LOS ANGELES — On June 30, Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Los Angeles, (CHIRLA), reaffirmed the organization’s unwavering commitment to immigrant communities in response to a series of congressional inquiries aimed at CHIRLA and other similar organizations.
According to a press release, Members of Congress and congressional committees have sent letters “requesting information” from numerous groups serving immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers across the country.
“Let us be clear, these congressional letters are a coordinated effort to prevent us from doing the good and peaceful work that’s part of the CHIRLA way since its inception in 1986,” Salas said.
She emphasized that CHIRLA was founded to serve, represent and uplift immigrants and now finds itself targeted for challenging what she called “the current administration’s racist and anti-immigrant agenda.”
“These threats, including the false and baseless allegations of wrongdoing, will not stop our momentum,” Salas said. “We will remain visible, undeterred, and more committed than ever to our mission. Our mandate is to serve the community because they need and deserve it.”
Salas noted that CHIRLA’s work includes education, advocacy, civic engagement, legal immigration services, youth and student organizing, and worker protections. The organization also helps thousands of individuals become U.S. citizens by teaching English, U.S. history and fostering full integration.
CHIRLA also supports more than 80 local and state-level organizations through funding, and promotes a broader understanding of immigrants as positive contributors to society.
“We are proud of the impact we have had and are dedicated to having on our community,” Salas said.
Despite CHIRLA’s track record of civic engagement, family reunification, and peaceful organizing, Salas said the current Congress “is abusing the tools at their disposal to try to defame CHIRLA and stop us from doing what we do best: serving the people.”
