We protect and empower
Through our work in communities and court rooms, we identify injustices that affect the client in front of us, and so many others like them.
We advocate for policies to protect and empower immigrants and people of color in city halls, the California State Capitol, and Congress.
We draft legislation, participate in and lead coalitions, and advocate with elected officials, to ensure the voices of communities of color, immigrants, and low-paid workers are centered in local, state, and national policymaking.
Working with 50+ social justice organizations in 2017, we helped draft and pass California’s state sanctuary law, the Values Act, and vigorously fought the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging it. A similar multi-level approach can be seen in many of our victories over the decades, from our landmark victory in Korematsu v. US coram nobis (1984), to our national advocacy to repeal the Muslim and African Bans (2021).
With Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, we work to pass policy in Sacramento on issues from immigration to education to housing. Recently, our community-centered policy advocacy has ensured Californians with limited English proficiency can access critical unemployment insurance, established more humane criminal legal and immigration systems in the state, and secured historic statewide investments in restorative justice and violence prevention.
Advocating for the VISION Act (AB 937) to Stop ICE Transfers in California
California’s VISION Act (AB 937) is a state bill that would protect community members who are deemed eligible for release from being transferred to abusive and even deadly ICE detention.
Learn moreReport Details Impossible Choices Workers Face, Calling for Expanded Protections and Benefits for Workers
Asian and Latinx essential workers lack basic safety and wage protections while facing retaliation from employers and harassment from customers, according to our 2021 report.
Read the reportHealing from the Muslim and African Bans
Our team was on the front lines fighting to repeal the Muslim and African bans. We’re working to undo the bigotry that enabled the bans in the first place.
Learn moreNews & Recent Cases
Learn more about our policy news and campaign updates.