Public Officials, Leading Immigrant Rights Organizations, and Spanish-language Media Launch ¡Protégete!…¡Empodérate Ya! Website

Bilingual online clearinghouse provides Los Angeles’ immigrant community with the information resources they need to protect and empower themselves

LOS ANGELES,CA — A cross sector coalition has come together to address concerns from immigrant communities in Los Angeles about new immigration enforcement policies and actions. The coalition, comprised of Mayor Eric Garcetti and other public officials, immigrant advocacy organizations, and Spanish-language media groups, is launching the www.protegete.us website, which will serve as a resource hub for immigrant communities, as part of the ¡Protégete!…¡EmpodérateYa! (Protect Yourself! Empower Yourself!) campaign.

The ¡Protégete!…¡Empodérate Ya! website is one of the most comprehensive clearinghouses of information resources in English and Spanish. The goal of the site is to ensure immigrants know their rights and to provide information on how they can empower themselves rather than live in fear.

“Immigration is at the heart of the American story, because people from everywhere have made immeasurable contributions to the diversity, ingenuity, and cultural richness that define who we are. That is especially true in Los Angeles, and people who have made a home here deserve all of the resources and protection their City can provide,” said Mayor Garcetti. “No one in Los Angeles should live in fear of being taken from their home, or separated from their family. I will never stop fighting to protect all Angelenos, and making sure they are given the support they need and deserve.”

“More than ever it’s time for Hispanics to act by getting informed,” said Manuel Abud, President and CEO, Azteca America. “At Azteca we pride ourselves on our ability to build bridges and establish alliances across the industry, and we are driven by our commitment to serve the U.S. Hispanic community. The ¡Protégete!…¡Empodérate Ya! coalition is a great example of how all of us can work together in order to properly serve our dear community to empower themselves rather than live in fear.”

“There’s a difference between being afraid and taking action to protect oneself and one’s family and being afraid and remaining in the shadows.  We came to this country because of a dream for a better life and we will continue fighting to make that dream possible.  There’s resources, information, support available for immigrant families facing the unthinkable right now; take action, you are not alone,” stated Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director.

The ¡Protégete!…¡Empodérate Ya! campaign stems from the successful ¡Protégete!…¡Ciudadanía Ya! (Protect Yourself! Citizenship Now!) campaign, which drove citizenship education and application efforts in 2015 and 2016.

The ¡Protégete!…¡Empodérate Ya! campaign is led by a strong coalition that includes Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia; the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), the Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM), Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles (AAAJ-LA), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), the California Immigrant Policy Center, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California; and Spanish-language outlets Azteca America, Entravision, Estrella TV/Liberman Broadcasting, La Opinión, Telemundo 52 Los Angeles KVEA, Univision Radio and KMEX 34 Univision Los Angeles.

The campaign is made possible through funding support from the California Community Foundation.

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CONTACT:
Daniel Herrera
dherrera [@] rabengroup [.] com
(202) 930-6805