Los Angeles city workers looking for a side hustle just hit a hard stop if that gig involves federal immigration enforcement. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to adopt an ordinance that bars city employees, both sworn and civilian, from taking outside jobs with federal immigration agencies or companies that contract with them. The measure, led by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez and seconded by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, now heads to Mayor Karen Bass for final action. Supporters say the move is meant to protect immigrant communities and avoid conflicts of interest for municipal workers.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the ordinance explicitly blocks employees from moonlighting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, or any subcontractor involved in civil immigration enforcement. Speaking at a City Hall press conference after the vote, Rodriguez said the change "enshrines into city policy" a prohibition on outside employment tied to federal immigration enforcement.
What the ordinance changes
The ordinance revises Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 49.5.7 to clearly add immigration enforcement agencies and their contractors to the list of restricted outside employers. City records show the motion to draft the amendment was introduced in August 2025 and recommended by the Personnel & Hiring Committee before going to the full council, according to City Clerk documents.
Who it covers and how it will work
The measure applies to all city workers, including full-time, part-time, as-needed staff, hiring-hall members, appointed officers, and even employees who retired within the past 120 days. It forbids them from taking paid outside work with ICE, CBP, DHS, or their subcontractors, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. Departments will be expected to run outside-employment requests through existing review processes and to check any current moonlighting or contracting arrangements that might conflict with the new rule. City attorneys are set to draft guidance to help managers and staff put the policy into practice.
City leaders' rationale
Backers of the ban say the goal is to reassure residents that city services remain a neutral, safe space regardless of immigration status. "It’s for that reason that I thought it was important for us to enshrine our city values," Rodriguez said in remarks reported by NBC Los Angeles. Critics, including some public-safety leaders who weighed in when the measure was first floated, warned it could make it harder to recruit for certain paid outside details and might complicate some contracting relationships, as local coverage noted when the motion advanced last year.
Where this fits into past moves
The vote follows earlier City Hall efforts to distance local government from federal immigration enforcement. That includes an ordinance that bars using city property as a staging area for federal immigration operations, according to City Clerk legislative files. Mayor Karen Bass has also issued an executive directive telling departments to take specific steps to protect immigrant communities and restrict use of city resources for enforcement, the mayor’s office says.
The ordinance now sits on Mayor Bass' desk. If she signs it, the amendments will be written into the Los Angeles Administrative Code, and departments will have to update their outside-employment policies. City officials say they plan to publish detailed guidance for employees and managers once the measure gets final approval.
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