Non-profits, city leaders join forces to support immigrants and others affected by ICE raids

“You are not alone, Los Angeles,” is the central message of a coalition made up of diverse, non-partisan, non-profit organizations and community leaders joining forces to support Angelenos in response to deportations and ICE raids happening throughout the region. 

“The immigrant community is not alone. We are very much aware that if forces come against one of us, they're coming for all of us. Today we are coming together,” Capri Maddox, executive director of the LA Civil Rights Department, told CALÓ News. 

The Together in Service Coalition, made up of local organizations and social justice groups such as the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, the American Red Cross, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Center for Nonprofit Management, Central City Neighborhood Partners, SELA Collaborative, Students Run LA and Proyecto Pastoral, among others, announced it will continue and amplify its services in times like these. 

Some of the services the organizations will continue to provide, free of charge, include hosting healing-centered spaces and dialogues, including youth-focused conversations and trauma-informed support circles, food and essential items distribution and legal aid resources, as well as civil rights enforcement services for violations of the city’s civil rights laws. 

Maddox said that, now more than ever, those living in the city need services to feel safe, protected and seen. “Today, there are families in Los Angeles that have great needs and they feel isolated; they feel alone,” she said. “We know there are people afraid to go to work, schools, places of worship, their doctors' appointments or seek mental health services, and that’s why we are here.”

Maddox said that discriminatory practices are being seen more frequently, especially in times when people’s constitutional rights are undermined. In 2019, the city council passed the Civil and Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination in the private sector areas of commerce, education, employment and housing. 

“There are people who, based on their actual or perceived immigration status, have been denied things like housing. Others have been discriminated against in a housing situation because of their accent, perceived ethnicity, primary language, or their national origin,” Maddox told CALÓ News. “We can, especially in times like this, make sure this does not happen. We can support people to file claims against these discriminatory acts.” 

As Maddox stated, the Together in Service Coalition honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through collective volunteerism. “It’s a coalition in honor of what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King's 100th birthday in 2029,” she said. Through the dedication of volunteers and partnerships with local organizations, the initiative strives to achieve 25 million volunteer hours by 2029 in Southern California, fostering unity and empowerment within multiple nonprofit partners. 

She said the coalition is proud to be able to tackle complex challenges in L.A.'s underserved neighborhoods through service projects like the one listed above. 

To learn more about the coalition and  learn more about some of each organizations’ services, click here