This opinion editorial was written by community organizers Gaby Hernandez, Executive Director of Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation and Empowerment (ÓRALE); Andre Donado, Executive Director of Long Beach Residents Empowered (LiBRE); and Grecia Lopez-Reyes, Campaign Director of Long Beach for a Just Economy (LBJE).
Across Southern California, people are being kidnapped in broad daylight at car washes, churches, hospitals, and in their neighborhoods.
Immigration raids have become a daily reality, targeting working-class immigrants in their places of work, worship, and even in their vehicles. Many parents and breadwinners have already been taken from their families, while others are too afraid to leave their homes, even if it’s at the cost of losing critical income. These sudden detentions are pushing households to the brink of eviction, deepening displacement, and worsening our housing crisis.
Our communities have made it loud and clear: this cannot be the new normal. We saw this when the voices of over 500 demonstrators echoed outside Long Beach City Council chambers, sending a clear message that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is not welcome here. Just days earlier, over 100 people at the community-led “Our Budget, Our Future” Town Hall called for the city budget to invest in housing and immigration protections.
Our elected officials must move beyond statements of solidarity to actions that match the scale of this emergency. Our community’s safety and dignity depend on immediate action.
A city’s budget should reflect its values. That’s why we urgently call for the Long Beach City leaders to invest $2.2 million for the Long Beach Justice Fund, $2 million for eviction defense, and $400,000 for permanent affordable housing through technical assistance to the Community Land Trust.
$2.2 Million for the Long Beach Justice Fund
As leaders of Long Beach community organizations, we’ve fought for years to protect all immigrants in our city and region. During President Donald Trump’s first presidency, we knew there would be an escalation of ICE activity, which is why we successfully advocated for two landmark policies: the Long Beach Values Act and the Long Beach Justice Fund. The Values Act prevents city employees from collaborating with ICE, while the Justice Fund provides Long Beach residents with free legal support when facing ICE detentions or removal proceedings.
But today’s crisis far exceeds what we prepared for. The scale of enforcement we’re witnessing is unprecedented, and our existing resources are being overwhelmed. While these protections remain vital, they are no longer sufficient to meet the urgent needs of our community. Families are being torn apart faster than we can respond, and our Justice Fund desperately needs reinforcement.
That’s why we’re urging Mayor Rex Richardson and the Long Beach City Council to allocate $2.2 million in structural funding to expand the Justice Fund’s capacity and address the critical needs of immigrants in our city. Every day of delay means more children separated from their parents, more workers afraid to seek help, and more neighbors living in fear.
$2 Million for Eviction Defense
Long Beach is a city of renters, and our elected officials have a responsibility to ensure there are safeguards in place to keep our communities safely and stably housed, especially during times of crisis. Through its partnership with Los Angeles County, in 2021 Long Beach launched the Stay Housed LA Right to Counsel program to help low-income tenants fight eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic. But housing insecurity still runs deep in our communities: rents keep rising, and families continue to live paycheck-to-paycheck.
The Tenant Right to Counsel program connects renters with free legal representation during an eviction proceeding and offers educational workshops that help prevent evictions before they occur. For immigrant families facing eviction, it also reduces the barriers they may face with language access or fear of retaliation that prevent them from exercising their rights.
According to Long Beach’s 2025 Homeless Count, 16% of individuals reported eviction as the cause of their homelessness. Housing stability begins with addressing the root causes of displacement and taking meaningful action to prevent it. The City must address these housing challenges by investing $2 million towards eviction defense programs like the Tenant Right to Counsel.
$400K for Permanent Affordable Housing through Community Land Trusts
To effectively prevent displacement and homelessness, strong renter protections and programs must be paired with a long-term commitment to securing permanently affordable housing. In the past decade, rents have risen more than 20% citywide, while wages have not kept up. Today, the median home price in Long Beach is $852,354, putting homeownership out of reach for most residents. This pushes out families who have called Long Beach home for generations.
As our sense of home is increasingly under attack, community-led solutions like Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are more important than ever. CLTs place land in a permanent trust for people to stay rooted in place, regardless of income or immigration status. They offer pathways to rent or own homes we can afford, reaching deeper levels of affordability and giving residents a voice in managing their homes.
Founded in 2023, the Long Beach Community Land Trust (LBCLT) is advancing this vision for community-stewarded, permanently affordable housing and disrupting the cycle of displacement driven by unaffordable corporate developments. The LBCLT has built a base of resident-based leadership, partnered with thriving CLTs across the state, and laid the groundwork to launch new permanently affordable housing opportunities in Long Beach.
That’s why we’re urging the city to invest $400,000 per year for the next three years in the Long Beach CLT— to preserve affordability across generations, enable wealth-building, and prevent displacement.
The Time to Lead is Now
Our communities are in crisis. ICE raids are tearing families apart, and housing insecurity is pushing more of our neighbors to the brink. These aren’t abstract policy issues, they’re daily realities that leave lasting scars on working-class and immigrant families across Long Beach.
In the face of a hostile federal administration and devastating budget cuts, Long Beach must choose to lead. Our city has a responsibility to protect those who make it home — not just with words, but with real investment. Now is the time for bold action.
We’re calling on Long Beach’s elected officials to keep their promise to stand with working families by passing a budget that funds the vital resources our communities urgently need to stay safe, housed, and together.
What You Can Do:
Get involved: Shape our City’s future by joining the budget conversation at the upcoming Long Beach City Council meetings. Residents can speak during public comment to share their priorities and concerns — meeting dates are available on the Long Beach City Council Calendar.
Sign: You can also add your voice by signing our letter campaign at: bit.ly/budget562.
