LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Los Angeles officials yesterday approved a ban on future business with Arizona in  protest against its crackdown on illegal immigrants, becoming  the largest U.S. city to impose such an economic boycott.

City Council members who voted 13-1 in favor of the  punitive measure said it could affect about $8 million in  contracts with Arizona, but Los Angeles must first decide which  of those agreements it can break without triggering lawsuits.

Another $50 million in contracts will remain in place but  the council directed city department heads to refrain from  doing future business with Arizona or companies headquartered  there whenever possible.

“I cannot go to Arizona today without a passport,”  Councilman Ed Reyes said before the vote. “If I come across an  officer who’s had a bad day and feels the picture on my ID is  not me, I could be summarily deported — no questions asked.  That is not American.” Arizona’s new law, which comes into effect at end-July,   does not allow police to demand identification from individuals  without cause or to summarily deport them. But it does require  officers, during a lawful contact, to check the immigration  status of anyone who they reasonably suspect is in the country  illegally.

A spokesman for Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, who signed the  bill on April 23, had no immediate comment on the move by Los  Angeles, which also suspends all city-related travel to the  desert state.