LOS ANGELES — Immigrant families impacted by ongoing immigration raids will receive a free cash card under a new program announced last week by Mayor Karen Bass.
Bass announced the new initiative to provide direct cash assistance to immigrant families, with funds expected to become available within the next week. The program will distribute cash cards valued at “a couple hundred” dollars each to families directly affected by the raids, Bass said. She highlighted the example of a family that faced potential eviction after one of its primary earners was detained by immigration authorities.
“You have people who don’t want to leave their homes, who are not going to work, and they are in need of cash,” Bass said at a press conference Friday.
The cash assistance program will be funded through private donations rather than city funds. Immigrant rights organizations, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, will handle the distribution of the cash cards.
Bass likened the initiative to the Angeleno Cards program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided emergency financial assistance to vulnerable residents in Los Angeles. The city will coordinate efforts between donors and distribution partners, though specific eligibility criteria have not yet been announced.
The announcement coincided with a new executive order signed Friday by Bass directing all city departments to strengthen training and policies ensuring compliance with Los Angeles’ sanctuary city law. This law prohibits using city employees or resources for civil immigration enforcement, except in cases of serious crime.
City departments have two weeks to outline updated protocols, Bass said. The executive order also creates a working group to review the Los Angeles Police Department’s approach to federal immigration enforcement and directs city staff to seek records from Immigration and Customs Enforcement on recent raids.
The measures are part of a series of responses from city leaders to federal immigration enforcement that has entered its second month in Los Angeles. The enforcement operations have caused people to avoid going to work amid fears over workplace raids, affecting the local economy.
California has become one of the key battleground states for immigration enforcement after President Trump directed I.C.E. to increase operations in sanctuary states. The Trump administration has vowed to carry out what it calls the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history to address illegal immigration and border security.
The American Immigration Council projects that the mass removal policy could carry a one-time cost of $315 billion. Deporting 1 million individuals each year could lead to annual expenses reaching up to $88 billion, the organization estimated.
The cash assistance program represents the city’s most direct financial response to the immigration enforcement operations. It aims to provide immediate relief to families who have lost income due to detention or fear of leaving their homes.
Bass said the program addresses the immediate needs of families who are struggling financially as a result of the enforcement operations. Many residents have avoided going to work or sending children to school due to concerns about immigration raids in their neighborhoods.
The initiative reflects Los Angeles’ broader effort to maintain its sanctuary city status while providing support to immigrant communities facing increased federal enforcement. The city continues to prohibit cooperation with federal immigration authorities except in cases involving serious crimes.
