The Long Beach City Council passed a series of reforms on Tuesday that will prohibit federal agents on non-public city grounds, create a certificate program for businesses offering safe spaces to undocumented residents, and establish penalties for city workers or contractors who do not comply with its sanctuary policies.

Long Beach has never formally declared itself a “sanctuary city” — a term that has no defined legal meaning — but, since 2018, it has continued to expand its rules around non-cooperation with civil immigration enforcement, a common theme in sanctuary policies.

Tuesday’s vote was the second expansion this year of its ordinance, titled the Long Beach Values Act, and comes as high-profile immigration sweeps have continued across the Los Angeles region, where officials

See Full Page