El Cajon's mayor lost a battle before the City Council as he sought to clear the way for local authorities to support federal deportation efforts.

At the heart of the discussion was to what extent city police are legally able to assist immigration officials under Senate Bill 54, a California law that restricts the role local law enforcement can play in immigration enforcement but also has allowances for working with federal officers to address violent criminals.

California and many of its local governments, including Los Angeles and San Diego County, have taken a stand against deportations, passing resolutions to refuse cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

The El Cajon City Council voted down a resolution proposed by Mayor Bill Wells that declared the city's intent to support President Trump's deportation policies, which contradict California state laws limiting local government involvement in immigration activity.

Images of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across the country and in San Diego have some migrants afraid to leave their homes.