LOS ANGELES, USA: Los Angeles County was under a state of emergency Wednesday, declared over federal immigration raids, in the latest effort to push back on President Donald Trump’s hard-line policies.
The declaration, which is usually issued in times of natural disaster, frees up resources that can be used to help those affected in the county, home to a large number of undocumented migrants and one of the most diverse parts of the United States.
Supporters of the move say broad-based migrant raids being carried out by masked agents are untargeted and focused on people who speak Spanish or appear to be Hispanic.
They claim the fear the raids cause is preventing breadwinners from going to work and creating genuine hardship in immigrant communities, with one recent survey finding average weekly earnings among immigrants down by over 60 percent.
Janice Hahn, one of the county supervisors who voted 4-1 in favor of the declaration on Tuesday, said it was needed in response to “the fear, the pain and the disorder these... raids are causing our community.”
“We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces.
“I want our immigrant communities to know that we are in this emergency with them, we see them and we understand what they are going through.”
Raids by armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, as well as other officials from agencies under the Department of Homeland Security, sparked uproar in Los Angeles when they unfolded several months ago.
Weeks of unruly protests were met by Trump’s decision to send National Guard soldiers onto the streets of America’s second largest city, a move criticized as heavy-handed and inflammatory by critics.
The raids have spread to other, mostly Democratic-run cities, including Chicago and Portland, Oregon, where the federal government has also tried to send National Guard troops.
Tuesday’s decision by county supervisors opens the door to a later eviction moratorium and other tenant protections for those who have fallen behind on their rent because of the raids.
Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said she was voting against the proclamation because she feared it would simply prompt costly legal action from the federal government.
“We need real solutions, not symbolic gestures,” she said in a statement after the vote.
“I’ll continue to support targeted, community-centered programs like legal aid and rental assistance that provide meaningful help to vulnerable families while respecting legal limits, protecting County resources, and preserving public trust.”
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Los Angeles declares state of emergency over immigration raids
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Los Angeles declares state of emergency over immigration raids
- Supporters of the move say broad-based migrant raids being carried out by masked agents are untargeted and focused on people who speak Spanish or appear to be Hispanic
- The raids have spread to other, mostly Democratic-run cities, including Chicago and Portland, Oregon
Chaos erupts at Indian airports as country’s largest airline cancels flights
NEW DELHI: Chaos gripped major Indian airports Friday as passengers of the country’s biggest airline, IndiGo, scrambled to cope up with widespread flight disruptions and cancelations triggered by newly enforced rules limiting working hours for crew and pilots.
Scenes of frustration played out as passengers slept on airport floors, queued for hours at customer service counters and waited without clear communication from the airline.
Friday was the fourth straight day of disruptions as the low cost carrier struggles with new regulations that mandate longer rest periods and limit night flying hours to address concerns about fatigue and safety.
The first phase of the rules came into effect in July while the second phase kicked in November. IndiGo struggled to adapt its rosters in time, resulting in widespread cancelations and disruptions.
On Thursday, more than 300 IndiGo flights were grounded while several hundreds delayed. A passenger advisory from the Delhi airport Friday stated that all domestic IndiGo flights will remain canceled until midnight. Other major airlines, including Air India, have not faced similar issues so far.
IndiGo operates around 2,300 flights daily and controls nearly 65 percent of India’s domestic aviation market.
Senior citizen Sajal Bose was scheduled to travel with his wife Senjuti Bose early Friday from Kolkata to New Delhi to attend a friend’s silver jubilee celebration. His flight was canceled an hour before the scheduled take off.
Bose told The Associated Press he was now taking a nine-hour train ride to the city Bagdogra, where he plans to get a flight to New Delhi on another airline. “Its very irresponsible and complete negligence. Very difficult for older people like us,” he said.
In an internal email to employees this week, seen by The Associated Press, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized, and cited technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, heightened congestion and the implementation of the new rules as the reasons for flight disruptions.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement that the disruptions arose primarily through misjudgment and planning gaps as the airline implemented phase two of the new rules, and that the airline acknowledged that the effect on crew strength exceeded their expectations.
IndiGo has sought temporary exemptions in implementing the new rules and told the government that corrective measures were underway. It has indicated the operations will be fully restored by Feb. 10.
More cancelations are expected in the next couple of weeks, and the airline said it would reduce its flight operations from Dec. 8 to minimize disruptions.
Scenes of frustration played out as passengers slept on airport floors, queued for hours at customer service counters and waited without clear communication from the airline.
Friday was the fourth straight day of disruptions as the low cost carrier struggles with new regulations that mandate longer rest periods and limit night flying hours to address concerns about fatigue and safety.
The first phase of the rules came into effect in July while the second phase kicked in November. IndiGo struggled to adapt its rosters in time, resulting in widespread cancelations and disruptions.
On Thursday, more than 300 IndiGo flights were grounded while several hundreds delayed. A passenger advisory from the Delhi airport Friday stated that all domestic IndiGo flights will remain canceled until midnight. Other major airlines, including Air India, have not faced similar issues so far.
IndiGo operates around 2,300 flights daily and controls nearly 65 percent of India’s domestic aviation market.
Senior citizen Sajal Bose was scheduled to travel with his wife Senjuti Bose early Friday from Kolkata to New Delhi to attend a friend’s silver jubilee celebration. His flight was canceled an hour before the scheduled take off.
Bose told The Associated Press he was now taking a nine-hour train ride to the city Bagdogra, where he plans to get a flight to New Delhi on another airline. “Its very irresponsible and complete negligence. Very difficult for older people like us,” he said.
In an internal email to employees this week, seen by The Associated Press, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized, and cited technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, heightened congestion and the implementation of the new rules as the reasons for flight disruptions.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement that the disruptions arose primarily through misjudgment and planning gaps as the airline implemented phase two of the new rules, and that the airline acknowledged that the effect on crew strength exceeded their expectations.
IndiGo has sought temporary exemptions in implementing the new rules and told the government that corrective measures were underway. It has indicated the operations will be fully restored by Feb. 10.
More cancelations are expected in the next couple of weeks, and the airline said it would reduce its flight operations from Dec. 8 to minimize disruptions.
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