Transforming Immigrant Affairs: Solis Champions a Creative Vision

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Oct. 1 approved a motion authored by Chair Pro Tem and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis to embed a creative strategist-artist in residence (creative strategist) in the county’s office of immigrant affairs or OIA. 

The creative strategist program, established in 2017, assigns artists and creative professionals to county departments to collaborate on policies and services that are inclusive and informed by community voices. Chair pro tem Solis, who co-authored the cultural equity and inclusion initiative that launched the program, said the new residency will strengthen the county’s efforts to build trust and connect with immigrant communities in more meaningful ways. 

“At a time when immigrant families face unprecedented fear and uncertainty, driven by harsh federal enforcement tactics and policies that threaten to tear communities apart, Los Angeles County must step up with bold, compassionate action,” said Chair Pro Tem Solis. “Embedding a Creative Strategist in the Office of Immigrant Affairs will strengthen our ability to better inform immigrant and mixed-status families of their rights through a culturally relevant and creative approach.” 

The motion directs the Department of Arts and Culture to collaborate with OIA, housed within the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, to embed a creative strategist for fiscal year 2025-26. 

The action builds on a successful 2021-22 residency by artist Phung Huynh, who brought her personal experience as a refugee to the work. During her time with the office, Huynh designed arts-based outreach strategies and visual materials tailored to immigrant communities, created interactive activities for events, and mentored staff to sustain creative engagement practices beyond her residency. Her work strengthened OIA’s outreach efforts and helped foster recognition and trust between the county and the residents it serves. 

The motion highlighted increased immigration enforcement and a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding roving patrols as reasons why a creative strategist within OIA is urgently needed. Embedding this role is critical toward a more responsive, inclusive government that centers the lived experiences of immigrants and their families throughout Los Angeles County.