LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Holly J.  Mitchell, Supervisor to the Second District, to strengthen the County’s efforts to serve its immigrant population by addressing the unique cultural and linguistic challenges Black immigrant residents face. The motion is set to implement a culturally relevant outreach plan to connect the Black immigrant community to County departments, resources, and services.

Immigrant communities account for nearly 35% of Los Angeles County’s total population. In the Los Angeles County region, there are nearly 78,000 Black immigrants, with a large portion representing countries in East and West Africa along with the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. The wide range of dialects, diverse cultural traditions, and inequities tied to systemic racism heightened the injustices and disconnection from public resources that Black immigrants often experience.

“As LA County continues to lead in providing equity and calling out xenophobia and racism, it’s important to recognize that our Black immigrant community faces unique challenges due to deep-rooted racial discrimination,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “This motion helps ensure that is accounted for in the outreach efforts and delivery of services to immigrant populations that call LA County home.”

According to the Black Alliance for Just Immigration’s 2018 report, The State of Black Immigrants, although Black immigrants only are 7% of the total immigrant population, 10.6% are deported due to racial profiling and heightened policing. The report also reveals that Black immigrants are more likely to be detained and deported for criminal convictions, despite years of living in the U.S. and having established strong community ties.

“Black migrants are too often made invisible in discussions about the needs, challenges, and aspirations of migrant communities even though Black migrants face disproportionate harm and barriers due to our Blackness” shared Nana Gyamfi, Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration. “These harms include criminalization, detention and deportation, exclusion from benefits, and a lack of access to culturally competent information about County relief and services. We look forward to supporting  in implementing the goals of the motion.”

The motion directs the Executive Director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs to conduct an assessment on the priority needs impacting Black immigrant communities and their families and identify wraparound services available. Additionally, the motion calls for creating an outreach plan to help connect Black immigrant communities to support services, including legal representation, housing, food, healthcare, and unpaid wages.

To learn more about the motion click here.

Tonight, the latest Health Order from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – requiring masks indoors regardless of your vaccination status – will go into effect. This is a necessary action to help stop the rapidly rising cases of COVID 19 infections and deaths. LA County has 10 million residents and nearly half of our population is still not vaccinated. The Department of Health confirmed 1,827 new COVID 19 cases which is an eight-fold increase compared to the 210 cases seen when the state reopened on June 15. LA County is not exempt from the national trend in rising cases. This is due to the continued need to vaccinate as many people as possible and the increased presence of the highly infectious Delta variant. Our recovery requires a sustained commitment to stopping the spread of COVID.

This surge is especially dangerous for my constituents, many of whom do not have the ability to work safely from home and whose communities continue to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We have come a long way from a year ago when our fight to end COVID 19 began and we will continue to make progress with data informed decisions to protect public health. It would be reckless to disregard the rising numbers we are seeing and the hard lessons learned from the past year. We know that when there is uncertainty in who has been vaccinated, wearing a mask helps stop the spread of this virus. So I am asking you to join me in following this Health Order and encourage you to get vaccinated if you haven’t done so yet.

To find a vaccination site near you visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you know someone who doesn’t have internet access or a computer or needs transportation support to get vaccinated, please share this number 833-540-0473.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisor Holly J.  Mitchell, Supervisor, representing the Second District, to implement a Crisis Response and Violence Intervention Pilot Program (CRVIP) in communities impacted by high violent crimes. The motion, co-authored by Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, directs the CEO to identify at least $1,320,000 in unobligated funding in the Measure B Special Revenue Fund to support the pilot, including contracts with community-based organizations for CRVIP efforts.

According to data from the Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department, from January to May 2021, homicide crimes have increased across LA County by 84.7% compared to the same period in 2019. Gun related aggravated assaults have also seen a 90.3% increase compared to 2019. The increase in crimes can be specifically pinned out across South LA, East LA, and the San Gabriel Valley revealing deep rooted inequities in communities of color.

“Violence is preventable. Yet too many residents suffer under the long-lasting trauma of preventable and recurring violence, and we must do more to interrupt this cycle. I am excited to launch the pilot program for a Coordinated Community-Based Crisis Response System” shared Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.  “This pilot will expand the work of our community-based partners to provide rapid, proactive violence interruption and prevention services. We must and will continue to invest in the peace of our residents.”

“The Crisis Response and Violence Intervention Program will provide much-needed services and funding for vulnerable communities,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I look forward to partnering with County departments and the local stakeholders to provide impacted residents, including those in the Antelope Valley, with the programs and services that they deserve.”

The pilot program will use community-based and trusted messengers to patch and heal the ruptures that are created when violent incidents tear the fabric of a community. It will incorporate rapid, in-home, or in-community connections to the individuals and families most directly affected; prompt community-wide communication and response from peace ambassadors and other violence interruption providers; and follow-up and referral processes to provide linkages to providers and services.

To read the full motion, click here.