Fighting forChange

We work with community leaders to challenge the status quo and make real change in this country.

We advance policies at all levels of government that invest in immigrants and refugees. That means pushing civil rights, workers’ rights, economic equity and environmental justice for everyone.

CHIRLA Policy Values

  • Win equal protection for immigrants
  • Challenge anti-immigrant legislation
  • Reduce immigration enforcement
  • Invest in immigrant communities

Policy Spotlight

FEDERAL:

EARNED RESIDENCY DATE/ FECHA DE RESIDENCIA MERITORIA

Several bills now in Congress would grant a path to citizenship for many categories of undocumented immigrants, including people with DACA/TPS, farmworkers, and essential workers. We are working to advance those through reconciliation or filibuster reform. But a tool that is already law allows the DHS secretary to give longtime immigrant residents that path to citizenship. We call it the Earned Residency Date (registry date).

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2021-03-31 Vaccination Clinic3

STATE:

AB221

The Food Security for All bill (AB 221, Santiago) provides food vouchers for people financially affected by COVID-19, regardless of their immigration status. CHIRLA supports the bill. We are also asking Gov. Newsom to include $800 million for emergency food assistance in the 2021-2022 state budget.

LOCAL:

IMMIGRANTS ARE LA

Immigrants Are L.A.: A Just Recovery for All is a local campaign urging the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to set aside proportionate American Rescue Plan funding to help immigrant Angelinos, regardless of status, recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Because 35 percent of L.A. County residents are immigrants, we urge supervisors to devote 35 percent of the $1.9 billion in COVID relief the county received, to helping them.

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Federal

At the federal level, CHIRLA advocates for humane, comprehensive and inclusive immigration reform. We ensure federal policies protect immigrants, challenge anti-immigrant legislation, work to reduce immigration enforcement, and seek investment in immigrant communities.

State

CHIRLA aims to make California a pro-immigrant model for the rest of the nation. We advance state laws and budget proposals that acknowledge immigrant contributions, improve integration, reform the criminal justice system, incorporate due process for everyone, rebuild trust between law enforcement and immigrants, and increase education opportunities for immigrants.

Local

CHIRLA’s regional work advances city and county policies that protect immigrant rights, encourage integration, improve economic opportunities and build civic engagement. At this level, we also work to protect our community by disentangling local police from federal immigration enforcers.

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Al DÍAWith CHIRLA

Al Día with CHIRLA is a monthly newsletter to keep you updated on the policy initiatives and campaigns that CHIRLA supports, including the YES to Immigrants Agendas. We have organized it into federal, state, and local sections so you can read more detailed reports in the attached links.

YES TOImmigrants Forward

For decades, this country has sent a one-word message to immigrants: no. Even as it accepts our labor, this nation says no to our families. As it accepts our ingenuity, it says no to our dignity. As it accepts our sacrifice, it says no to our freedom. Immigrants won't take no for an answer anymore. They are tired of being shut out of this democracy as they keep the nation’s essential gears moving. They made a down payment on freedom in coming here, and they want to close the deal with legalization and dignity.

In caseYou missed it

LA POLÍTICA CON CHIRLA
CHIRLA IN ACTION
WE ARE HOME

In May's La Política con CHIRLA, our FB show about policy matters, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara spoke about how new insurance regulations could end private immigration detention centers, like Adelanto, in California. Hosted by Angelica Salas.

During CHIRLA’s town hall on the U.S. CitizenshipAct in March, U.S. Reps. Linda Sánchez, Veronica Escobar, Tony Cárdenas and Judy Chu joined Angelica Salas to answer questions and say #YESto11Milion!

At the Citizenship for Essential Workers virtual luncheon, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised our work: "America looks to Coalition for Humane Immigrant RightsUFW and the entire #WeAreHome campaign as a model of persistent, dissatisfied advocacy on behalf of immigrant families."