Los Angeles to Give Cash Cards to Families Affected by ICE Raids

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday that the city would be giving cash to families affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, as part of an effort to protect “immigrant” communities.

Bass announced the program during a press conference about her new executive order directing all city departments to refuse to work with the federal government to enforce immigration laws or enforcement.

The mayor said that the cash assistance would provide “cash assistance” to families whose members, she claimed, could not go to work for fear of being arrested and deported, or who had otherwise lost income.

She cited the model used by her predecessor, Mayor Eric Garcetti, who provided “Angelino cards” loaded with cash during the coronavirus pandemic, when the city imposed draconian shutdowns on workplaces.

The City of Los Angeles currently faces a $1 billion deficit. The Los Angeles Times reported that the mayor’s new program, which could provide a few hundred dollars per card, will be funded through philanthropy:

It was not immediately clear what the qualifications will be needed to receive the cards.

The mayor emphasized that the money will not come from city coffers but from philanthropic partners. The cards will be distributed by immigrants rights groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles [CHIRLA].

The city will coordinate between philanthropists and organizations distributing the cards, according to the mayor’s office.

The City of Los Angeles provided only limited assistance to residents affected by the wildfires in January. More aid was provided by Los Angeles County, which funded some grants to needy residents and workers.