- CHIRLA -
WHAT WE DO
WHAT WE DO
Organizing
CHIRLA ORGANIZES IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO FIGHT HARMFUL POLICIES AND DEMAND EQUITY AND JUSTICE FROM OUR GOVERNMENT.Our organizers build power through forming new relationships, recruiting members, developing leaders, and planning campaigns to make a change.All the rights enjoyed by citizens and immigrants in this country result from the organized work and the struggle of people of color; civil rights, women's rights, and labor rights are not a gift from those in power. The people affected have understood their claims, fought for those rights, and won them. Together, we unite to bring about a just society, fully inclusive of immigrants.CHIRLA organizes communities in California through groups centered on location and shared interests, carrying out campaigns with defined goals.
Policy & Advocacy
WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AND MAKE REAL CHANGE IN THIS COUNTRY. We advance policies at all levels of government that invest in immigrants and refugees. That means pushing civil rights, workers’ rights, economic equity and environmental justice for everyone.
FEDERAL: At the federal level, CHIRLA advocates for humane, comprehensive, and inclusive immigration reform. We ensure federal policies protect immigrants, challenge anti-immigrant legislation, work to reduce immigration enforcement, and seek investment in immigrant communities.
STATE: CHIRLA aims to make California a pro-immigrant model for the rest of the nation. We advance state laws and budget proposals that acknowledge immigrant contributions, improve integration, reform the criminal justice system, incorporate a due process for everyone, rebuild trust between law enforcement and immigrants, and increase educational opportunities for immigrants.
LOCACY: CHIRLA’s regional work advances city and county policies that protect immigrant rights, encourage integration, improve economic opportunities and build civic engagement. At this level, we also work to protect our community by disentangling local police from federal immigration enforcers.
FEDERAL: At the federal level, CHIRLA advocates for humane, comprehensive, and inclusive immigration reform. We ensure federal policies protect immigrants, challenge anti-immigrant legislation, work to reduce immigration enforcement, and seek investment in immigrant communities.
STATE: CHIRLA aims to make California a pro-immigrant model for the rest of the nation. We advance state laws and budget proposals that acknowledge immigrant contributions, improve integration, reform the criminal justice system, incorporate a due process for everyone, rebuild trust between law enforcement and immigrants, and increase educational opportunities for immigrants.
LOCACY: CHIRLA’s regional work advances city and county policies that protect immigrant rights, encourage integration, improve economic opportunities and build civic engagement. At this level, we also work to protect our community by disentangling local police from federal immigration enforcers.
Civic Engagement
CHIRLA’S CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT BUILDS ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION AMONG IMMIGRANTS, LATINOS, ENGLISH LEARNERS, HARD-TO-REACH AND NEW VOTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.We work to first inform them and then get them to the polls to participate in this democracy in an empowered way, voting their best interests.To that end, we work to educate voters about the electoral process and convince them to participate in EVERY election, not just the presidential cycle. Candidate campaigns tend to overlook these voters, but we aim to make them cultural voters, building a progressive, empowered voter base from scratch.We are also part of the Million Voters Project, a coalition of California organizations working to expand the electorate with Californians who tend to stay out of the political process.
Legal Services
WHEN COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES ARE SCARCE, CHIRLA PROVIDES THE HIGH-QUALITY REPRESENTATION OUR COMMUNITY REQUIRES.CHIRLA is recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and offers immigration legal services at low cost. Licensed attorneys supervise all legal staff, including accredited representatives and paralegals.CHIRLA attorneys and Department of Justice representatives provide reliable expertise with cultural sensitivity to the trauma our immigrant community regularly sustains.Legal intake consultations by phone, by appointment only, on Tuesdays from 9 am to 5 pm. We can conduct up to 40 consultations each Tuesday.
How to get a consultation appointment:
Call 213-353-1333 to request an appointmentStaff will return your call to conduct an intake interviewIf we accept the case, we will schedule you to come in to sign a contract. CHIRLA does not officially represent you until the contract is signed.Walk-in consultations:If you prefer an in-person visit, we conduct in-person consultations on the second Saturday of each month, beginning Feb. 12, 2022. We begin at 7:30 a.m. and accept up to 40 walk-in clients. No appointment is necessary.Mask, social distancing, and proof of COVID vaccination is required.We provide limited legal services for DACA renewals via a consultation request link that is found on our Instagram page linked in our bio, and as a pinned post on our Facebook page. The link to register for our DACA renewal services opens every business weekday at 9 AM. Space is limited to the first 20 eligible applicants.Map It
How to get a consultation appointment:
Call 213-353-1333 to request an appointmentStaff will return your call to conduct an intake interviewIf we accept the case, we will schedule you to come in to sign a contract. CHIRLA does not officially represent you until the contract is signed.Walk-in consultations:If you prefer an in-person visit, we conduct in-person consultations on the second Saturday of each month, beginning Feb. 12, 2022. We begin at 7:30 a.m. and accept up to 40 walk-in clients. No appointment is necessary.Mask, social distancing, and proof of COVID vaccination is required.We provide limited legal services for DACA renewals via a consultation request link that is found on our Instagram page linked in our bio, and as a pinned post on our Facebook page. The link to register for our DACA renewal services opens every business weekday at 9 AM. Space is limited to the first 20 eligible applicants.Map It
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Community Education
IMMIGRANTS NEED QUALITY, RELIABLE INFORMATION TO BETTER INTEGRATE INTO OUR COMMUNITIES AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. CHIRLA’s community education team crafts presentations and materials and uses well established networks to distribute them, helping immigrants understand and take advantage of our advocacy wins: Understand their labor, civil and human rights.
Make use of policies/programs that benefit them and prepare for any changes. Empower themselves for civic action. We provide free information, seminars, presentations, and workshops on:
Coalition building, Immigration law and local, state policies, Access to healthcare and public charge, Access to education pre-k to college, Financial access and literacy, Voting and Civic Engagement, Workers’ Rights, Community Public Safety, Consumer Protection
Make use of policies/programs that benefit them and prepare for any changes. Empower themselves for civic action. We provide free information, seminars, presentations, and workshops on:
Coalition building, Immigration law and local, state policies, Access to healthcare and public charge, Access to education pre-k to college, Financial access and literacy, Voting and Civic Engagement, Workers’ Rights, Community Public Safety, Consumer Protection