Empowering Immigrants to Stand Up For Their Rights

Immigrant and refugee support

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Since Inauguration Day, the current federal administration has unleashed a barrage of executive orders and policies targeting immigrant communities, launching an aggressive campaign of mass detention and deportation. These attacks have sown fear in immigrant communities across Los Angeles and increased the need for Know-Your-Rights community education around various topics, including immigrants’ rights when interacting with ICE, how to prepare for a possible family separation, steps to avoid falling victim to notario fraud, and ways in which one can obtain lawful status. By arming immigrant communities with the information and tools they need to protect their constitutional rights when interacting with federal immigration agents, we empower them to protect their families, neighbors, and friends, and ensure that ICE follows the law when seeking to detain an individual.

An LA2050 grant will support urgent Know-Your-Rights (KYR) training for immigrant communities and for those fighting tirelessly to protect them. We provide trainings to our clients, community organizations, schools, churches and other institutions to educate them about their rights if confronted by ICE, teach them steps they can take to protect themselves against notario fraud, help them identify if they may be eligible for immigration relief, and provide guidance in preparing their families for potential ICE enforcement. We are continuously updating our presentations to reflect the changing political climate in immigration, including emerging trends in ICE enforcement tactics, the new requirement for noncitizens to register with the federal government, and DHS’s wellness check-ins for unaccompanied minors.
While we have always engaged in community education, we have ramped up our efforts to provide KYR trainings to community organizations, legal service providers, and government offices, such as the Mayoral Staff of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, LAUSD, Allies for Every Child, Inner City Law Center, Inglewood High School Dream Center, and the Downtown Women’s Center, among others. Thus far in 2025, our Immigrants’ Rights Project staff has conducted 27 trainings which served 1,004 community members. Eighteen of these trainings were in person and 9 were remote.

By providing KYR trainings to a cross-section of Los Angeles County residents, we aim to arm them with the information they need to prevent their unlawful detention and deportation, as well as that of their family members. When subject to ICE enforcement, an immigrant’s ability to recall and assert their rights in the moment can determine whether or not the individual is detained. By learning to verify the identity of the federal agents, request a valid judicial warrant, and exercise their constitutional right to remain silent, immigrants provide the first and strongest line of defense to unlawful action by ICE.
Our vision is to educate the residents of Los Angeles to know how they can resist unlawful detention. Toward that end, we will expand our work with local governments, community organizations, law school clinics, schools, and other public institutions to connect with directly impacted communities and arrange KYR presentations.