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Board directs county departments to boost outreach, telehealth and food delivery for immigrants after enforcement actions
Summary
By a 5-0 vote the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed multiple departments to study local impacts of heightened immigration enforcement and to expand remote and grassroots outreach, food delivery and guardian designation guidance for families.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Tuesday to direct county departments to assess and respond to recent increases in federal immigration enforcement and the “chilling effect” it has had on immigrant access to county health and social services.
The motion from Supervisor Hilda Solis, coauthored by Supervisor Lindsay Horvath, asks the Departments of Health Services, Mental Health, Public Social Services, Children and Family Services, Aging and Disabilities and others to report back with plans to expand telehealth and virtual services, deploy multilingual grassroots messaging, support food delivery and prepare materials about guardian designation for parents who may be detained.
The motion was prompted by reports from health providers and supervisors that enforcement actions this month disrupted outreach and services in MacArthur Park and other communities. “This act of intimidation in a community setting is devastating,” Solis said, describing how overdose-response teams and other services were interrupted when federal agents and California National Guard personnel were present. Horvath said families sheltering in place and missed medical appointments reflected a campaign of intimidation that was harming public health.
The board added clarifying requests from Supervisor Janice Hahn asking departments to report how data collection will avoid putting immigrant communities at risk, how residents without internet access will be served, and how DCFS will monitor any related increases in out-of-home placements. Supervisor Holly Mitchell praised the motion and asked that departments ensure any data collection protects residents’ privacy and that telehealth access reach residents who lack internet or digital literacy.
Public commenters representing health plans, community-based organizations and legal services urged the board to use the report-back to fund trusted community navigators and promotoras and to pair emergency actions with longer-term infrastructure improvements. LA Care’s Priti Venky told the board LA Care “strongly supports” the motion’s goals to reduce fear and expand telehealth and culturally appropriate outreach.
The motion directs departments to develop timelines and a 30-day report on immediate impacts, and to propose plans for expanded community outreach, home-delivered groceries and culturally competent mental-health support. It also asks DHS and DMH to identify resources and training materials for parents and guardians, and for cross-department coordination with the Office of Immigrant Affairs.
The board approved the motion as amended by unanimous vote. Departments will return with the requested reports and implementation plans. The motion does not appropriate new funding; supervisors and the CEO discussed budget implications during the meeting, and agencies indicated some service expansions will require additional appropriations to be requested in future budget processes.
Why it matters: Supervisors framed the motion as a public-health and public-safety priority. County leaders said the loss of preventive care and the disruption of harm-reduction services can increase emergency-room usage, worsen chronic conditions and raise costs if residents forgo care out of fear.
What’s next: Departments are to report back with timelines and recommendations; supervisors asked that the CEO and departments prioritize protections for data privacy and equity in implementation.
