LOS ANGELES – Today, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Heather Hutt co-introduced legislation directing the City of Los Angeles to mobilize its public transit infrastructure to educate residents about their rights during encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The motion would leverage the City’s Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program (STAP) digital displays on bus shelters and transit vehicles into a comprehensive "Know Your Rights" Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign. The motion comes just one day after a violent ICE raid in Hernandez’s lifelong neighborhood of Highland Park separated a family and sent shockwaves through the district.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported that ICE arrests in the region quadrupled from 540 in April to 2,186 in June, with seven out of ten of those arrested having no criminal conviction. The surge in arrests of non-criminal immigrants has been even more dramatic in Los Angeles than nationwide. According to the USC Equity Research Institute, more than 2 million people in Los Angeles County are undocumented or living in mixed-status households, and increasingly, U.S. citizens and permanent residents are being profiled and detained by unidentified, masked federal agents.
“When the federal government overreaches, the City must use every tool at our disposal to protect our immigrant communities,” said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. “People shouldn’t have to search for resources during a moment of crisis. This campaign meets people where they are and turns our city’s infrastructure into a shield of lifesaving information and dignity.”
Through STAP, the City is installing more than 3,400 new and upgraded bus shelters equipped with digital screens capable of displaying information in multiple languages and disability-accessible formats. City policy allows a portion of this display inventory to be used for public service announcements, creating an opportunity to push critical safety information directly into the hands of working families, transit riders, street vendors, day laborers, seniors, and youth.
The legislation instructs the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD) and the Civil and Human Rights and Equity Department (CHRED), in consultation with the City Attorney and immigrant-rights organizations, to develop the artwork and content for the “Know Your Rights” campaign. It further instructs the Bureau of Street Services (BSS) and LADOT, with CIFD and CHRED, to deploy the campaign across STAP digital shelters and on DASH and Commuter Express buses.
“Know Your Rights is a call to action to safeguard the constitutional rights of our communities and to uphold the safety and value we all deserve," said Abigail R. Marquez, CIFD General Manager. "We are grateful for leaders and advocates like Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez for pushing this legislation forward to mobilize the campaign citywide, as well as partners like LA Civil Rights. Together, we will continue working to protect, inform, and build bridges to serve our communities.”
"LADOT prides itself on serving all Los Angeles communities and looks forward to working alongside Councilmember Hernandez to ensure riders of our transit services are informed of their rights," said Laura Rubio-Cornejo, LADOT General Manager.
“Our Department’s mission is to protect Angelenos from discrimination and uphold equity in every corner of the City,” said Capri Maddox, Executive Director of the LA Civil Rights Department. “This campaign ensures vital ‘Know Your Rights’ information reaches people where they are — at bus stops, on their way to work, and in their own neighborhoods. We are grateful to partner in this effort and to help ensure families have the tools they need to stay informed, safe, and supported.”
The campaign will provide clear, accessible guidance on how to safely exercise one’s rights during ICE encounters, how to respond if approached by federal agents, and where to find legal and community support.
Read the full text of the motion here. Hernandez’s motion was introduced pursuant to Rule 16, placing it directly on the next available City Council agenda for consideration.