California Immigrant Policy Center

CIPC ADVOCATES FOR POLICIES THAT UPHOLD THE HUMANITY OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.

CIPC CONTINUES TO BE A HIGH IMPACT ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION WORKING AGAINST TREMENDOUS ODDS. THROUGH ITS ROBUST ADVOCACY, IT HAS HELPED TO RAISE, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, MORE THAN $500 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE STATE BUDGET TO ENSURE THAT IMMIGRANTS HAVE THE PROTECTIONS THEY NEED, AND A STATE INFRASTRUCTURE EXISTS TO PROVIDE IT. COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND POLICY WORK ARE CORE TO CIPC'S THEORY OF CHANGE. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE ORGANIZING AND POLICY TEAM INCLUDE TRACKING 30+ BILLS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND PROVIDING MEANINGFUL ANALYSIS INCLUDING BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS TO MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND THEIR STAFF. EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT IS THE TRAINING OUR TEAMS PROVIDE TO OUR NETWORK OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT THEY MAY REMAIN WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES IN THE STATEHOUSE AND THE PROCESS A BILL UNDERGOES TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE LAW. WITH THE HELP AND SUPPORT OF CIPC'S PARTNERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND CHAMPIONS, THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS A SUCCESS. THESE ADVOCACY EFFORTS LED TO SECURING HEALTH4ALL AND ADVANCING FOOD4ALL FOR CALIFORNIANS AGE 55 AND UP REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS. THIS MAKES CALIFORNIA THE MOST INCLUSIVE STATE IN THE NATION IN TERMS OF IMMIGRANT HEALTH, BUILDING ON CIPC'S PRIOR #HEALTH4ALL CAMPAIGN WINS THAT ENDED THE EXCLUSION OF CHILDREN, YOUNG ADULTS, AND OLDER ADULT FROM MEDI-CAL. ADDITIONALLY, IDS4ALL (AN1766), A PARTNER-LED POLICY CAMPAIGN THAT CIPC SUPPORTED, WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, MAKING STATE-ISSUED IDENTIFICATION CARDS AVAILABLE TO ALL CALIFORNIANS, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS. IN 2022, ALSO CONVENED CIPC CONVENED THE CALIFORNIA PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES (CA PIF), A COALITION OF OVER 150 ORGANIZATIONS, THAT TOOK THE LEAD IN DRIVING THE STRATEGY AND DIRECTION OF THE STATEWIDE PUBLIC CHARGE CAMPAIGN. CIPC PRIORITIZED RAPID RESPONSE COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO UNDERSERVED REGIONS, SERVICE PROVIDERS AND LOCAL AGENCIES, AND STAKEHOLDERS. OUR DIRECT OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS WERE EFFECTIVE IN DISSEMINATING VALUABLE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION SO THAT IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS CONTINUE TO ENROLL FOR SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM. FRONTLINE COUNTY-LEVEL STAFF RECEIVED CRITICAL INFORMATION AND TIMELY UPDATES ON PUBLIC CHARGE, ENABLING THEM TO BETTER EDUCATE AND PREPARE THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. CIPC PROVIDED EXTERNAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAININGS ON APPROXIMATELY 75 OCCASIONS FOR THE MEDI-CAL EXPANSION, PUBLIC CHARGE, AND CALIFORNIA'S INDIVIDUAL MANDATE. EACH YEAR, CIPC HOSTS THE LARGEST CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY DAY IN SACRAMENTO. NEARLY 1,000 IMMIGRANT RIGHTS' LEADERS AND ADVOCATES, REPRESENTING MORE THAN 75 ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, RALLY IN MAY COURAGEOUS ACTION FROM OUR STATE GOVERNMENT TO PRESERVE AND EXPAND HEALTH AND OTHER SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS, IMMIGRANT INCLUSION INVESTMENTS AND DETENTION AND DEPORTATION RELATED JUSTICE. CIPC CONTINUED TO LEAD THE ONE CALIFORNIA (ONE CA) NETWORK, WHICH AIMS TO EXPAND CRITICAL LEGAL SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. CIPC PUSHED FOR THE INCLUSION OF $10 MILLION FOR THE CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP, A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WILL INCREASE REMOVAL DEFENSE SERVICES IN CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST AND CENTRAL VALLEY REGIONS. THIS INVESTMENT WILL BETTER SERVE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN BOTH OF THOSE REGIONS BY PROVIDING THE MUCH-NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND THE RESOURCES TO REMAIN TOGETHER.