Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs
Newsletter | August 2016
In 2013, Mayor Eric Garcetti re-established the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA)
in order to promote and advance the economic, cultural, social, and political well-being of
immigrant communities in the City of Los Angeles. Our mission is to develop programs
and initiatives to support immigrant integration through the coordination of city services,
outreach, and legislative advocacy. We encourage you to share this newsletter with your
friends, family, and colleagues. Thank you for your support.
WELCOME A NEW MEMBER OF OUR TEAM!
JC De Vera is a 2016-17 Bohnett Fellow and Master of Public Policy
candidate at the UCLALuskin School of Public Affairs, concentrating
in social and urban policy and public leadership and management. He
is passionate about equitable and inclusive policymaking, creating
pathways out of poverty, and advancing equity for low-income
communities and communities of color. Prior to starting graduate
school, JC worked for the Greenlining Institute, a racial and economic justice policy think
tank based in the Bay Area. In his four years at Greenlining, he helped build the
organization’s digital communications strategy from the ground up, and he developed
communications campaigns to strengthen the organization’s advocacy impact. As a
Bohnett Fellow, JC is humbled and honored to be joining the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant
Affairs. He is looking forward to working on projects and initiatives that engage and
include our diverse immigrant communities in the life of the nation’s second largest city.
IMMIGRATION POLICY NEWS
National
City of LA Honored by White House in Building Welcoming Communities Campaign
On June 30, Los Angeles, along with more than 50 other U.S. cities and counties, was
honored for its innovative efforts to welcome immigrants and refugees. President Obama
has asked the cities who have joined the Building Welcoming Communities campaign to
help all residents succeed in their new homes through civic, economic, and linguistic
integration. Los Angeles in particular was praised for its efforts to make citizenship
accessible through neighborhood libraries.
White House Calls Private Sector to Action to Help Refugees
On June 30, the White House announced a Call to Action for the U.S. private sector to
stand with the Obama Administration to support refugees in countries in crisis, and in the
countries where they have resettled. The fifteen founding companies include Airbnb,
Goldman Sachs, Google, Mastercard, and UPS. The Administration will hold a meeting of
private sector leaders to respond to the Call to Action on September 20. With the Call to
Action, the Administration hopes to encourage companies to make new commitments to
help refugees in three main “impact areas,” education, employment, and enablement, or
strengthening infrastructure and access to resources for refugees and the countries that
welcome them.
C4C Comments on USCIS Federal Register Notice
Cities for Citizenship is a major national initiative comprised of over 20 cities and counties
aimed at increasing citizenship among eligible U.S. permanent residents and encouraging
cities across the country to invest in citizenship programs. C4C is chaired by Los Angeles
Mayor EricGarcetti, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The organization recently submitted comments to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) on their updated Fee Schedule. C4C “applauds the partial fee waiver”
offered to applicants with a household income between 150% - 200% and 200% - 250% of
the federal poverty guidelines. However, C4C is requesting that USCIS adopt this fee
waiver to additional citizenship services, as the proposed costs of naturalization and
citizenship certificates will increase financial burdens on many applicants.
J.E.F.M. v. Lynch Granted Class Action Status
On June 24, U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly granted class action status to the J.E.F.M. v.
Lynch lawsuit. In 2014, the American Immigration Council, the ACLU, and other groups
sued several U.S. government departments for failing to guarantee representation to
immigrants under 18 in immigration hearings, violating the 5th Amendment’s Due Process
clause and the Immigration and Nationality Act’s provisions requiring a “full and fair
hearing” before an immigration judge. Zilly’s decision will enable several thousand
immigrant children to be represented by the lawsuit. Currently, immigrant children are
often forced to represent themselves against government attorneys. If the American
Immigration Council and its partners win the lawsuit, immigrants under 18 will have a fair
chance at gaining asylum or U.S. citizenship.
DOJ Petitions Supreme Court to Rehear United States v. Texas
On July 18, the Department of Justice filed a petition for the Supreme Court to rehear
the United States v. Texas case, which affects undocumented immigrants. The petition
asks the Supreme Court to rehear the case when "it has a full complement of Justices", as
the previous decision was a 4-4 split following the death of Justice Scalia earlier this year.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said, "The filing is consistent with
historical practice and reflects the need for prompt and definitive resolution of this
important case."
Mayor Garcetti Appointed Chair of Latino Alliance of the U.S. Conference of Mayors
On June 17, the President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake, announced the formation of a new Latino Alliance within the conference.
The Latino Alliance will allow mayors to address the concerns of Latino communities
throughout the U.S., and also collect information on the economic mobility and civic
engagement of Latinos to help develop better policies. Members of the alliance will include
both Latino mayors and non-Latino mayors with significant Latino populations in their
cities.
State
Governor Signs $30M in State Budget for Immigration Services
In late June, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California State Budget for the 2016-2017
fiscal year. There were many new additions to the budget, including a one-time addition
of $15 million to immigration assistance and services. The budget now grants a total of
$30 million to provide immigration assistance, including legal and naturalization fees, to
immigrant communities throughout the state. To read more about the California State
Budget, please click here.
Local
World Refugee Day
June 23 was World Refugee Day. The nineteen organizations that make up the Refugee
Forum of Los Angeles (RFLA) hosted a special information fair on education, health, public
benefits, employment, family reunification, citizenship, and more at Plummer Park in West
Hollywood. Dr. Linda Lopez, Chief of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, was the keynote
speaker. She addressed the situation of refugees worldwide and explained the important
role that Los Angeles must play as a welcoming city for refugees. For more information,
email [email protected].
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
Back2School Walk4Health + Community Resource Fair
On Saturday, August 13, L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and the Southside
Coalition of Community Health centers will host the 11th annual Back2School Walk4Health
and Community Resource Fair. Children, families, and the community are invited to
participate in free health and dental screenings, educational resources, a raffle, live music,
free professional haircuts, a backpack and school supplies giveaway, and free food and
drinks! The 2-mile Walk4Health will begin at 8:00 AM at St. John’s Well Child + Family
Center and end at the Mt. Carmel Recreation Center. The health and resource fair, also at
the Mt. Carmel Recreation Center, will begin at 11:00 AM and end at 3:00 PM. The event is
free, and free parking will be available at St. Raphael’s Catholic School. For more
information, please contact Gary at 323.337.6976 or Jacqueline at 323.907.4672.
MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
“1,000 Dreamers-1,000 Leaders” Program
The U.S.-Mexico Foundation’s “1,000 Dreamers-1,000 Leaders” program is a mentoring
and professional development program created to unlock the full professional potential of
Dreamers of Latino origin in the U.S. and Mexico through personalized one-on-one
mentoring, soft skills training, and networking opportunities. The program has been
recognized by the White House’s Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics. To
learn more and to sign up as a mentor or a mentee, please click here.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
DHS Launches Countering Violent Extremism Grant
On July 6, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson announced the new Countering
Violent Extremism Grant Program. It is the first federal assistance program devoted
exclusively to providing local communities with the resources to counter violent
extremism in the U.S. State, local, and tribal governments, along with non-profit
organizations and higher education institutions, are eligible to apply to use some of the
$10 million in available funds. The funding will help to address the evolving terrorist
threat, and will specifically support training, community engagements, and activities that
challenge violent extremist narratives. For more information about the application
process, please click here.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Internship at City Hall
Our office is currently accepting applications for the fall. Interns will assist MOIA staff by
conducting background research on special projects, writing reports, drafting
memorandum, as well as assisting with events. Interns will gain first-hand experience in
community engagement, outreach, and policy related to immigrant communities, and will
interact with all levels of city, state, and federal government. Applications will be accepted
from current undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates of a twoor four-year college, university, or vocational school. Interested applicants should send
their one-page resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to Paola Fernandez
at [email protected]. Cover letters may be addressed to Dr. Linda Lopez, Chief,
Office of Immigrant Affairs.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Mayor’s Citizenship Volunteer Corps
The Mayor’s Citizenship Volunteer Corps was created to empower Angelenos to support
the programs and initiatives of our direct service community partners. Volunteers assist
our partner organizations during events that help educate immigrant communities on
various programs, especially those related to citizenship. Opportunities and events include
application assistance workshops, educational forums, and various resource fairs
throughout the city.
Questions? Comments? Please email us at [email protected]