Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Orange County Is Creating A Hub To Help Immigrants And Refugees
Ahmad, left, listens as Jose Serrano from World Relief in Garden Grove goes over his immigration paperwork with him. The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to establish a hub to help refugees and immigrants better acclimate to the community upon arrival.
(
Leslie Berestein Rojas
/
LAist
)
Orange County will create a hub to help arriving immigrants and refugees find housing, food, health care and other services under a plan unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The hub, which is to be called the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA), was originally proposed by Supervisors Doug Chaffee and Andrew Do.
#OrangeCounty is taking steps to help local immigrants & refugees access government resources & services. The OC Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan brought forward by @joinandrewdo and I to establish an Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) in Orange County pic.twitter.com/gyuxgcdA6t
— O.C. Supervisor Chaffee (@SupChaffee4) April 25, 2023
This comes as the U.S is seeing a surge in Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule, along with refugees coming from war-torn Ukraine, Chaffee said. According to a county staff report, 500 Afghan refugees arrived in Orange County following the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021.
Support for LAist comes from
"Though Orange County is no stranger to refugees, the county has not experienced an influx of refugees at this rate for several decades," the report reads. "When the Afghan refugees arrived in Orange County in 2021, the support infrastructure for refugee resettlement had decreased significantly from 46 years ago, when Vietnam War refugees arrived in the county."
At a Wednesday press conference about OIRA, Chaffee elaborated on the office's purpose, which is to "ensure immigrants and refugees have access to the basic services and resources they need under one roof."
"When refugees arrive, their most basic needs are missing," he said. "They're essentially homeless."
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist