LOS ANGELES, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A federal court in California has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit against Los Angeles over an ordinance that limits the city's cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said Monday that the city "secured a legal victory" after U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin rejected the administration's argument that the "Sanctuary City Ordinance" was unconstitutional.
The ruling "reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources," Soto said in a statement.
The ordinance, formally known as "Prohibition of the Use of City Resources for Federal Immigration Enforcement," prohibits city resources, property and personnel, including the Los Angeles Police Department, from cooperating with immigration authorities and sharing data related to an individual's immigration status.
The ordinance is aimed at encouraging victims of and witnesses to crimes to feel safe coming forward to seek help from the police regardless of their immigration status, Soto said. "It does not obstruct or impede lawful federal immigration enforcement operations."
The lawsuit was filed last June after the administration deployed troops to quell protests in Los Angeles against deportation operations. It alleged that Los Angeles violated federal law by enacting policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. ■