom face fears of losing their protections.

In 2017, during President-elect Trump’s previous administration, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors created the Office of Immigrant Affairs under the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to support the county’s immigrant communities.

“Over the past year, OIA has channeled almost $37 million in programs and services to support all our immigrants and their families across the county,” according to the motion.

“Mass deportations would greatly disrupt families and uproot individuals from communities that they have been a part of for years. Many undocumented residents have family members who are U.S. citizens, including children, who rely on them for support,” the motion states.

In Los Angeles County, immigrants spend more than $108.6 billion per year and contribute over $38 billion to California’s revenues

“Undocumented residents contribute significantly to sectors such as agriculture, construction, hospitality, and healthcare while paying an estimated $8.5 billion annually in state and local taxes,” according to the motion. “In addition to their significant tax contributions, according to an analysis reported by Cal Lutheran, undocumented immigrants contribute more than $151 billion to California’s economy which represents 4.9 percent of the state’s GDP.”

In a study by the University of Southern California’s Equity Research Institute, 55 percent of the immigrant population in L.A. County identified as Latino, 28 percent as Asian American, 14 percent as white, and two percent as black.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell, whose 2nd district includes portions of the Westside, expressed how proud she is to represent and come from a district “with so many diverse immigrant communities.”

“I see and share their apprehension about what’s coming, especially since the second district is home to more than a quarter of L.A. County’s estimated 810,000 family friends, and neighbors. As we roll into these uncertain times, it’s clear that we’ll need to remain nimble as different threats to our communities arise,” she said.

She added, “We will recommit ourselves to doing what we can to protect all of our communities, including our immigrant family, friends, and neighbors.”

Image obtained by screen capture.