County Briefs: LA Moves to Protect Immigrant Patients and Survivors of Domestic Abuse

Los Angeles County Acts to Support Survivors and Confront Domestic Violence Crisis

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Oct. 7 approved a motion by Chair Pro Tem and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, co-authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, proclaiming October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and advancing a comprehensive strategy to support survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence across the county. 

According to the 2025 Los Angeles Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Count, 42% of people experiencing homelessness reported a history of domestic or intimate partner violence. Ten percent became unhoused as a direct result of fleeing abuse. Among unaccompanied women, 60% disclosed such histories, with one in five reporting violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness. Despite this need, fewer than 1,000 DV-specific interim housing beds are available countywide, while more than 4,400 unsheltered adults reported needing them. 

“With wave after wave of funding cuts that we’ve seen from the federal government over the last few months, I worry about what those will mean for people who are experiencing or who have survived domestic violence. We cannot let their struggles nor their voices get lost in the chaos,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, Fourth District. “Our motion proclaims both Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Providers Appreciation Day so that we can keep this issue in the public eye and uplift the extraordinary work being done to support survivors, but critically it also includes specific directives that we hope will defend and expand the services available to protect people from domestic violence.”

The economic and social impacts of domestic violence are also severe. Nationally, domestic violence is estimated to cost more than $12 billion annually due to lost productivity, health care costs and legal services. Survivors frequently face workplace harassment by their abusers, yet 65 percent of U.S. companies lack a formal policy to address domestic violence in the workplace. 

This week’s motion directs multiple county departments to collaborate on strategies that: 

• Assess federal and state funding risks and recommend solutions to stabilize and expand funding for services

• Explore options for local sustainable funding and redirection of justice-related funds to support survivor services

• Expand culturally responsive emergency housing and economic opportunities for survivors

• Launch trainings and resources for employers to help support survivors in the workplace

• Advocate for state legislation to expand diversion and expungement opportunities for criminalized survivors

The Board also proclaimed Oct. 15, 2025, as Domestic Violence Providers Appreciation Day to honor frontline organizations serving survivors across Los Angeles County. 

The county departments named in the motion will report back within 120 days with findings and recommendations, including strategies for long-term sustainability and progress tracking. 

Los Angeles County Moves to Implement SB 81 to Protect Immigrant Patients

LOS ANGELES —  The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at the end of September approved a motion by Chair Pro Tem and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, co-authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, to implement Senate Bill 81 throughout county facilities. SB81 is a newly signed California law that enhances protections for immigrant patients and ensures continued safe access to health care across medical facilities. 

Senate Bill 81, authored by California State Senator Jesse Arreguín and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 20, requires health care providers to designate nonpublic areas in their facilities to prevent immigration enforcement activity in patient care spaces. The law also expands the definition of protected medical information to include immigration status and place of birth, and prohibits the disclosure of such information without a valid judicial warrant or court order. 

While Los Angeles County already enforces a Sensitive Locations policy that limits immigration enforcement in medical facilities, the motion calls for further alignment with SB 81. County departments, including Health Services, Mental Health, Public Health, the Chief Executive Office’s Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations Branch, the Office of Immigrant Affairs, and County Counsel, are directed to collaborate with SEIU 721, other labor partners, and relevant stakeholders. They must report back in 30 days with a written update on the implementation of SB 81, including policy changes and recommendations for additional advocacy. 

The motion also directs county departments to identify opportunities to standardize policies across all health facilities. This includes reviewing procedures related to visitation by family and authorized individuals, ensuring compliance with patient privacy laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, and providing training for health care staff who interact with immigration enforcement while caring for patients in custody. 

SB 81 requires all health care providers to comply with its provisions within 45 days of enactment.