The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to temporarily ban private companies from establishing or operating immigrant detention centers or similar facilities within the city.
City Council President Nury Martinez, who championed the proposal, criticized the federal government and detention center operators, saying the
practice of separating immigrant children from their parents when they cross the border has "scarred them for life.''
The temporary ban also applies to so-called "shelters'' for unaccompanied immigrant minors, like one proposed by the company VisionQuest in Arleta, a predominantly Latino community.
During the council meeting, Martinez said many local community organizations back the temporary ban.
Immigration
"The fact that you are holding minors in such a place, in my opinion, (they) are just simply prisons or jails for children,'' she said. "We know they've caused misery and pain for countless others. What we should be doing instead of separating families at the border is reuniting them, and we simply do not want this type of detention center in our neighborhoods.''
A VisionQuest representative disputed the council president's claims in a statement to City News Service last week, saying the company "does not operate detention centers, nor do we have contracts to operate them.''
"VisionQuest is looking to establish a migrant shelter to provide clothing, food, schooling, medical care and housing for unaccompanied minors,'' company spokesman Jeff Bender said. "Our goal is to reunite them with family members or a foster family within 90 days of arriving at the shelter to get to a point of a stable living environment. Once again, we are not associated with detention centers. Congress approved funding to provide these services for migrant shelters, and we are looking to do just that."
VisionQuest obtained $25 million in contracts from the federal government last year to operate immigrant facilities in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Martinez said a proposal to permanently ban immigrant detention centers is also being developed for council consideration.
The temporary ban will last 45 days, with the council having the option to initially extend it for 10 months and then another year after that.
Because it was marked as an urgent ordinance, it went into effect immediately.
Councilman Herb Wesson also spoke in favor of the ban.
"Not in L.A., not in one of the most diverse, if not the most diverse, cities in this country will we sit idly by and let this happen,'' Wesson said last week. "It amazes me that any company would want to do this, already knowing that our Planning Department is working on a permanent ordinance to make sure that this does not occur.''
The council voted last year to create an ordinance that would ban the construction and operation of private detention facilities in Los Angeles, but
the new version includes all types of immigrant holding facilities
VisionQuest typically operates housing and services for youths who
have been assigned to the company by a judge or foster services.
Martinez introduced a motion in November seeking information from the
city's Planning Department and City Attorney's Office on the proposed Arleta
location and the site's zoning in an effort to determine if the area is suitable for the project.
On Jan. 6, a group of protesters and several local elected officials took part in a rally at the proposed site at 9120 Woodman Ave. The vacant, two-story building was formerly a senior living facility, according to Martinez.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill, AB 32, in October 2019 that bans the
establishment of private detention facilities from operating in the state.
