LOS ANGELES — Immigrant advocacy groups say the Trump administration is targeting community-based information and referral hotlines for political purposes, raising concerns that efforts to harass those services could undermine critical support for vulnerable families.
In a press statement issued this week by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the organization warned that immigrant-supportive nonprofits are facing coordinated political attacks aimed at disrupting hotlines that provide information, referrals and emergency assistance. The statement and the remarks within it are attributed to Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).
On January 18, Bilal Ali “Bill” Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, posted on the digital platform X encouraging members of the public to call nonprofit hotlines, including CHIRLA’s, and to harass them by providing false tips in order to “bog down their services.”
“A friendly reminder that the public has a First Amendment right to call the number below and provide inaccurate information,” Essayli wrote. “[…] It is unlawful to impede federal agents, but there is no prohibition on impeding radical organizations working to harbor criminal illegal immigrants.”
In the current enforcement climate, the statement said, neighborhoods are being “brutalized and uprooted.” CHIRLA’s hotline provides community members with support, information and guidance after a loved one has been racially profiled, detained, stopped or arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, helping families better respond to their situation.
CHIRLA has operated its Immigrant Assistance Hotline for more than 31 years, offering information and referrals to more than 20,000 people each year as part of its broader work to support immigrant communities and push for immigration reform.
Salas said immigration hotlines have existed for a substantial period but have only recently drawn the attention of the Trump administration. “Hotlines are the lifeline that keep the most vulnerable from disappearing anonymously or facing their questions, doubts and/or needs alone,” she said.
According to information on CHIRLA’s mission and history webpage, the organization’s Assistance Hotline receives more than 3,000 calls per month, has supported programs such as student walkouts and helped create the L.A. Action Table, a coalition of faith, immigrant, labor, LGBTQ+ and refugee organizations working to advance immigrant-friendly local policies.
“These hotlines represent a lifeline for community members in need of information, guidance, referrals, Know Your Rights and, in the case of the current immigration enforcement crackdown, legal immigration, emotional and financial support for emergencies such as rental or food insecurity,” Salas said.
In a concluding statement, Salas criticized the administration’s tactics and reaffirmed CHIRLA’s commitment to its work, saying the organization would continue to serve communities despite efforts to harass staff, spread disinformation and undermine its mission.
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