Where can I donate for legal aid to immigrants to California?

June 20, 2018 9:04 AM

I'd like to donate to a legal aid charity for immigrants that works specifically in California. A group like RAICES, but in California instead of Texas.

I've already donated to RAICES and the national organization KIND. I live in California and would also like to give more locally. So far I haven't found any larger organizations, just a confusing variety of small groups. I'm looking for something well organized that's been around for awhile and has proper 990 filings and the like.

Related questions: Who is helping the children at the border? and Best organizations to donate to for immigration-related issues. Consider this the California-specific question.

posted by Nelson to Law & Government (8 answers total)

Immigrant Defenders Law Center is based in SoCal. Their work includes legal representation for adults and children, community education, and policy advocacy.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 9:26 AM on June 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

Al Otro Lado supports refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers on both sides of the California border with Baja, including Medical and Legal aid issues. It's one of the group of organizations that Act Blue has pooled for people wanting to support families separated at the border on a direct aid as well as a policy level.
posted by vunder at 9:50 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

There's a small Bay Area Immigration Bond Fund (which I cannot vouch for beyond the link), and their site links to other local organizations assisting immigrants that may be of interest.
posted by zachlipton at 11:53 AM on June 20, 2018

I came to suggest Al Otro Lado as well.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:55 AM on June 20, 2018

If you're not looking for direct service donations, CIYJA and CIPC are respectable and powerful policy organizations, and both NILC and ILRC provide technical assistance to other attorneys as well as policy advocacy. NILC is obviously also national although based in LA and does impact lit (they sued on the refugee ban); ILRC makes the "red cards" that advocates recommend that immigrants carry with short statements of their 4th amendment rights.

OneJustice, a direct services org that I truly trust, is recommending the following CA orgs for donations: IJP of San Diego and UC Hastings Center for Gender and Refugee Studies.
posted by peppercorn at 12:04 PM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions! Al Otro Lado comes up a lot, but they were what I had in mind when I said something about 990 filings. Their Charity Navigator page is nearly empty and the organization seems quite new and small. Anyone know more about them?

San Francisco Magazine has a list of ideas that are skewed to California and the Bay Area.
posted by Nelson at 5:00 PM on June 20, 2018

Best answer: PICO California is a statewide group that does legislative advocacy and community organizing.

Mobilize the Immigrant Vote may be of interest.

I can attest that Centro Legal de la Raza here in Oakland does solid legal service work.
posted by latkes at 9:06 AM on June 21, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions. The main thing I learned is California has a whole lot of small organizations doing legal aid for immigrants and it takes a lot of work to learn about them! One more useful resource: the Immigration Advocates Network has a directory of agencies in California that's very comprehensive.
posted by Nelson at 8:25 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]