Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently unveiled a new initiative aimed at providing direct financial aid to illegal immigrant families impacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
The program is part of an executive order directing all city departments to refuse cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, reinforcing the city’s sanctuary policies amid increasing ICE operations.
The cash assistance program is designed to help families who have lost income or who are too fearful of arrest or deportation to maintain regular work schedules.
Bass described the situation as “unlawful and chaotic,” emphasizing the need to protect illegal immigrant communities from what she called disruptive enforcement practices.
The prepaid “cash cards” will each hold several hundred dollars and are modeled after a similar relief effort launched under former Mayor Eric Garcetti during the COVID-19 pandemic, when “Angelino cards” were distributed to struggling residents, Newsmax reports.
Unlike the pandemic program, this new cash aid effort will rely entirely on philanthropic donations, rather than city funds, a decision that comes as Los Angeles faces a projected $1 billion budget deficit.
The mayor’s office has not yet detailed eligibility requirements but plans to work closely with immigrant rights organizations for the program’s rollout.
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