On Tuesday, Los Angeles County officials announced the declaration of a local state of emergency in the area, as confirmed by county authorities.

The notification of this declaration was made public through an online press release from the office of LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.

This action comes as a response to the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations conducted throughout LA County, a region hosting over 10 million residents and boasting one of the largest immigrant populations in the United States.

With this measure in place, the county is now able to provide financial support to those affected by the raids, including offering rent assistance and facilitating access to state funds for legal services.

“The situation in our communities is indeed critical, and Los Angeles County is responding accordingly,” Horvath emphasized in her statement.

“Declaring a Local Emergency ensures that the full weight of County government is aligned to support our immigrant communities who are being targeted by federal actions,” she added.

The proclamation notice, dated Oct. 9, said that it will remain in effect until terminated by the Board of Supervisors. 

County departments were ordered to “take necessary emergency actions to protect and stabilize communities impacted by federal immigration actions,” it read.

County supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of the emergency proclamation to mobilize county resources and support affected communities despite potential legal challenges from the federal government. 

County officials claimed the raids have “created a climate of fear, leading to widespread disruption in daily life and adverse impacts to our regional economy,” including decreased workplace attendance, temporary or permanent business closures, and increased strain on schools, hospitals, and places of worship.

Supervisor Janice Hahn said the emergency declaration was needed to respond to “the fear, the pain and the disorder these ICE raids are causing our community.”

“We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces,” she said. “I want our immigrant communities to know that we are in this emergency with them,” she added.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell also added that the raids have emboldened others to commit acts of race-based violence and hate.

The one vote against the proclamation came from Board Chair Kathryn Barger, who warned that the county’s action could provoke legal consequences.

“The federal government has sole authority to enforce federal immigration law, and local governments cannot impede that authority,” Barger said. “We should instead advocate for meaningful immigration reform that is fair, pragmatic, and creates legal pathways for those who contribute to our communities.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, ICE said the “only state of emergency is the one the residents of Los Angeles face after electing officials who give a middle finger to the law.”

“Perhaps the board should “supervise” funds to support law-abiding fire victims who still haven’t recovered instead of criminal illegal aliens seeking refuge in their sanctuary city. While they publicly fear-monger, I would be shocked if they didn’t agree with  ICE removing a child rapist from their neighborhood,” spokesperson Emily Convington added.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Horvath’s office for comment.