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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Consideration of a Grant of $50,000 to a Non-Profit Organization that is Assisting Immigrants Impacted by Recent Federal Immigration Enforcement; And (2) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of a Related Budget Amendment Appropriating $50,000 from the General Fund Contingency Reserve.
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Meeting Date: July 9, 2025
Contact Person/Dept.: Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager
Phone Number: City Manager’s Office - (310) 253-000
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (07/08/2025)
Department Approval: John Nachbar, City Manager (07/08/2025) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council consider a grant of $50,000 to a non-profit organization that is assisting immigrants impacted by recent federal immigration enforcement; and (2) approve a related budget amendment appropriating $50,000 from the General Fund Contingency Reserve (four-fifths vote required).
BACKGROUND
At the June 30, 2025 Special City Council Meeting, the City Council requested staff bring to the July 9, 2025 Special City Council Meeting consideration of a grant of $50,000 to a non-profit organization that is assisting immigrants impacted by recent federal immigration enforcement. The purpose would be to assist individuals and families who are part of the Culver City community and who are suffering due to the ongoing immigration enforcement activity throughout the region.
DISCUSSION
The following is a list of non-profit organizations in the Los Angeles area that assist immigrants who may be impacted. These organizations are provided for the City Council’s convenience and does not imply endorsement by the City of Culver City. City Council may choose one of these organizations or a different organization to receive the grant.
• Culver-Palms YMCA
o <https://www.ymcala.org/locations/culver-palms-family-ymca>
o Charity Navigator Rating: Four-Stars, 100%
o Culver City-based charity providing food and personal care items to all community members at weekly Thursday drive-thru events, as part of the Y’s regional FeedLA initiative. For those afraid to leave their homes due to immigration enforcement, they also deliver these items to homes.
• Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
o www.chirla.org <http://www.chirla.org>
o Charity Navigator Rating: Four-Stars, 96%
o A California leader with national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants.
• Central American Resource Center of California (CARECEN)
o www.carecen-la.org <http://www.carecen-la.org>
o Charity Navigator Rating: Four-Stars, 92%
o Since its founding in 1983, when thousands of Central Americans fled the brutality of civil war, CARECEN has been working to change an unjust immigration system, win legal status for immigrants, and foster community activism on issues such as education reform, workers’ and immigrants’ rights, economic justice and community strengthening. CARECEN, the largest Central American immigrant rights organization in the country, empowers Central Americans and all immigrants by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice, and promoting cultural diversity. We envision Los Angeles becoming a place where Central Americans and all other communities live in peace and dignity, enjoying economic well-being, social justice, and political empowerment.
• Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef)
o www.immdef.org <http://www.immdef.org>
o Charity Navigator Rating: Four-Stars, 97%
o A next-generation social justice law firm that defends immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system. ImmDef provides full-scale deportation defense, legal representation, legal education, and social services to approximately 30,151 detained and non-detained children and adults annually. ImmDef is now one of the largest immigration legal service providers in California, serving clients in more than 10 counties in California, including Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, and the San Diego-Tijuana border region
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles
o www.advancingjustice-la.org <http://www.advancingjustice-la.org>
o Charity Navigator Rating: Four-Stars, 97%
o The nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Founded in 1983, AJSOCAL supports over 15,000 individuals and organizations annually. By offering free legal help, engaging in impact litigation and advocating for policy change, AJSOCAL prioritizes the most vulnerable members of AAPI communities while fostering a robust advocacy for civil rights and social justice.
• Catholic Charities of Los Angeles: Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project
o www.esperanza-la.org <http://www.esperanza-la.org>
o Charity Navigator Rating: Four-Stars, 100%
o Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project is a project of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. Over the past 15 years, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project has become one of the leading immigration-focused public interest organizations in the country. Esperanza is made up of a team of passionate staff, interns, and volunteers who work together to advance the rights of vulnerable immigrants through education, representation, and advocacy.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)
o www.lafla.org <http://www.lafla.org>
o Charity Navigator Rating: Four-Stars, 96%
o Attorneys, paralegals, and support staff seeking to achieve equal justice for low-income people. LAFLA provides direct representation, offers counsel and advice, provides referrals, educates the community about their legal rights through workshops and seminars.
Should the City Council decide to grant the $50,000, the City Manager would engage in a sole source agreement with the selected non-profit organization and the City Attorney would prepare a funding agreement with appropriate audit and accounting provisions to ensure the funds are used for a public purpose. $50,000 is within the City Manager’s purchasing authority so no additional City Council action would need to be taken to enter into the agreement.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Funding for such a grant was not included in the Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. If the City Council desires to award a $50,000 grant to a non-profit organization, a budget amendment appropriating the funds from the General Fund Contingency Reserve would be required (four-fifths vote requirement). Based on the Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, the Contingency Reserve is projected to be $41.4 million at the end of the fiscal year. This is approximately 21.6% of the General Fund operating expenses, which is below the 30% target for this reserve.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1. Approve a $50,000 grant to a non-profit organization, to be specified;
2. Approve a budget amendment appropriating $50,000 from the General Fund Contingency Reserve (requires four-fifths vote);
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.