Migrant Relief Resource Guide

August 24, 2023

Los Angeles County continues to be home to refugees and asylum seekers fleeing political, civil, and economic unrest. Together, government, philanthropy and community-based organizations can meaningfully and effectively support refugees and asylum seekers and sustain a coordinated resettlement process for the region.

On June 14, 2023, the first bus arrived in Los Angeles carrying 42 asylum seekers sent by Governor Abbot of Texas. Migrant arrivals sent from Texas are one of the many examples of the humanitarian crisis that is taking place across the country. As of August 22, 2023, eight more buses have arrived in LA with over 350 asylum seekers, including children.

The situation is critical, and community-based organizations who have mobilized to ensure recent migrant arrivals are connected to the necessary housing, food, education, health and social services they need to adjust to life in LA, are struggling to keep up. Represent L.A., a public-private partnership supported by CCF, also continues to be an important vehicle for ensuring newly arrived individuals and families have access to legal services.

How to Help

As Los Angeles County continues to welcome refugees and asylum seekers with dignity and compassion, the following LA based organizations are actively involved in providing immediate relief, assistance and essential services to our newest community members:

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a California leader with national impact composed of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants.
Central American Resource Center CARECEN empowers Central Americans and all immigrants by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice and promoting cultural diversity.
Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) educates, organizes, and mobilizes the faith community to accompany workers and their families in their struggle for good jobs, dignity and justice. CLUE works with immigrant rights organizations on many initiatives, including training rapid responders to bear witness when immigration raids occur in our neighborhoods, visiting immigrants in detention and working to bond them out, and speaking out locally and at the state level for measures that let immigrants work and worship without police harassment, whether on sidewalks, in ports, or anywhere in the community.
Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo (CIELO) is an Indigenous women-led non-profit organization that works jointly with Indigenous communities residing in LA. One of their priorities is to fight for social justice through a cultural lens in order to end gender-based violence, provide language access rights, cultural preservation and reproductive justice. CIELO is a link, a resource, and a liaison for migrant Indigenous communities residing in Los Angeles.
Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The BRIDGE” is a grassroots nonprofit community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black people, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses.
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system. They challenge the immigration system’s campaign of cruelty against migrants at the border with a focus on assisting children and families. Their model of universal representation is built on the principle that access to an attorney for all immigrants involved in deportation proceedings is the first step to ensure fairness in U.S. immigration courts. It is their long‐term goal to ensure that no immigrant is forced to face an unjust immigration system alone.

CCF fundholders who wish to support these efforts through their donor advised fund may make grants directly on DonorConnect. For any donor inquiries, please contact your Relationship Manager or email DonorRelations@calfund.org.

Click here for details on how LA continues to lead on immigrant inclusion by exploring nine issue areas impacting immigrant communities. For additional learning resources, please contact Rosie Arroyo, Senior Program Officer, Immigration at rarroyo@calfund.org.

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