Categories: News

Solis Advocates for $5.5 Million Boost to Support Immigrant Legal Representation in LA County

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors  Feb. 12 held a special board meeting in which county departments presented their budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year. Among those, a presentation of the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs’ or DCBA budget requested additional funding for legal support for immigration services through the Office of Immigrant Affairs or OIA.
In 2017, at the request of Chair Pro Tem Hilda L. Solis, Los Angeles County established the Office of Immigrant Affairs within DCBA. Since then, RepresentLA, a program under the OIA, has provided legal representation to over 5,000 individuals, including removal defense, affirmative legal representation, and assistance securing employment authorization.
Just after the November 2024 elections, the county approved a motion put forth by chair pro tem Solis directing the county’s chief executive office to identify at a minimum, $5.5 million to ensure the RepresentLA program continues to help families during these trying times. Unless additional funding is provided, the RepresentLA program will end in June 2025.  

“The last few weeks have been difficult for our immigrant residents, with changing federal policy creating a sense of fear and insecurity. Our youth have organized incredible peaceful student walkouts across Los Angeles County in response, voicing their concerns and fear for family members amid uncertainty. This comes at a time when many of our families are facing historic home and job loss from the Eaton and Palisades Fires,” said Chair Pro Tem Solis. “Today, we’ve heard directly from constituents and DCBA that without additional funding for the County’s legal representation and support services, our immigrant communities will be left vulnerable at a time when there is so much fear around family separations. We cannot let this program lapse at the end of this fiscal year. I am committed to working with CEO and DCBA to ensure Represent LA has the resources it needs to continue supporting our residents.”
As a result of the passing of Measure G during the 2024 elections, Los Angeles County voters approved a comprehensive package of reforms to answer the public’s call for transparency and accountability, including public budget presentations.

The County of Los Angeles will be holding public budget request presentations from County departments on the following dates:
  • February 21, 2025
  • February 24, 2025
  • March 4, 2025
Terelle Jerricks

During his two decade tenure, he has investigated, reported on, written and assisted with hundreds of stories related to environmental concerns, affordable housing, development that exacerbates wealth inequality and the housing crisis, labor issues and community policing or the lack thereof.

Recent Posts

Trump Drops the Hammer on Farmworkers

In addition, the new regulation allows growers to charge H-2A workers for housing, which they…

17 hours ago

Letters to the Editor: Toberman Seniors Rebuild Reputation, School Library Proposal, and Praise for “Art, Authenticity vs. Hypocrisy”

  Toberman Seniors Club Seeks to Restore Its Good Name Amid Unexplained Changes We, the…

18 hours ago

Becoming Daddy AF, Through Dance and Storytelling

At 65 years of age, Roussève stands, through his diagnosis, still performing, writing, creating and…

19 hours ago

Icon versus Caricature

The difference between being a true icon and a caricature is in the authenticity of…

20 hours ago

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to Lecture at CSUDH

Jackson will appear as a visiting lecturer at California State University, Dominguez Hills, this fall…

20 hours ago

Harbor Area ICE Watch

Today, a federal force again disappearing our neighbors, using our community as its base of…

20 hours ago