LOS ANGELES — One year after federal immigration enforcement actions intensified across Los Angeles County, the Department of Economic Opportunity or DEO is reaffirming its commitment to supporting small businesses and workers impacted by the resulting economic disruptions.
Following the June 17, 2025, Board motion DEO mobilized with county and regional partners to assess local impacts and connect affected communities to resources. Partners included civic organizations and community-based organizations, schools, and other regional partners.
DEO worked with LAEDC to release the “Economic Impacts of Federal Immigration Enforcement in Los Angeles County” report, which highlighted the critical role that immigrant and undocumented workers play in the county’s economy. The report found that undocumented workers contribute an estimated $253.9 billion in total economic output, equivalent to 17% of Los Angeles County’s Gross Domestic Product, while supporting more than 1.06 million jobs and generating $80.4 billion in labor income across industries, including construction, manufacturing, retail, and services.
As immediate community needs emerged, DEO launched a dedicated immigration resource webpage to centralize information and support for impacted workers and businesses. Through the webpage, DEO and OIA made available ‘Know Your Rights’ webinar recordings and red cards, toolkits for employers and employees when confronted with immigration enforcement, and relevant resources from the county and partners. DEO’s Office of Small Business or OSB canvassed impacted communities to ensure these resources are widely accessible regardless of language and digital access.
Building on this, DEO launched the Small Business Resiliency Fund (SBRF) on Sept. 29, 2025. The Fund provided up to $5,000 in direct relief to eligible small businesses impacted by curfews, reduced customer activity, property damage, workforce disruptions, and revenue loss associated with federal immigration enforcement activity.
DEO expanded Youth@Work opportunities by increasing allowable work experience hours from 150 to 400 hours for transitional-age youth supporting their families due to separation from parental figures or household economic hardship. DEO also partnered with the Los Angeles County Office of Education or LACOE, Los Angeles Unified School District or LAUSD, Los Angeles Community College District or LACCD, Cal State LA, and other education partners to ensure timely information reached students, parents, and caregivers. Eligible youth can continue to enroll in the program this summer.
DEO and LA County will continue to provide information and resources.