County and state leaders hit the streets to bring immigration resources to Panorama City

On Saturday, September 27, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath and California State Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez (AD-43) walked alongside community partners and organizations for a Know Your Rights community resource walk in Panorama City. 

The resource walk was created at a critical moment for immigrant and working-class families in Panorama City, a community that the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) has identified as one of the most heavily targeted by immigration raids.

Local families, businesses and community members received literature and information on immigration resources, Know Your Rights protections and mental health services to help families stay safe, informed and supported.

Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has turned its attention to Los Angeles. Beginning in early June, the city has seen a surge in reports of unidentified, masked individuals detaining people on the streets without federal warrants. 

A month later CHIRLA released an analysis of the recent immigration enforcement activities in Los Angeles County. The map, as explained by the immigrant rights organization, geographically tracks military federal immigration enforcement operations using a heat map.

There were 471 confirmed immigration enforcement actions reported to the L.A. Rapid Response Network (LARRN) between June 6 and July 20, which is represented on the map known as the “Areas of Focus for Federal Enforcement Activity.”  The top zip codes with the highest number of reported cases include 91402 part of the San Fernando Valley, with 22 actions.

Many of those detained during this period were street vendors and day laborers, as federal immigration authorities focused enforcement efforts on locations where they commonly work, particularly outside home improvement stores.