L.A. Welcomes Collective, in close coordination with City of L.A. and County of L.A., activate rapid response teams to receive 40 asylum seekers, including 12 children, their ages ranging from 9 months to 17 years
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 17, 2023
Contact: Alicia Vargas; avargas@immdef.org
LOS ANGELES, CA — The L.A. Welcomes Collective, a network of immigrant rights, immigration legal services providers, and faith organizations, in coordination with the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles, responded Thursday to the arrival of 40 asylum seekers sent from Brownsville, Texas, offering them urgent humanitarian support services, including food, clothing, medical checkups, hygiene kits, and legal immigration orientations upon arrival. The Collective also facilitated reunions with family members, loved ones, and sponsors residing in the region. A total of 14 families arrived in the latest bus. There were 12 children in the bus, their ages ranging from 9 months to 17 years old. Of the total number of asylum seekers, 29 come from Venezuela. Others come from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Almost all asylum-seekers have relatives, loved ones, or sponsors in California. This arrival marks the eight bus with asylum-seekers sent from Texas to Los Angeles. A total of 323 asylum-seekers have arrived in Los Angeles to date. The members of the LA Welcomes Collective are: Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA), Central American Resource Center-Los Angeles (CARECEN), Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), and Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef). The following statements can be attributed to each representative from the following members of the LA Welcomes Collective:
“With the arrival of this latest bus, Immigrant Defenders Law Center continues to provide legal information and support to people seeking protection in the U.S. We are proud to be a part of the collective effort to address the most pressing needs for these migrants. We will continue to welcome these families with compassion and dignity, mirroring the warm welcome many of them will receive from the loved ones who they have traveled here to reunite with today,” said Lindsay Toczylowski, Immigrant Defenders Law Center Executive Director.
"In the spirit of compassion and solidarity, the Catholic Church embraces and supports migrants and refugees arriving in Los Angeles. Our commitment to welcoming the stranger is rooted in our shared humanity, reflecting the teachings of Christ to love and care for one another. As a beacon of hope, we stand united in providing refuge, dignity, and a sense of belonging to those seeking a better life,” said Michael P. Donaldson, Senior Director Office of Life, Justice and Peace, Archdiocese of Los Angeles. "We have joined hands and resources in Los Angeles to receive and treat asylum seekers with dignity and respect. We hope that everyone will arrive safely and that these modes of transportation do not compromise anyone's health, especially the children,” said Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director. "Welcoming and affirming the humanity and dignity of our arriving asylum seekers to LA continues to be the mission of our efforts," said Guillermo Torres, Immigration Campaign Director of Programming, Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice Los Angeles (CLUE). "As part of the Los Angeles Welcomes Collective, CARECEN Los Angeles reaffirms its dedication to warmly receive migrants with love and dignity. We take pride in persistently answering the call to uphold what is just, especially for vulnerable families who have undergone trauma, and forced displacement, and seek refuge," said Martha Arevalo, Executive Director, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-Los Angeles). ###
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends our immigrant communities against injustices in the legal system. We envision a future where no immigrant will be forced to face immigration court alone. Our programs are a first step towards the long-term goal of providing universal representation to all immigrants facing deportation. ImmDef is now the largest non‐profit, pro bono provider of deportation defense in California with offices in Los Angeles, Adelanto, Riverside, Santa Ana, and San Diego.