SoCal 'know your rights' workshops offer immigration resources, info

By Karen GarciaStaff Writer

March 6, 2025 3 AM PT

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Amid increased reports of immigration authorities in Los Angeles, organizations are hosting informational workshops and events to inform residents of their rights and detail what to expect during interactions with ICE agents.

The need for such resources is apparent, advocates say. During a recent City Council meeting, council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents part of South L.A., said when agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were in his district, “neighbors were on the street helping neighbors. People who didn’t know their rights, neighbors were telling them their rights.”

Organizations across Los Angeles County are now hosting “know your rights” workshops aimed at providing that same kind of support and information in a more formal way.

Here is a list of free workshops, programs and events in and around the county. This list will be updated with the latest information from organizations and legal groups:

Upcoming workshops and events

March 10: The Equity & Justice Alliance will present a “know your rights” free legal workshop. The presentation will include a panel discussion and a Q&A with immigration, criminal defense, family law and civil rights attorneys. The event runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the East Los Angeles College Ingalls Auditorium. Registration is required; you can sign up here.

The college is located at 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez in Monterey Park. A map of the campus can be found here.

March 11: The Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic is hosting two virtual “know your rights” webinars for teachers and students of the Los Angeles Regional Adult Education Consortium. The first session is from 10:30 to 11 a.m. and the second is 6:30 to 7 p.m. To register yourself or your class, go to the “student connect” registration page on the school’s website or fill out the form here.

March 11: The Immigrant Defenders Law Center is holding a virtual presentation about a person’s constitutional rights and how to protect yourself and others in case of an immigration emergency. The virtual presentation will be held over Zoom from 4 to 5 p.m. Registration can be found here.

March 13: The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s legal services team will run a Know Your Rights: Immigration Rights Now legal clinic at Mi Centro, 553 S. Clarence St. in Boyle Heights. The event starts at 6 p.m. For more information or to register, email legalservices@lalgbtcenter.org or call (323) 993-7670. Clinics are held in both English and Spanish.

March 18: The Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic is co-sponsoring a “know your rights” presentation from noon to 1 p.m. at the Robinson Courtroom in Los Angeles. The courtroom is located at 919 Albany St., on the first floor of the Dordick Family Trial Advocacy Center.

Ongoing ‘know your rights’ resources

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for immigrant rights in Los Angeles County and throughout the nation. It holds in-person and virtual weekly workshops. For more information, visit the organization’s website or call (213) 353-1333.

Long Beach Forward is a local nonprofit organization that offers community outreach sessions and educational workshops. You can learn about the next session by checking the organization’s calendar , calling (562) 436-4800 or following its Instagram account.

The East Los Angeles Occupational Center has prerecorded immigration rights and resources webinars on its website from Los Angeles Unified School District officials. The recordings are in English and in Spanish.

RepresentLA is a public-private partnership that provides legal representation to immigrants in custody or in the community, as well as those who face deportation or are seeking relief. The organization hosts an immigrant workshop on the last Wednesday of every month from noon to 2 p.m. at the South Whittier Community Resource Center, 10750 Laurel Ave.

The workshop covers topics such as avoiding scams, understanding your rights in immigration court and determining eligibility for family-based immigration and citizenship.

The L.A. County Office of Immigrant Affairs has an online calendar of “know your rights” and legal assistance workshops. The office’s website also serves as a hub of information and immigration resources.

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles conducts regular workshops as well as informational sessions on citizenship and applications related to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The organization has an online calendar that lists its monthly events.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez‘s office is collaborating with Mijente, CHIRLA, the Central American Resource Center and other advocacy groups to facilitate regular training as well as provide free red resource cards at local field offices. The office has partnered with Mijente and deployed a community defense organizer to train local leaders and build rapid response networks specifically in Council District 1.

You can reach the council member’s City Hall office at (213) 473-7001, the Glassell Park field office at (323) 709-1800, or the Westlake district office at (213) 314-6290.

Rapid response contact information

You can call your local rapid response network to report ICE activity and enforcement actions. Participating organizations document immigration enforcement and can send trained individuals to assist anyone who is being stopped or questioned by agents.

Here is a list of local rapid response contacts compiled by the ACLU of Southern California and California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice.