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Immigrant advocates press board for more housing and legal aid funding; budget includes $5.5 million for Represent LA
Summary
Immigrant advocates pressed Los Angeles County supervisors to expand legal and housing aid as ICE enforcement intensified; the board’s adopted budget includes $5.5 million for Represent LA but coalition members asked for significantly larger investments including a $20 million immigrant housing subprogram and a $12 million guaranteed income pilot.
Immigrant‑serving organizations and community members urged Los Angeles County supervisors on June 23 to expand funding for legal services, housing subsidies and guaranteed income pilots as federal immigration enforcement intensified in recent weeks.
Multiple speakers representing the Immigrants RLA Coalition, the TransLatina Coalition and other groups asked the board to increase funding for Represent LA — the county’s immigration legal defense program — and to create targeted housing and income programs for immigrants who are excluded from state and federal aid. The budget adopted by the board includes $5.5 million for Represent LA; coalition members asked the board to increase that allocation to $6 million and to add a $20 million immigrant subprogram under the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) to reach families locked out of other aid.
Advocacy requests delivered in public comment included a $20 million expansion of the flexible housing subsidy pool to reach undocumented households, a $12 million two‑year guaranteed basic income pilot for older immigrants (age 65+), a $2 million worker‑justice fund to protect immigrant workers, and $20 million for immigrant‑focused flexible housing subsidies. Speakers noted that ICE activity and raids were already causing immediate economic harm: workers missing shifts, small businesses losing staff overnight, and families facing eviction.
Supervisor Hilda Solis acknowledged the funding included in the adopted budget and pointed stakeholders to the County Office of Immigrant Affairs for coordination on outreach and services. Supervisors said they will continue to engage with the coalition and department staff as the county moves into the supplemental budget phase. Several supervisors also mentioned city and philanthropic coordination opportunities to multiply local resources.
Why it matters: advocates said immigrants are often excluded from federal and state safety nets and that targeted county investments can prevent homelessness, stabilize families and preserve local economies. The public comments were substantive and specific; advocates asked the board to commit multi‑year funding to immediate relief programs and longer‑term pilots.
Formal outcome: the board adopted the final budget package that includes $5.5 million for Represent LA and other items referenced in the CEO’s budget presentation (capital subsidies for Homekey Plus, investments in mental health capital). The board did not adopt the larger, coalition‑requested allocations in this phase; advocates asked supervisors to consider those requests during supplemental deliberations and through measure A/other discretionary funds.
Ending: supervisors urged community groups to work with the Office of Immigrant Affairs and county departments to develop implementation details and to remain engaged in the supplemental budget process.
