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What States Can Do to Help Migrants - CA Is an Example:

Beryl Flom | Published on 5/11/2023
  • Include immigrants in Medicaid coverage.  Since 2016, California has gradually added groups of people to Medi-Cal coverage including undocumented residents.  By January 2024, most adults will be covered.
  • Provide food stamps for migrants/all people who qualify.  See California policy
  • Allow immigrants to get a state ID or drivers license
  • Allow immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition.  See California policy.
  • Include immigrants in tenant rights.  See California policy.
  • Limit law enforcement work with ICE.  See California policy
  • Granting some professional licenses to those who qualify regardless of immigration status.  See California policy
  • Pay for legal defense for migrants without felonies in deportation proceedings (San Diego County)

Resources:

  1. Migration Policy Institute/MPI (migrationpolicy.org) - Research & data on international & national
  2. Bipartisan Policy Center/BPI (bipartisan.org) - Think tank on immigration and other topics
  3. National Immigration Forum (immigrationforum.org) - Non-partisan group for reform
  4. Documented (documentedny.org) - news from NY and other parts of the U.S. on   immigration
  5. Southern Border Communities Coalition/SBCC (southernborder.org) - advocating for border demilitarization
  6. Detention Watch Network (detentionwatchnetwork.org) - Coalition to abolish immigration detention in the U.S.
  7. American Civil Rights Union/ACLU (acluca.org) - several offices
  8. International Rescue Committee/IRC (rescue.org) - several offices
  9. California Immigrant Policy Center/CIPC (caimmigrant.org) - Statewide immigrant rights organization with offices in Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego
  10. Immigrant Defenders Law Center (immdef.org) - Legal aid program in Los Angeles
  11. Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles/CHIRLA (chirla.org) 

Government Offices

  1. U.S. Citizens Information Network (uscis.gov) 
  2. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)
  3. Office of Refugee Resettlement (acf.hhs.gov/orr) 

Other LWV Immigration Groups

  1. LWVC Immigration Interest Group, contact Beryl Flom, Chair, berylflom@gmail.com; Jane Andrews or Katherine Gavzy katherineg@lwv-pa.org
  2. LWV US Immigration Interest Group, contact Jane Andrews, jmlandrews@gmail.com
  3. LWV San Diego Immigration & Deportation Committee, contact Beryl Flom, berylf@lwvsandiego.org
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