LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a state of emergency this week that could benefit tenants and others hurt by the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown in Southern California.

The action Tuesday is the latest and one of most sweeping efforts by local authorities to push back at immigration raids that have targeted several major American cities this summer and fall.

Los Angeles County was the first area to see widespread immigration arrests, which netted thousands of people, and local officials say they are using those experiences to craft protections.

The move comes amid weeks of clashes between immigration officers, protesters and others on the streets of Chicago.

A state of emergency is a precursor to enacting an eviction moratorium for households that have lost income due to the raids. The proclamation also allows local agencies to expedite the hiring of government positions needed to assist tenants.

The proclamation was introduced by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn, and allows the country to coordinate interagency response and request state and federal assistance to help affected communities, according to a news release from Horvath.

"What's happening in our communities is an emergency — and Los Angeles County is treating it like one," Horvath said in the release. "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. For months, families have lived under threat and workers have been taken from job sites."

Tenants who can prove they are affected by the ongoing state of emergency cannot be evicted for unpaid rent under eviction moratoriums, but they still owe back rent once the moratorium expires.

The eviction moratorium could have unintended consequences because it could mean the immigration status of residents is revealed to their landlord if they use it to fight an eviction order in court. The proclamation also faces the possibility of lawsuits or backlash from the Trump administration.

Federal immigration raids have swept up thousands of people in Southern California and resulted in decreased attendance at work, widespread fear, disruption of local economies and a strain on hospitals, schools and places of worship.

"What's happening across Los Angeles County is an emergency. It may not be a wildfire or an earthquake, but it is a man-made emergency — created by our own federal government," Hahn said in the release. "I want our residents to know that we are in this crisis with them — and I want us to have every tool at our disposal in this effort. For that reason, I think this emergency proclamation is not just symbolically important as a message to our residents, but critical to our response moving forward."

Historically, states of emergency have been declared during natural disasters; however, county staff said the criteria for such an action could be applied to the hardships generated by immigration raids.

The proclamation will be in effect until terminated by the Board of Supervisors.

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