The City of West Hollywood is activating its West Hollywood Responds program to encourage contributions to agencies and organizations that provide support and assistance to immigrants.

The City Council of the City of West Hollywood, at its regular meeting on Monday, July 7, 2025, discussed recent immigration enforcement activity in the Los Angeles region and West Hollywood and provided direction to City staff on a variety of priorities including educating West Hollywood businesses and employees regarding knowing-your-rights and legal aid assistance related to federal immigration enforcement actions; promote the City’s social services, specifically food delivery and immigration-related assistance services, to employees of businesses located in West Hollywood; and encouraging community contributions to agencies and organizations that are assisting people impacted by federal immigration enforcement actions.

The City of West Hollywood is activating its West Hollywood Responds program to raise awareness about people impacted by federal immigration enforcement actions and to encourage contributions to agencies and organizations that provide services.

The City has assembled a list of organizations on its website at www.weho.org/wehoresponds, as follows:

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California – Active in rapid-response support, education, courtroom monitoring, and legal challenges against warrantless ICE actions – https://www.aclusocal.org

• Bet Tzedek – Provides person-centered legal services that integrate with social support services – https://bettzedek.org

• Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) – Dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – https://ccrjustice.org

• Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) – Based in Los Angeles, CHIRLA advances the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees, runs a Rapid Response Network, and offers legal aid – https://www.chirla.org

• Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) – Provides “Know Your Rights” materials, legal toolkits, and tactical guidance for communities to resist ICE raids – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) – Offers legal training, support materials, and advocacy for deportation defense – https://www.ilrc.org

• Los Angeles LGBT Center – Provides, through its Immigration Law Project, legal consultations, court representation, including for asylum/refugee law, and holistic support to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community fleeing persecution and torture in their countries of origin – https://lalgbtcenter.org

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC) – Distributes “Know Your Rights” resources and advocates policy protections – https://www.nilc.org

• Seeds of Hope – Assists in providing all community members – including those affected by immigration actions – with free healthy, nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and more to take home and make meals for themselves and loved ones – https://www.seedsofhopela.org

• Project Angel Food – Prepares and delivers more than 2,300 free meals daily to individuals in Los Angeles County – including those affected by immigration actions who may be unable to shop or cook for themselves – www.angelfood.org

• Public Counsel (Los Angeles) – Nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights, and racial/economic justice, including suing DHS over unlawful tactics in California – https://publiccounsel.org

Check with Charity Navigator, which rates organizations based on their financial health, accountability, and transparency. Before donating, make sure that a given organization aligns with your values and that the donation is being used in ways you’d like. Click here for tips on how to safely make charitable donations and avoid potential scams.

As background, the West Hollywood City Council first established West Hollywood Responds as a local disaster relief program in 2005 developed to provide assistance to the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Katrina. It has been reactivated multiple times during the past several years, including an active effort for people to donate to organizations that are aiding people in Ukraine, relief efforts for devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, and devastating wildfires in Maui, Los Angeles County, and more.

The City of West Hollywood condemns recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, which are disruptive, discriminatory, and deeply destabilizing. These hostile actions target immigrant families in communities, instill fear in neighborhoods, and erode collective trust in the federal government’s obligation to adhere to the rule of law and due process.

The City of West Hollywood, with the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and other local cities, filed a motion to intervene in the federal lawsuit Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem challenging unlawful immigration raids. A federal court on Friday, July 11, 2025, issued two temporary restraining orders against the federal government finding that these actions, including ongoing raids and the denial of legal counsel to detained immigrants, likely violated constitutional protections.

It is vital for immigrant communities and providers to understand their rights and identify important local resources. The City features a Know Your Rights information page on its website and will be continuously expanding upon this information. Learn more at www.weho.org/KnowYourRights.

For more information about resources for immigrants, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Human Services Division. Visit the City’s website at www.weho.org/humanservices or call (323) 848-6510. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.