Long Beach or Signal Hill residents impacted by the ongoing immigration raids shouldn’t have to worry about shopping for groceries or paying for extensive legal fees.
A variety of local and regional resources exist to help the immigrant community with things like removal defense, financial aid for bonds, grocery deliveries and more. Those who do not need these resources can use the contact information to donate or volunteer with the organizations helping our community, or share them with neighbors.
This is a starter list for local resources that the Signal Tribune is working on bolstering in the coming weeks. If you know of a local resource that can help the immigrant community of Long Beach or Signal Hill, let us know in the comments, or by emailing Newspaper@Signaltribune.com or messaging us on Instagram @signaltribune.
Legal Defenses
Long Beach
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles – Long Beach office
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ immigration work focuses on adults and minors who have been the survivors of crime, either in the U.S. or in their home countries. They help survivors adjust their status, navigate the immigration process and keep their families together. Services they help with include asylum or refugee status, unaccompanied minors, naturalization, family reunification and removal defenses.
Call to receive help in a variety of languages.
Website: lafla.org/
Address: 601 Pacific Ave.
Main phone: 800-399-4529
Filipino Migrant Center
This Long Beach-based nonprofit works with Filipino immigrants throughout the region. Its website says it offers free immigration legal services. The organization also works to combat labor abuses and human trafficking.
Website: filipinomigrantcenter.org/
Address: 1631 W. Burnett St., Long Beach, CA 90810
Phone: (562) 453-3408
ÓRALE
Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation and Empowerment (ÓRALE) can help Long Beach residents apply for the Justice Fund, which connects immigrants or their families to a network of free legal aid to fight deportation. The Justice Fund only applies to people who meet certain income requirements.
Website: orale.org/
Phone: 562-276-0267
Los Angeles County
Immigration Defenders Law Center
This is Southern California’s largest nonprofit deportation defense organization. They represent people who have been detained and fight for their release. The center has a support hotline for people whose family members have been detained by ICE, from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 213-833-8283.
They also provide defense representation to children, fight cases of cruelty that take place at the U.S.-Mexico border, deportation services for veterans and those who have been previously convicted, as well as various wellness programs.
If you live in Long Beach and apply for legal aid through the Justice Fund, the Immigration Defenders Law Center will be providing the legal expertise.
Website: immdef.org/
Phone: 213-833-8283
Address: 634 S. Spring St., 10th floor. Los Angeles.
CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice)
This organization focuses on a Detained Immigrant Bond Fund to reunite families by getting people out of detention centers and back home. CLUE is made up of local faith community members who advocate for workers and their families. Contact info@cluejustice.org if you need help paying a bond to get a loved one out of a detention center.
Website: cluejustice.org/
Phone: (213) 481-3740
Address: 464 Lucas Ave, Ste 202, Los Angeles
Immigration Center for Women and Children – Los Angeles office
This organization aids immigrant women and children throughout California and Nevada. It provides low-cost and pro bono legal services for survivors of abuse, abandonment and exploitation. Among its legal services, it helps vulnerable immigrants obtain legal status through a variety of avenues, such as those for immigrants who have experienced trafficking, abuse and other forms of violence.
Website: icwclaw.org/
Address: 634 S. Spring St. Suite 727
Phone: 213-614-1165
Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles (CARECEN)
For over 30 years, this nonprofit organization has focused on the needs of Central American immigrants. Its website states that CARECEN provides low-cost immigration legal services. The nonprofit also hosts events to educate immigrants about their rights, as well as events advocating for immigrant rights.
Website: carecen-la.org/
Address: 2845 W Seventh St., Los Angeles, CA 90005
Phone: 213-385-7800
Outside of LA County?
The California Department of Social Services has a list of immigration legal services that people can search by county.
Know Your Rights Cards:
PLACE
Long Beach’s independent print studio has been steadily printing Know Your Rights cards (also known as red cards) for residents to pick up for free. They usually leave cards outside of the building to pick up free of charge, or residents can print a stack to distribute in their own neighborhood at a low cost.
LBUSD
The Long Beach Unified School District is providing free Know Your Rights cards for students and community members. Cards are available for students at all school sites in the district and a printable version is available for the public on the district’s website.
City of Long Beach website
The City of Long Beach offers a printable version of a Know Your Rights card on its website. It recommends using heavy weight paper or cardstock to print them. One printed out page provides four cards that can then be cut out and folded.
People are also beginning to circulate “bystander cards” so people know how to safely protect their community. Here is one example.
Food and Other Essentials
ÓRALE’s Grocery Dropoff
Anyone fearful of leaving their home can request groceries to be dropped off at your home through ÓRALE’s Instagram page.
Alley Cat Deliveries
Anyone who is scared to leave their home due to the violent ICE raids going on in Southern California can contact Alley Cat Deliveries to request groceries, pharmacy pick-ups, or other essential items delivered to their home.
Contact Alley Cat Deliveries through Instagram @alley_cat_deliveries.
The Hood Santa
Local resident and executive director of the Local Hearts Foundation Tito Rodriguez is dropping off groceries to anyone struggling to get food due to the ongoing ICE raids.
Email: Groceryhelplhf@gmail.com for help getting groceries.
Is there a resource we’re missing that should be in this list? Let us know in the comments or by emailing us here.
