July 8, 2025 • 51 mins
What happens when immigration enforcement tears apart the fabric of a community? In this raw, urgent conversation, we explore the human cost of recent ICE raids with Jessica, a social services professional who witnesses firsthand how these actions devastate families.
Jessica takes us inside the vital work of Inner City Law Center, a nonprofit poverty law firm located in Skid Row with attorneys fighting to end homelessness through free legal services. From defending tenants against eviction to helping veterans secure benefits, ICLC provides crucial support to Los Angeles' most vulnerable residents. Their community initiatives include vital document clinics and resource fairs, all offered at no cost.
The conversation turns deeply personal as Jessica shares stories from our shared hometown of Culver City, where longtime community members are being seized in broad daylight. An ice cream vendor who served the neighborhood for 20 years was taken, his cart abandoned on the street. A grandfather was dragged from his truck by masked individuals while driving to work. These raids leave families without breadwinners and children suddenly forced to become providers.
"A lot of the people being taken away have no criminal convictions," Jessica explains. "They're hardworking individuals who look like my family members. This is deeply personal."
Hope emerges through community response. Cities are approving emergency funding, implementing protocols to verify federal agents' identities, and organizing massive solidarity demonstrations. Jessica offers practical ways to help: follow rapid response networks for updates, donate to affected families, and simply check on neighbors who might be afraid to leave their homes.
The episode concludes with a powerful reminder that transcends politics: "Just because it might not affect your life personally doesn't mean it doesn't matter to somebody else... Please don't normalize this violence. This is not normal."
Join us for this essential conversation about community resilience in the face of crisis, and learn how small acts of kindness can make a profound difference during uncertain times.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
all right, cheers, cheers.
I have jessica on and she wasmy bestest biffle back in high
school, so it's like a real bigthrowback.
It is actually that is athrowback biffle I in high
school, so it's like a real bigthrowback.
It is actually that is athrowback Biffle, I feel like I
know, we used to say that, yeah,I was looking through like
Instagram because I was like Iam going to post like pictures
(00:33):
of us and I kept seeing likeBiffle all over the place and I
was like oh my god, like Iforgot about it too and I was
like, like that's so cute wewere so little and young.
So, yes, I met you.
I was in 11th grade and youwere in 10th.
Yes, and we were working forthe school newspaper for culver
(00:55):
city high school, ghost centaurs.
But yeah, so we were working onthe paper and then we just got
close and became biffles, we did, it was great.
And so, how have you been?
What have you been up to?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, let's see since high school.
Yeah right, I know Well youwent to San Diego State.
I did yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And then you graduated.
What year?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
2016.
I can't believe that that'snearly 10 years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I know it's terrifying.
It is.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, Since then I've been working in the nonprofit
sector.
I stayed in San Diego about twoyears after I graduated and I
worked at a refugee resettlementagency through AmeriCorps.
I don't know if you're familiarwith AmeriCorps.
Yeah, so it's kind of like thePeace Corps, but stateside.
And so I did that for two termsso two years and in that role I
(01:52):
worked with refugee families andI would match volunteers from
the community with those newlyarrived families, which was
really fun and really rewarding,and it's so funny.
I actually still talk to like afew of the volunteers that I
matched, and one of them I knowis still.
He's still pretty connectedwith the family that I matched
(02:14):
him with 10 years ago.
Actually.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yeah, like 2015.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Because I actually started as an intern while I was
still in college at the RefugeeResettlement Agency, but that's
the beginning of my nonprofitcareer, and then I moved back to
LA in the beginning of 2018.
And I was working at anonprofit that is focused on
helping people with highbarriers to employment find work
(02:40):
.
So a lot of our clients werepeople that were experiencing
homelessness, people that werereentering the community after
incarceration, and there I alsoworked with volunteers the
majority of the time that I wasthere and I helped clients
create their resumes, like inone-on-one settings or
one-on-one appointments.
(03:00):
I facilitated classes, trainedvolunteers.
It was really nice, I reallyliked it and then, yeah, so I
was at my last job for, oh mygosh, okay, I started in 2018
there and then I left last year,so like six and a half years at
my last job, and then lastSeptember I made the switch to
(03:21):
my current job and now I work infundraising.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
And where do you work now?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So I work at inner city law center, or ICLC for
short.
We're a nonprofit poverty lawfirm and we work to end the
homeless crisis in Los Angelesby offering free legal services
to the poorest and mostvulnerable residents of LA Nice.
Perfect, and how did you findthat?
Speaker 1 (03:42):
job.
Residents of LA Nice.
Perfect, and how did you findthat job?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So how did I find it Networking?
So I, at my last job, I wasworking with volunteers and a
lot of the volunteers happenedto be donors or the volunteers
became donors.
So I worked really closely withthe development team at my old
job and I really enjoyed that.
(04:06):
I also had the opportunity tolead a corporate volunteer
events where we would have, youknow, different corporate groups
come in and create you knowdifferent things for us, like
they would help with helping usorganize our resource closet,
they would help make hygieneitems for our clients, and so I
(04:27):
really enjoyed that and so Ifeel like it was a natural
progression and interest to, youknow, make the switch into
development and fundraising, andI've been in my current role
for about 10 months.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So 10 months, so it hasn't been too long, but it's
been it's.
It's been really good.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
I've learned a lot and I really enjoy it, and so
what's your official positionright now?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
My current position is as a development manager at
Inner City Law Center and I'mpart of the development team and
our focus is to raise funds tosupport the mission and the
programs of Inner City LawCenter and specifically in my
role, I oversee our monthlydonor program, I lead our year
end uh appeal campaign, I helpwith special events, amongst
other tasks.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Nice, perfect, okay, and also I always forget to talk
about it Our episode drink.
I make such a big deal abouthaving an episode drink and then
I don't talk about it like adum-dum.
We're having a virgin aperolspritz because it we're filming
pretty early and it did feel alittle weird to start drinking
at like 10 30 in the morning.
I've done it, but it's just notreally the best.
(05:36):
Look.
So virgin aperol spritz, whichI didn't know how to make, but
it ended up working out.
It was orange juice, cherryjuice topped with like
pellegrino it's, it's just fizzyjuice, let's be quite honest,
it's good, it's refreshingbecause it's hot outside.
Yeah it's pretty hot, um, butyeah it's.
You know doesn't compare to thereal aperol, but you know we're
(05:57):
trying to be civilized peoplehere.
So yeah, that's our drink.
I talked about it.
Let's move on.
All right.
And what's the goal of ICLC?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So ICLC is located in Skid Row and we have a staff of
150 people and 75 are attorneys.
Our staff help Angelenos facingeviction, struggling with
landlord harassment, and helpindividuals fight to secure
their veteran or disabilitybenefits, as well as stand up to
slum housing conditions.
We have legal clinics everywell, every second and fourth
(06:32):
Tuesday of the month we have avital documents clinic, and so
people that come in they can getassistance with getting things
like fee waivers for Californiastate IDs, marriage death
certificates, court records andsuch.
We also host events for thecommunity.
We have something called theSkid Row Community Connect Day,
(06:53):
and during this time our parkinglot transforms into a resource
fair and we have serviceproviders there.
We have free food, we have swagbags for participants and
everything is free.
We also host another eventcalled Pets Landing, and this is
specifically for the pets ofSkid Row, and so the parents can
(07:16):
bring their fur babies forveterinary services, light
grooming services, and there'salso referrals for the, the, the
pet parents too, and again,everything is free.
Oh, wow, that's great.
I love that.
Yeah, and pets bring so muchcomfort to us too, so it's a
it's a really cool event.
I love that.
I had the opportunity tovolunteer at it um the last one
(07:38):
back in april, um, and it was.
It was really nice.
Um, the pets are so cute.
I love that and if anyone'sinterested in volunteering for
events like that we do haveopportunities for community
members to volunteer.
Oh great, and that's all on ourwebsite.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Perfect, yeah.
And then also, I'm going to belinking the social media page
for Inner City Law Center andthe website.
That way, any information ifyou want to learn more
information you can definitelygo to Instagram stories and
it'll be turned into a highlightreel in case you guys aren't
catching it the first day, butyeah.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
And yeah, and so some of the other things that we do
are we're part of varioushousing coalitions and as an
organization, we sponsor statebills that will support housing
and our clients.
For example, we're currentlysponsoring AB 647 and SB 634.
So SB 634, the Homeless RightsProtection Act, is a state bill
(08:37):
that's aimed at preventing thecriminalization of existing
homeless or helping the homeless, and it's currently making its
way through the state Senate andif you're interested in
following its progression, it'llbe in the stories.
And then the other bill, sb 634, is the Better Urban Infill and
(08:58):
Livable Design Build HousingAct of 2025.
And this aims to combat thelong-term effects of housing
segregation.
Ab 647 will allow up to eighthomes, as long as one is
affordable, in any residentiallyzoned area in California, and
this AB 647 is endorsed bynearly 100 community
(09:20):
organizations.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Nice, perfect.
She came here so prepared and Iwas like, oh my God, I'm just
going to like listen to her talk.
Basically, I try, I try, I tryto be prepared.
I was like she came like with awhole document and I was like,
oh damn it, like I got my onepage of questions.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
But yeah, but wait, there's more, right, yeah, tell
us more, there's actuallythere's, I'm just really you
know, proud of the work thatInner City Law Center does, and
so that's why I'm like wait,there's more.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Tell us more, tell us everything.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
So it's wild that you know earlier this year we had
the fires.
Yeah, it feels like so much andit wasn't even fire season, I
know, and it feels like so muchhas happened since.
Well, so much has yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Yeah, these past, like what?
Six, eight, let's eight months,I guess it feels like it's been
years.
Like we've been at this foryears and it's like we're only
eight months in.
Yeah, I'm terrified.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It's a very stressful time, and after the January
fires for ICLC, we began hostinglegal clinics to support
Angelenos who were affected bythe fires.
These wildfire relief clinicsfocus on tenant issues and vital
documents Many of the peoplethat were impacted.
(10:38):
They lost a lot of theirdocumentation due to the fires,
and so the legal clinics thatICLC hosts are both virtually
and in person at a church inPasadena.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Oh, wow, yeah, you don't really think about that,
Like when you're running fromyour home to grab, you know,
your birth certificate or yourmarriage certificate.
You're focusing on you knowyourself and your family and
your pets, yeah your real babiesand you're not thinking about
right the documents that youknow, prove who you are and what
(11:11):
you are and what you have, youdon't exactly so that's that's a
great resource that I wouldn'thave thought of you know if
there was a fire right now, Iwouldn't think hey let me go
grab my birth certificate, right, I would you know.
Grab myself and my cat, my cats, yeah same.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah I, I would you know, grab myself and my cats,
yeah, same, yeah, I don't evenyou know when people ask that
question like what would yousave in a fire.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Yeah, what would you save in a fire?
I?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
actually don't know.
I mean now, as we're talkingabout it, like yeah, you should
have your, you know yourimportant documents, like in a
safe place, place.
But when push comes to shove,when you're in that situation,
it's really yeah, like it getyourself to safety exactly, yeah
, you wouldn't think about it.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
I would just yeah, what would you save in a fire?
Um, I in my head I would thinklike pictures, you know yeah you
can't really get you know,especially like the really old
ones right like you were lookingat my pictures earlier, like
the pictures of like my nana asa baby.
I can't get those back.
You know every little picturesof like my Nana as a baby, I
can't get those back.
You know like pictures of likeme now they're on my phone and
obviously who cares?
(12:09):
But you know you can't get likethose really old photos back.
So that's what I would think tograb, but not my social
security card.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, no, that's a really good point, and so stuff
like that.
You know, those importantdocuments, people are missing,
and so that's what thesewildfire relief clinics are
doing they're helping peoplereplace that important
documentation.
And then we also one more thingthat I want to talk about, about
ICLC, is that we have ahomeless veterans project and it
(12:39):
was actually one of the firstfew programs in the country to
offer free legal services tohomeless veterans when it was
first, when it first launched in1998.
And I realized I didn't mentionhow long we've been around, but
ICLC has been around since 1980.
But back to the HomelessVeterans Project, our attorneys.
They work to obtain benefitsfor homeless veterans who have
(13:02):
disabilities as a result oftheir military service, and we
represent our clients throughoutthe entire benefits process,
which can oftentimes take yearsto process and go through.
Our attorneys have representedveterans who have served in Iraq
, afghanistan, vietnam, koreaand even World War II.
(13:23):
Wow, and then our veteransprogram.
Last year, in collaborationwith public counsel and law
firms Brown, goldstein and Levyand Robbins Kaplan, we secured a
landmark victory in theMcDonoghue v Powers case for
disabled veterans in a historicruling that mandates significant
(13:45):
reforms at the West LA VAcampus.
This includes new housing andimproved healthcare services for
disabled veterans.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
So with everything that's been happening lately
with immigration and within ourwhole country specifically
California, because I feel likewe're Los Angeles is kind of
getting hit a little harderbecause we have a very large
demographic of Latinos.
How has that affected your workat inner city law center,
(14:15):
that's?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
a good question.
Our work continues withadditional safety precautions
and our staff is working harderthan ever to empower and protect
our immigrant clients as muchas possible, and some of the
things that we're doing arewe're defending clients against
landlords and property managerswho attempt to exploit
immigration status to harass,extort or evict tenants.
(14:39):
We're increasing our workhelping immigrant clients access
immigration relief andresources to help them achieve
housing stability.
We're also arranging for remotecourt appearances to help
clients avoid potentiallydangerous encounters with ICE at
courthouses, and we'redistributing red cards from the
(15:01):
Immigrant Legal Resource Centerto clients and community members
, which outline constitutionalrights when interacting with ICE
.
And actually I brought examplesof them and I can share these
with you, but these are the redcards.
They're available in differentlanguages.
The ones that I have are inSpanish but, they're available
(15:21):
in Chinese, Russian, Farsi, youname it.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And I will make sure to post this as well on my
stories.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
And we also are sharing.
The ICLC created blue cards, sowe created something similar to
this, but for legal aid officesand service providers, which
outline best practices forsafely and lawfully interacting
with ICE in high-pressuresituations.
We're also ramping up our legalclinics and outreach to provide
(15:51):
critical support to immigrantfamilies, especially those that
are undocumented, and we'rerevamping our community events
to maximize safety for immigrantattendees.
This includes offering virtualalternatives whenever possible.
And, last but not least, we'regrowing our pro bono attorney
network to meet the increasinglegal need of immigrants whose
(16:11):
rights are under immediatethreat.
So if there's anyone listeninghere who is an attorney and
wants to give back and wants toget involved, please visit the
inner city law center website.
We have a pro bono team andthere's uh amazing attorneys
that will um give their time andhelp with different cases.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
So perfect, and if there's anyone who needs these
services, please reach out andthey can definitely help you
with whatever is necessary.
So I do want to say what, forthose who aren't like watching
what's on this card.
So it says I do not wish tospeak with you, answer your
questions or sign or hand youany documents.
(16:49):
Based on my fifth amendmentrights under the United States
constitution.
I do not give you permission toenter my home based on my
fourth amendment right under theUnited States constitution
unless you have a warrant toenter, signed by a judge or
magistrate with my name on it,that you slide under my door.
I do not give you permission tosearch any of my belongings.
(17:13):
Based on my Fourth Amendmentrights.
I choose to exercise myconstitutional rights, plain and
simple.
And then so also you and I areborn and raised Culver City,
love it, that's home.
But you wouldn't think it wouldlike affect your very small
community.
(17:33):
But we've had an enormousamount of people who have been
technically kidnapped let's justcall a spade a spade straight
off the street from their homesin Culver City, in Palms, in the
West Side.
I had seen on your personalInstagram story you had been
(17:53):
posting GoFundMe pages for thosepeople who had been taken, and
then you also went to a event atVets Park last Saturday, sunday
.
Sunday last Sunday.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I'm stalking you Everyone's stalking everyone, of
course.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
But yeah, so I had seen you had went to that event
and who was it for exactly?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
So that event was for , and then for for these events,
events like I go on, like myown like related yeah, like not
related to it, so personal yeah,personal journey, and so this
is in her free time.
Um, yes, so last sunday therewas a press conference um and
(18:41):
fundraiser for one of thecommunity members that has been
taken from Culver City.
His name is Enrique Lozano andhe was a paletero, so an ice
cream man, and he had beenselling ice cream in the Culver
City community for 20 years andit was I think it was June 23rd,
let me well, it was a Mondaybefore, so he was taken away.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
He was kidnapped in in plain, you know, plain
daylight yeah, like they tookhim and left his cart on the
street.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Yeah, they did, and horrible it's crazy and like, if
you see the snatched he yeah,he was he and the photo that, um
you know, has been circulating.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
It's just his car and just abandoned.
Yeah, it's like he justdisappeared.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, no, it's very powerful and it's really sad he
was taken on Culver Boulevardnear Sepulveda, so actually
really close to the high school.
Yeah, yeah, Like you said, likewhere we grew up, like you know
, like I know that area, youknow that area?
Yeah, know that area, that areaExactly, and so it's really sad
.
He is not the only one.
There's been people, there'sbeen other people there's.
(19:51):
There was another individual.
His name is Jose.
I forget his last name.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Was he the one?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
who was taken from the carwash?
No that, but see, that's thething.
There's so many and it's reallyawful there.
So the one that I was thinkingof, um, he's a grandfather and
um, he was taken last friday onwhile he was on his way to work
and he was in his car um sixmasked uh, you know,
unidentified individuals.
(20:20):
They stopped him, they brokehis window and they dragged him
out of his truck.
Um, and the family actuallyposted an update last night.
Um, or I saw it last night thathe is already in mexico and um,
according to them, he didn'tsign any deportation papers,
they just they just pretty much,which is something that you
(20:43):
know.
We're hearing a lot about that.
People aren't given their dueprocess or just well, they're
coerced into signing deportationpapers.
The conditions in the holdingfacilities are awful, and then
there was a raid.
This one was probably likethree weeks ago, almost a month.
(21:04):
It's wild to yeah.
To just look back at the lastmonth, because it really has
been one full month of these iceraids, just um, terrorizing
communities, um, and there was araid at the car wash on
Sepulveda and Venice, alsoreally close to us yeah, I've
been to that car wash hundredsof times as well.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yeah, I used to.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
I used to work in front of that car wash at the
Baskin Robbins.
Oh, yeah, yeah, um, and so,yeah, it's like that's our
community and I believe it wassix individuals that were taken
during that raid and it's just,it's really awful what's
happening and it it's verydeeply concerning yeah, I mean I
(21:48):
know.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So the one at the car wash is like the first one that
, like I think, gained likereally big media attention, at
least for like Culver City,really big media attention at
least for like Culver City.
But yeah, it was like you see,these men who, by the way, like
literally anyone could pretendthat they're an ICE agent, I
feel like, which is also scarytoo, so scary.
Like I'm not trying to giveanyone ideas, but I've already
(22:11):
seen like stories about it where, like people who aren't ICE
agents are just going up andsnatching like mainly women,
let's be honest and you knowthey're just like scary people
who are just like kidnappingpeople under the disguise of ice
.
So that's scary in and ofitself, but I did see, yeah, the
(22:31):
they went and they targeted thecar wash and this guy was there
with his two sons and he it wasjust wrong place, wrong time
for him.
He wasn't, he didn't work there, he was just there getting his
car serviced and they took himand left his two kids crying on
the side of the road.
Yeah, and like people aroundthem are, like you know, trying
(22:51):
to like this one.
The younger son is just inabsolute tears and the older
son's trying to like find outwhere he's going, like where are
you taking my dad and everyonearound is like these are his
kids, they're underage, theyneed to know where he's going.
And they don't say a word.
They just take him and leaveand it's horrible.
I can't imagine being in thatposition or watching that happen
(23:14):
to a family member or a friend.
I can't imagine seeing ithappen to a family member or a
friend or I can't imagine seeingit happen to a stranger in
person, but to see like yourfather taken away from you, like
that is devastating yeah and Idon't understand how some people
don't care right it's like.
At this point I feel like we'renot we shouldn't be talking
about this in like liberal orconservative, democratic
(23:36):
republican.
This is just like a human onhuman thing.
How do you not care aboutanother human being?
Right like this is far beyondpolitics.
It's just.
What's happening right now inour country is abhorrent.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
It's terrible yeah, it really is.
It's it's very scary.
It's, you know, it's like.
For me and many other peopleit's deeply personal.
A lot of the people that arebeing kidnapped and just
snatched away from theircommunity are hardworking
individuals.
(24:12):
All these images I'm like thesethese individuals look like my
family members, like that is soscary.
And a lot of the people thatare being taken away they have
no criminal convictions yeah,that's like the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
People are like, oh well, they're, it's.
They're taking violentcriminals.
No, they're not, but like ifthat's all they were doing, like
even then, just to like snatchsomeone away.
But they're going after fathers, mothers, grandfathers, people
who have worked and been in thecommunity for years and who,
(24:45):
like, their entire life is hereand they're just being taken to
wherever yeah and then thrownback into, let's say, mexico, a
place that they haven't been in,you know 30 plus years and just
been like OK, bye, like what?
What is this?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Yeah, it's really awful, and a lot of these people
they're you know, they'rehardworking.
I mean especially the twoindividuals that we just talked
about.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Like there were two of many, exactly, exactly.
They're just the ones that Ithink you know, we, we've seen
their stories.
Just because they, they aresuch, you know, a big part of
our community.
Yeah, they're like neighbors.
Exactly, they really are.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
They technically are and you know they're a great
example of immigrants.
Immigrants make America great.
Immigrants are entrepreneurial.
They're, you know, they're veryhardworking and they're.
These two individuals areperfect examples of that.
Yeah, and it's just, it'sreally, it's really sad to see
it.
You know, I'm not going to lie,I've definitely had some, you
know, just a little bit of likea little breakdown here or there
(25:52):
.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Just like you know, Sometimes we just need to cry it
out.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Exactly.
It's really scary what'shappening, but I will say that
there is a silver lining in thesense that, as these things, as
these kidnappings are happening,I've seen community members
just really, you know, go outthere and help their neighbors.
You know, communities arereally stepping up and help
their neighbors.
You know, communities arereally stepping up.
(26:17):
The city of Montebello approved100,000 in emergency funding to
support local families thatwere impacted by the ice raids.
So Huntington Park's citycouncil approved a resolution to
verify a federal agent'sidentity when they are operating
in the community, and that cameout after they arrested someone
who was impersonating a federalagent, which, yeah, is so scary
(26:40):
.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
I can't imagine like you're just giving these people
who have malicious intent adisguise to hide behind.
Yeah Like oh, just go ahead,yeah, just take them.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
What is this?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
That is such a terrifying thought, like just
imagine that you're snatched upby a stranger in a ski mask and
you're thrown into an unmarkedvehicle and you don't know where
you're being taken, you don'tknow what they're going to do to
you.
And also like, as women, likeI'm already scared of men.
So it's like if like six, yeah,so it's like if like six, yeah,
like if six masked men are liketackling me and then throwing
(27:19):
me into a car, like I'm going tobe terrified, I'm going to be
extremely scared.
Like yeah.
So that, yeah, that's one thingthat the city of Huntington Park
has done to ensure that theircommunity is safer.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
And closer to home, in Culver City, they're looking
to adopt a resolution to supportimmigrant families during this
time.
This past Monday, the 30th June30th, the city council met for
a special session to discussthis and during this meeting
there were 40 community memberswho signed up to give public
comment.
The council did not vote on theresolution.
There will be another specialsession on July 9th and during
(28:02):
this time, they're going to beconsidering stopping the use of
license plate readers,reconsider the city's police
policy.
On mutual aid to other agencies, for example, like mutual aid
to like a federal agency,they're going to be looking at
potential eviction moratorium ora rental relief for families
that have been impacted by theongoing raids in the community.
(28:25):
And all of this is, um, youknow, would be in support of
helping immigrants uh, in thecommunity and helping them keep
safe yeah, yeah, like going backto the man who was snatched up
at the car wash, they did, Ithink it was abc7.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Um, they interviewed his older son who was a witness
to everything and he said thathis father was the main provider
for the household.
And now he's like he's 16, orlike 15 or 16.
And he's like I'm going to haveto step up now and be the
provider, when he should befocusing on school and being a
(29:06):
kid and being a teenager and,you know, having fun in during
the summer, and now he'sfocusing on getting a job that's
paying enough to support.
You know his himself, hisyounger brother and his mom
because you know the mom isn'tmaking enough to just you know
it was a two-income family andnow they got down to one right.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
So now they they don't have money to pay rent
yeah bills, pay utilities, paythe lights, yeah there's all
these domino effects yeahbecause you have this like
looming threat of being, youknow, stopped and then deported,
uh, kidnapped, you know, likeall of this.
But then yeah, like the themain yeah, what happened?
(29:49):
The main breadwinner yeah, themain breadwinner.
They're taken away.
So it's like maybe you havesmall children, like what
happens now, maybe it's the momthat gets taken away and it's
like who's gonna feed the baby?
Like you know, especially ifthey're like a newborn, like
it's.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
It's multiple, it's multiple things like it doesn't
affect just the person who wastaken right.
It affects the entire family,the household, you know, yeah,
yeah it affects americans, likeyou know.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
I mean there there are a lot of mixed status
families, as we're discussing,where the children are citizens
and the parents are undocumented, and that's just a reality of a
lot of our neighbors and it'sreally sad and just awful that
(30:35):
this is happening.
But again, communities arestepping up.
One other thing that the cityis doing, culver City
specifically.
At the June 30 meeting, thecouncil voted to send letters of
support for the no SecretPolice Act SB 627, and the no
Vigilantes Act SB 805.
(30:55):
And both are state bills thatwere introduced to keep
communities safe during theseraids.
The no Secret Police Act banslaw enforcement from covering
their faces when interactingwith citizens, and officers
would have to wear visibleidentification when conducting
their duties.
And the no Vigilantes Act wouldstrengthen laws against
impersonating police or federalagents.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Perfect.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, and the city sent letters of support so
awesome.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Well, that's great.
I'm glad to see culver citystepping up because, you know, I
look back on like our highschool years and I feel like we
had a really like supportivehigh school, like it was very um
diverse.
It was very accepting.
Um diverse, it was veryaccepting.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
You know, it wasn't like I remember watching Mean
Girls as a kid and being like isthat what high school is going
to be like?
And it really wasn't.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
At least for me.
I hopefully I'm not, like youknow, speaking out of turn, but
I feel like, overall, our highschool was very accepting and
agree, right, yeah, and like wehad people of all ethnicities
and races and, um, identities,yeah, but you, you know, you
never know what's going tohappen in the community as a
(32:08):
whole during tough times likethis yeah so it's nice to see
that culver city is City, isstepping up and protecting its
citizens and population and atleast trying to do what is right
because it's right.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Yeah, no, I agree with you.
I Culver City is diverse, andthat is, that is, one of my
favorite things about CulverCity and having grown up here
and, um, just being part of,yeah, like the school district
because yeah, like you also, youwent to lynn woody, how I think
yeah okay, I went to albionaand, like I, one of my like
first memories, or like vividmemories of um being elementary
(32:48):
school, was they used to havesomething called like an
international dinner.
Oh, yeah, okay, you guys hadthat too.
Yeah, okay, and I, it was socool because I remember it was
like one giant potluck, yeah,and people would bring dishes
from you know, like theirfamilies, yeah, and then like
they had their background.
Yeah, and then like they had,you know, like us kids, like
perform, like some dance fromwherever, like your class was
(33:11):
assigned.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Like I remember, I think in third grade maybe I'm
like confusing it up Like I havememories and pictures of being
in like you know, like attireand stuff, but yeah, it was like
one giant potluck and like youcelebrate diversity and the
diversity that immigrants bringto Culver City and just the US,
and I think that's a beautifulthing, and so that's why it
(33:37):
really saddens me to see just somuch hate towards our immigrant
communities, specifically ourLatino communities.
And, as I mentioned, you know,like this is deeply personal to
me, because a lot of theindividuals that you're seeing
on the news and you know you'reseeing their GoFundMe they look
like my family.
They look like my family, likeI, yeah, like I am really
(34:02):
passionate about, um, you know,doing my part in just helping
make the community a little bitbetter.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, um, and again, this is on my time- so also, you
went to the no king's dayparade.
Did you go to the one that washere in culver city or the one
in downtown, the one in downtowndowntown, and how was that?
It was massive, yeah, I saw itwas like it was insane it was so
big but it was.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
You know, when I it was like 12 of us that went and
in our group and when I was umtalking to, uh, my friend and my
boyfriend, I was like it justfeels weird to say like it was a
really nice day, but it wasBecause it was.
(34:45):
You know so many people thatcare about other people and
immigrants.
There were a lot of signs, youknow, calling for ICE to back
off from LA, to get out of LA,and it was.
It was hopeful to see such ahuge physical representation of
the hate that's going on rightnow and, to be quite honest, I
(35:06):
was really nervous at first thatmorning of because, the weekend
before, the Sunday before, um,my boyfriend and I went to a
protest in downtown when thiswas all starting and it was
really scary.
Um, yes, it was one of thescariest moments of my life.
Um, the Sunday before the noKings day parade, I went to a
(35:30):
protest, um, in downtown with myboyfriend and, um, we met up
with one of my friends and wewere going to meet up with
another friend, and so when wegot there, we walked towards the
federal building off of Templein downtown and there were a lot
of people, there was a bigcrowd, everyone was peaceful and
we were on Temple and Iremember that there was a point
(35:53):
where a police van just starteddriving towards a crowd to split
the crowd To disperse themexactly, and then they started
shooting rubber bullets.
And when I do remember.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Now that you're saying that I it's like I
blocked it out from my memorybecause I can't have too many
bad memories up here.
But yeah, I, I saw that on thenews yeah, it was really scary.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
And so we were with my friend and she was looking
for her friends as well, andthey started shooting rubber
bullets, and then, of course,people are, like you know,
panicking.
So then I run the opposite wayfrom the bullets and my friend
runs into the crowd yeah, intothe crowd, looking for her
friend, and I was like I'm readyto go.
(36:40):
And I was like, um, I'm readyto go.
And so, um, you know, myboyfriend and I go the opposite
way, but we're still there for alittle bit, yeah, and then
we're trying to meet our otherfriend who was going to meet us
there, but she, she was takingthe metro and she couldn't get
off on the the little Tokyo stopbecause they were.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
They were just trying to divert yeah, they didn't
want people to get off and go tothe protest exactly, and so she
wasn't able to meet us there.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
So she ended up on the other side of the freeway
and um, we, you know we werelike checking in, we were trying
to meet up but we couldn'tbecause, of how chaotic
everything was and how scaryeverything was and, um, yeah, I
like the police and like therubber bullets and you know,
like the, the big crowd, it waspretty much between me and our
(37:27):
other friend that we were tryingto meet up with, um, the one
who came on the Metro, and so we, we stayed there for my
boyfriend and I stayed there fora little bit, but then, um, we
just well, I was like I like Ineed to, I need to go because
I'm really, I'm really scaredLike I.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I wasn't built for this, I think that's actually
what I said.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I said I, you know I'm not sure if I was built for
like this type of protest,because it's important you know
we should be, we should beexercising our first amendment
right to protest.
It's important.
But the thought of being shotout, shot at or like falling, I
(38:14):
was just, like you know, I wasjust imagining.
I was just imagining, like youknow being trampled over or
something because of, you know,people also being scared.
It was the first time that I wasgenuinely scared, like in a, in
a big crowd, and so we left andwe went into little Tokyo and
as soon as, like, we rounded thecorner, it was like normal.
(38:36):
And it was that was sounsettling to me.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, like the people on that street had no idea what
was going on on this street.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
I I think they did, but it was more of like.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
It just felt like a very hard like line right like
just very like it's rainingright here and exactly yeah
that's a really good comparison.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
So, yeah, we just, we just left and I was like I
can't do this like this isreally it's very scary.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I feel like this probably isn't like a good
comparison, because hopefully wedon't get there, but I feel
like we're like entering a stageof like the hunger games almost
, where it's like we'reprotesting against this current
administration.
I'm trying to choose my wordswisely here, but it's like we're
(39:22):
being like oppressed, like youknow where we're, like being
told we can't protest, and it'sa peaceful protest.
We're just out here holding thesign.
That's about it.
You know chanting.
We're not shooting at people,we're not doing anything, but
it's just.
You know, like you said,exercising your first amendment
right is getting you shot atwith a rubber bullet.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
What is happening here?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Yeah, I thankfully did not get Thankfully, yes Shot
at, but that's because I left.
But yeah, it was just it was.
I'll never forget it, itbecomes a really sad core memory
yeah, and you know that was aweek before the no kings parade.
So then, having right gone tothe no kings parade the next
(40:10):
week it was, it felt verydifferent.
Um, I think, I mean I I knowthat a lot of people were were
out there yeah I know santamonica had their like own
kings's parade, no king's paradeum culver city.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Yeah, downtown was probably one of the biggest ones
yeah, I think it was likelisted in, like the top five in
the country was.
It was like los angeles, newyork I want to say chicago, was
on that list.
I saw the chicago crowd and Iwas like geez, like it was
taking up like streets yeah um,what else?
I should have looked at thelist before, no.
I just sound like I don't knowwhat I'm talking about.
(40:43):
I want to say, like it was,like maybe San Antonio or Dallas
, it was just nice to see that,like you know, all these big,
like all the big main cities hadthat kind of a protest, and
then also, like the littlesuburbs, like Culver City had
theirs, santa Monica had theirs.
Like you, you know, I just loveto see that, you know, at least
(41:07):
we're all on the same page.
It sounds like Culver City's wasreally big, my little cousin
went um and he said there was alot of people.
Yeah, I heard it was like.
So our city hall is on uh,culver and.
Duquesne and it was taking upDuquesne all the way to like
Madison and, like you know, upto like the Culver Hotel.
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
So, like all of downtown, pretty much, pretty
much yeah, which was.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
I'm like, there you go, we're doing it slowly, but
we're doing it.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
Yeah, so that is hopeful.
It is hopeful, yeah, definitely, but it's so really sad Jesus.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
It's so depressing, it's so really sad Jesus.
It's so depressing, it's verydepressing.
So how can people like myselfget involved and whether it be
with Inner City Law Center orjust like in the community, like
, what would you say to somelike to me, I want to like give
back and get involved.
How would I go?
Speaker 2 (41:57):
about that.
So for Inner City Law Center,the events that I mentioned are
Skid Row Community Connect Dayvolunteering at that or a Pets
Landing event volunteering atthat.
We have all the information onour website.
We also have something calledICLC Community Conversations.
We're actually planning thenext one right now so I can send
(42:19):
you that information when thathappens.
Yeah, once you have a date,I'll post it in stories.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Oh, we're actually planning the next one right now,
so I can send you thatinformation when that happens.
Yeah yeah, once you have a date, I'll post it in stories.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Oh nice Thank you, and so we had an ICLC community
conversation back in April andit was on women and homelessness
.
Okay, we talked about theunique challenges that women
face while they're on the street.
I learned during that that it's23,000 women who are
experiencing homelessness in LosAngeles, which is wild, and so
(42:44):
these community conversationsare a really good opportunity
for people to learn what's goingon, get an understanding of the
issues that are happening intheir community community, and
the next one will be sometime inAugust, so I can definitely
send that to you, and I believethat one's going to be virtual
(43:07):
Um, so sometimes they're,they're in person too, um, and
then um, not ICLC related, andthese are more.
These are my personalrecommendations are, um, you
know well, a getting informed.
So, following social mediaaccounts, you know, reading up
on the latest, there's anInstagram account, the West LA
Rapid Response Network, and theyhave been doing really amazing
(43:30):
work where they will receivetips and sightings of where ICE
agents are, you know, arelocated, where they're perhaps
about to go out and kidnappeople, and so they receive
these tips.
They go out into thoselocations, they verify whether
they're there, they clear theareas.
(43:51):
They also will post GoFundMesfor people in the community who
have been taken.
So, like Enrique, who we talkedabout, and, uh, the grandfather
, I would say those two, thosetwo ways.
And then also just checking inon your neighbors Uh, we live in
LA, it's diverse, so youabsolutely know someone who, um,
(44:13):
would potentially be a targetof these raids.
Um, just checking in, you know,asking um if they need any
support.
Um, I don't think I mentionedthis earlier, but right now,
with everything that's happening, uh, you know, immigrant
communities are really scared todo just to go to work, to go to
the grocery, yeah to just exist.
(44:35):
Go to the grocery store, go, youknow, do laundry their normal
life.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
They feel like they can't.
They can't.
They don't even feel safe intheir own homes.
I was gonna say they don't feelsafe outside of their homes,
but even in their own homes.
It's I.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
I can't, I can't imagine exactly and so offering
a ride to someone goes a longway.
Offering to, you know, pick upgroceries for them goes a long
way.
So, um, I would say those threethings.
So, yeah, for for ICLC, umfollowing us on social media, um
, potentially volunteering atone of our events, attending an
(45:08):
ICLC community conversation, um,and then, secondly, my personal
recommendations um, uh,following social media accounts
that are covering these iceraids, um, specifically the West
LA rapid response networkcovering these ICE raids,
specifically the West LA RapidResponse Network.
If you're in a position to give, absolutely donate to someone's
GoFundMe and I know that wekeep talking about the two
(45:29):
members of our community thatwere taken, but there are two of
hundreds- of people in thecounty that have been affected,
and so we wouldn't have enoughtime to discuss each and every
one, because there's just toomany.
Right, and I feel like I've seensomewhere on social media where
there's like a spreadsheet ofjust like all the GoFundMes.
(45:50):
I need to look for that becauseI, you know, I want to go
through and donate where I can,um, and then I feel like I said
something else I totally forgot.
Now, oh yeah, and then umchecking in with your neighbors,
um, because it does go a longway, yeah um, kindness is free,
you know, that is true, that is.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
it's not too hard to be cut.
Well, for some people I supposeit is.
But, um it, it costs nothing tobe kind, and I do feel like I
need to say this as well Justbecause you might not be
personally affected by itdoesn't mean it's not important.
Just because I am not you know,I am a citizen and of legal
(46:32):
status, doesn't mean I don'tcare or shouldn't care.
Just because it might notaffect your life personally
doesn't mean it doesn't matterto somebody else.
So for those people who areturning a blind eye or being
like, well, it doesn't affectyou personally, it affects
(46:52):
humans.
So I feel like it does affectme personally, because you
should just care.
I can't talk.
You should just care, yeah'ttalk, you should just care.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Yeah, you, we should care, yeah, we.
Really simple as that, and Icompletely agree.
And I think one of the lastthings I'll say is please don't
normalize this violence.
This is not.
This is not normal like it'snot unprecedented times yeah
let's not get used to it yes,that's the perfect way to end
(47:24):
this let's not get used to it.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Don't normalize the violence and be a part, a
positive part, of your community.
Be kind, be generous if you're,whether it be with financials,
your time, just something.
It's, and that's that really.
I wanted to talk about thisissue for the past couple of
weeks, but I didn't want to talkabout it by myself because you
(47:48):
know that's lame, but I wantedto talk about it with somebody
who was well-informed and is apart of the solution, and I was
able to get Jessica here and umyeah, so I feel like it's
important to talk about.
I understand this might not beeveryone's cup of tea, and it's
(48:09):
that's fine.
You can just turn it off.
So there you go, and I do thinkthat's a great way to end the
episode.
It's be kind.
It costs nothing to be kindpeople that is true, there we go
.
So where can people find you andyour place of work?
Speaker 2 (48:28):
So for um inner city law center, you can follow us on
Instagram.
Um, you can also go onto ourwebsite and sign up for our
e-newsletter we send out everymonth.
There's a lot of really greatnews and um updates that we send
out every month.
There's a lot of really greatnews and updates that we send
out, so if you're interested,please check out our website and
follow us on instagram.
And we also have other socialmedia too.
Um, and then for me, um,separate from my work, um, I am
(48:54):
on instagram.
I think that's really like theone social media that I use the
most.
I'm wandering just cloud.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
She's had that name for years.
Speaker 2 (49:05):
Like.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
I think that was your original.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
It was yes, yes, consistency.
Yeah, she's like I'm justkeeping it, but that's where I
can be found.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Perfect, yes, and then you can find the podcast
and myself at Emily to Gremlinpod on Instagram and TikTok.
Tiktok is slow moving, but Idigress.
You can also email me and thepodcast at Emily to Gremlin pod
at gmailcom If you want to sendin your gremlin stories, if you
(49:36):
need gremlin guidance, which iswhat I decided- to call it now.
Normally I would have Jessicatell her gremlin story.
We decided to keep this episodemore serious and more about
what's going on, because it'simportant to talk about.
But she will be coming backagain and that'll be a little
more lighthearted, more fun.
That's where we'll talk aboutthe gremlin activities, but yeah
(50:01):
, so we definitely just wantedto keep this episode you know,
serious and important, becauseit is serious and it is very
important.
But if you have your owngremlin story or if you need
advice on anything, email meemilytogremleypod at gmailcom.
You can also watch this episode, emily to Gremlin pod, on
(50:21):
YouTube.
Like you said, consistency iskey and I kept it consistent
everywhere and that's theepisode.
Pretty much.
Like we said, cost nothing tobe kind and be the change you
want to see in the world.
And you know, I wore this shirtspecifically.
I can't read it upside down,but if you're watching you can
(50:42):
read it and let's cheers withour virgin apparel.
And thank you so much forcoming on.
It was so much fun catching upwith you.
I haven't seen you in yearsforever.
So cheers.
Speaker 2 (50:56):
Thank you for having me here.
Cheers, bye.
all right, cheers, cheers.
I have jessica on and she wasmy bestest biffle back in high
school, so it's like a real bigthrowback.
It is actually that is athrowback biffle I in high
school, so it's like a real bigthrowback.
It is actually that is athrowback Biffle, I feel like I
know, we used to say that, yeah,I was looking through like
Instagram because I was like Iam going to post like pictures
(00:33):
of us and I kept seeing likeBiffle all over the place and I
was like oh my god, like Iforgot about it too and I was
like, like that's so cute wewere so little and young.
So, yes, I met you.
I was in 11th grade and youwere in 10th.
Yes, and we were working forthe school newspaper for culver
(00:55):
city high school, ghost centaurs.
But yeah, so we were working onthe paper and then we just got
close and became biffles, we did, it was great.
And so, how have you been?
What have you been up to?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, let's see since high school.
Yeah right, I know Well youwent to San Diego State.
I did yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And then you graduated.
What year?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
2016.
I can't believe that that'snearly 10 years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I know it's terrifying.
It is.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, Since then I've been working in the nonprofit
sector.
I stayed in San Diego about twoyears after I graduated and I
worked at a refugee resettlementagency through AmeriCorps.
I don't know if you're familiarwith AmeriCorps.
Yeah, so it's kind of like thePeace Corps, but stateside.
And so I did that for two termsso two years and in that role I
(01:52):
worked with refugee families andI would match volunteers from
the community with those newlyarrived families, which was
really fun and really rewarding,and it's so funny.
I actually still talk to like afew of the volunteers that I
matched, and one of them I knowis still.
He's still pretty connectedwith the family that I matched
(02:14):
him with 10 years ago.
Actually.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yeah, like 2015.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Because I actually started as an intern while I was
still in college at the RefugeeResettlement Agency, but that's
the beginning of my nonprofitcareer, and then I moved back to
LA in the beginning of 2018.
And I was working at anonprofit that is focused on
helping people with highbarriers to employment find work
(02:40):
.
So a lot of our clients werepeople that were experiencing
homelessness, people that werereentering the community after
incarceration, and there I alsoworked with volunteers the
majority of the time that I wasthere and I helped clients
create their resumes, like inone-on-one settings or
one-on-one appointments.
(03:00):
I facilitated classes, trainedvolunteers.
It was really nice, I reallyliked it and then, yeah, so I
was at my last job for, oh mygosh, okay, I started in 2018
there and then I left last year,so like six and a half years at
my last job, and then lastSeptember I made the switch to
(03:21):
my current job and now I work infundraising.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
And where do you work now?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So I work at inner city law center, or ICLC for
short.
We're a nonprofit poverty lawfirm and we work to end the
homeless crisis in Los Angelesby offering free legal services
to the poorest and mostvulnerable residents of LA Nice.
Perfect, and how did you findthat?
Speaker 1 (03:42):
job.
Residents of LA Nice.
Perfect, and how did you findthat job?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So how did I find it Networking?
So I, at my last job, I wasworking with volunteers and a
lot of the volunteers happenedto be donors or the volunteers
became donors.
So I worked really closely withthe development team at my old
job and I really enjoyed that.
(04:06):
I also had the opportunity tolead a corporate volunteer
events where we would have, youknow, different corporate groups
come in and create you knowdifferent things for us, like
they would help with helping usorganize our resource closet,
they would help make hygieneitems for our clients, and so I
(04:27):
really enjoyed that and so Ifeel like it was a natural
progression and interest to, youknow, make the switch into
development and fundraising, andI've been in my current role
for about 10 months.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So 10 months, so it hasn't been too long, but it's
been it's.
It's been really good.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
I've learned a lot and I really enjoy it, and so
what's your official positionright now?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
My current position is as a development manager at
Inner City Law Center and I'mpart of the development team and
our focus is to raise funds tosupport the mission and the
programs of Inner City LawCenter and specifically in my
role, I oversee our monthlydonor program, I lead our year
end uh appeal campaign, I helpwith special events, amongst
other tasks.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Nice, perfect, okay, and also I always forget to talk
about it Our episode drink.
I make such a big deal abouthaving an episode drink and then
I don't talk about it like adum-dum.
We're having a virgin aperolspritz because it we're filming
pretty early and it did feel alittle weird to start drinking
at like 10 30 in the morning.
I've done it, but it's just notreally the best.
(05:36):
Look.
So virgin aperol spritz, whichI didn't know how to make, but
it ended up working out.
It was orange juice, cherryjuice topped with like
pellegrino it's, it's just fizzyjuice, let's be quite honest,
it's good, it's refreshingbecause it's hot outside.
Yeah it's pretty hot, um, butyeah it's.
You know doesn't compare to thereal aperol, but you know we're
(05:57):
trying to be civilized peoplehere.
So yeah, that's our drink.
I talked about it.
Let's move on.
All right.
And what's the goal of ICLC?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So ICLC is located in Skid Row and we have a staff of
150 people and 75 are attorneys.
Our staff help Angelenos facingeviction, struggling with
landlord harassment, and helpindividuals fight to secure
their veteran or disabilitybenefits, as well as stand up to
slum housing conditions.
We have legal clinics everywell, every second and fourth
(06:32):
Tuesday of the month we have avital documents clinic, and so
people that come in they can getassistance with getting things
like fee waivers for Californiastate IDs, marriage death
certificates, court records andsuch.
We also host events for thecommunity.
We have something called theSkid Row Community Connect Day,
(06:53):
and during this time our parkinglot transforms into a resource
fair and we have serviceproviders there.
We have free food, we have swagbags for participants and
everything is free.
We also host another eventcalled Pets Landing, and this is
specifically for the pets ofSkid Row, and so the parents can
(07:16):
bring their fur babies forveterinary services, light
grooming services, and there'salso referrals for the, the, the
pet parents too, and again,everything is free.
Oh, wow, that's great.
I love that.
Yeah, and pets bring so muchcomfort to us too, so it's a
it's a really cool event.
I love that.
I had the opportunity tovolunteer at it um the last one
(07:38):
back in april, um, and it was.
It was really nice.
Um, the pets are so cute.
I love that and if anyone'sinterested in volunteering for
events like that we do haveopportunities for community
members to volunteer.
Oh great, and that's all on ourwebsite.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Perfect, yeah.
And then also, I'm going to belinking the social media page
for Inner City Law Center andthe website.
That way, any information ifyou want to learn more
information you can definitelygo to Instagram stories and
it'll be turned into a highlightreel in case you guys aren't
catching it the first day, butyeah.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
And yeah, and so some of the other things that we do
are we're part of varioushousing coalitions and as an
organization, we sponsor statebills that will support housing
and our clients.
For example, we're currentlysponsoring AB 647 and SB 634.
So SB 634, the Homeless RightsProtection Act, is a state bill
(08:37):
that's aimed at preventing thecriminalization of existing
homeless or helping the homeless, and it's currently making its
way through the state Senate andif you're interested in
following its progression, it'llbe in the stories.
And then the other bill, sb 634, is the Better Urban Infill and
(08:58):
Livable Design Build HousingAct of 2025.
And this aims to combat thelong-term effects of housing
segregation.
Ab 647 will allow up to eighthomes, as long as one is
affordable, in any residentiallyzoned area in California, and
this AB 647 is endorsed bynearly 100 community
(09:20):
organizations.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Nice, perfect.
She came here so prepared and Iwas like, oh my God, I'm just
going to like listen to her talk.
Basically, I try, I try, I tryto be prepared.
I was like she came like with awhole document and I was like,
oh damn it, like I got my onepage of questions.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
But yeah, but wait, there's more, right, yeah, tell
us more, there's actuallythere's, I'm just really you
know, proud of the work thatInner City Law Center does, and
so that's why I'm like wait,there's more.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Tell us more, tell us everything.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
So it's wild that you know earlier this year we had
the fires.
Yeah, it feels like so much andit wasn't even fire season, I
know, and it feels like so muchhas happened since.
Well, so much has yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Yeah, these past, like what?
Six, eight, let's eight months,I guess it feels like it's been
years.
Like we've been at this foryears and it's like we're only
eight months in.
Yeah, I'm terrified.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It's a very stressful time, and after the January
fires for ICLC, we began hostinglegal clinics to support
Angelenos who were affected bythe fires.
These wildfire relief clinicsfocus on tenant issues and vital
documents Many of the peoplethat were impacted.
(10:38):
They lost a lot of theirdocumentation due to the fires,
and so the legal clinics thatICLC hosts are both virtually
and in person at a church inPasadena.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Oh, wow, yeah, you don't really think about that,
Like when you're running fromyour home to grab, you know,
your birth certificate or yourmarriage certificate.
You're focusing on you knowyourself and your family and
your pets, yeah your real babiesand you're not thinking about
right the documents that youknow, prove who you are and what
(11:11):
you are and what you have, youdon't exactly so that's that's a
great resource that I wouldn'thave thought of you know if
there was a fire right now, Iwouldn't think hey let me go
grab my birth certificate, right, I would you know.
Grab myself and my cat, my cats, yeah same.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah I, I would you know, grab myself and my cats,
yeah, same, yeah, I don't evenyou know when people ask that
question like what would yousave in a fire.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Yeah, what would you save in a fire?
I?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
actually don't know.
I mean now, as we're talkingabout it, like yeah, you should
have your, you know yourimportant documents, like in a
safe place, place.
But when push comes to shove,when you're in that situation,
it's really yeah, like it getyourself to safety exactly, yeah
, you wouldn't think about it.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
I would just yeah, what would you save in a fire?
Um, I in my head I would thinklike pictures, you know yeah you
can't really get you know,especially like the really old
ones right like you were lookingat my pictures earlier, like
the pictures of like my nana asa baby.
I can't get those back.
You know every little picturesof like my Nana as a baby, I
can't get those back.
You know like pictures of likeme now they're on my phone and
obviously who cares?
(12:09):
But you know you can't get likethose really old photos back.
So that's what I would think tograb, but not my social
security card.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, no, that's a really good point, and so stuff
like that.
You know, those importantdocuments, people are missing,
and so that's what thesewildfire relief clinics are
doing they're helping peoplereplace that important
documentation.
And then we also one more thingthat I want to talk about, about
ICLC, is that we have ahomeless veterans project and it
(12:39):
was actually one of the firstfew programs in the country to
offer free legal services tohomeless veterans when it was
first, when it first launched in1998.
And I realized I didn't mentionhow long we've been around, but
ICLC has been around since 1980.
But back to the HomelessVeterans Project, our attorneys.
They work to obtain benefitsfor homeless veterans who have
(13:02):
disabilities as a result oftheir military service, and we
represent our clients throughoutthe entire benefits process,
which can oftentimes take yearsto process and go through.
Our attorneys have representedveterans who have served in Iraq
, afghanistan, vietnam, koreaand even World War II.
(13:23):
Wow, and then our veteransprogram.
Last year, in collaborationwith public counsel and law
firms Brown, goldstein and Levyand Robbins Kaplan, we secured a
landmark victory in theMcDonoghue v Powers case for
disabled veterans in a historicruling that mandates significant
(13:45):
reforms at the West LA VAcampus.
This includes new housing andimproved healthcare services for
disabled veterans.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
So with everything that's been happening lately
with immigration and within ourwhole country specifically
California, because I feel likewe're Los Angeles is kind of
getting hit a little harderbecause we have a very large
demographic of Latinos.
How has that affected your workat inner city law center,
(14:15):
that's?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
a good question.
Our work continues withadditional safety precautions
and our staff is working harderthan ever to empower and protect
our immigrant clients as muchas possible, and some of the
things that we're doing arewe're defending clients against
landlords and property managerswho attempt to exploit
immigration status to harass,extort or evict tenants.
(14:39):
We're increasing our workhelping immigrant clients access
immigration relief andresources to help them achieve
housing stability.
We're also arranging for remotecourt appearances to help
clients avoid potentiallydangerous encounters with ICE at
courthouses, and we'redistributing red cards from the
(15:01):
Immigrant Legal Resource Centerto clients and community members
, which outline constitutionalrights when interacting with ICE
.
And actually I brought examplesof them and I can share these
with you, but these are the redcards.
They're available in differentlanguages.
The ones that I have are inSpanish but, they're available
(15:21):
in Chinese, Russian, Farsi, youname it.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And I will make sure to post this as well on my
stories.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
And we also are sharing.
The ICLC created blue cards, sowe created something similar to
this, but for legal aid officesand service providers, which
outline best practices forsafely and lawfully interacting
with ICE in high-pressuresituations.
We're also ramping up our legalclinics and outreach to provide
(15:51):
critical support to immigrantfamilies, especially those that
are undocumented, and we'rerevamping our community events
to maximize safety for immigrantattendees.
This includes offering virtualalternatives whenever possible.
And, last but not least, we'regrowing our pro bono attorney
network to meet the increasinglegal need of immigrants whose
(16:11):
rights are under immediatethreat.
So if there's anyone listeninghere who is an attorney and
wants to give back and wants toget involved, please visit the
inner city law center website.
We have a pro bono team andthere's uh amazing attorneys
that will um give their time andhelp with different cases.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
So perfect, and if there's anyone who needs these
services, please reach out andthey can definitely help you
with whatever is necessary.
So I do want to say what, forthose who aren't like watching
what's on this card.
So it says I do not wish tospeak with you, answer your
questions or sign or hand youany documents.
(16:49):
Based on my fifth amendmentrights under the United States
constitution.
I do not give you permission toenter my home based on my
fourth amendment right under theUnited States constitution
unless you have a warrant toenter, signed by a judge or
magistrate with my name on it,that you slide under my door.
I do not give you permission tosearch any of my belongings.
(17:13):
Based on my Fourth Amendmentrights.
I choose to exercise myconstitutional rights, plain and
simple.
And then so also you and I areborn and raised Culver City,
love it, that's home.
But you wouldn't think it wouldlike affect your very small
community.
(17:33):
But we've had an enormousamount of people who have been
technically kidnapped let's justcall a spade a spade straight
off the street from their homesin Culver City, in Palms, in the
West Side.
I had seen on your personalInstagram story you had been
(17:53):
posting GoFundMe pages for thosepeople who had been taken, and
then you also went to a event atVets Park last Saturday, sunday
.
Sunday last Sunday.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I'm stalking you Everyone's stalking everyone, of
course.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
But yeah, so I had seen you had went to that event
and who was it for exactly?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
So that event was for , and then for for these events,
events like I go on, like myown like related yeah, like not
related to it, so personal yeah,personal journey, and so this
is in her free time.
Um, yes, so last sunday therewas a press conference um and
(18:41):
fundraiser for one of thecommunity members that has been
taken from Culver City.
His name is Enrique Lozano andhe was a paletero, so an ice
cream man, and he had beenselling ice cream in the Culver
City community for 20 years andit was I think it was June 23rd,
let me well, it was a Mondaybefore, so he was taken away.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
He was kidnapped in in plain, you know, plain
daylight yeah, like they tookhim and left his cart on the
street.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Yeah, they did, and horrible it's crazy and like, if
you see the snatched he yeah,he was he and the photo that, um
you know, has been circulating.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
It's just his car and just abandoned.
Yeah, it's like he justdisappeared.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, no, it's very powerful and it's really sad he
was taken on Culver Boulevardnear Sepulveda, so actually
really close to the high school.
Yeah, yeah, Like you said, likewhere we grew up, like you know
, like I know that area, youknow that area?
Yeah, know that area, that areaExactly, and so it's really sad
.
He is not the only one.
There's been people, there'sbeen other people there's.
(19:51):
There was another individual.
His name is Jose.
I forget his last name.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Was he the one?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
who was taken from the carwash?
No that, but see, that's thething.
There's so many and it's reallyawful there.
So the one that I was thinkingof, um, he's a grandfather and
um, he was taken last friday onwhile he was on his way to work
and he was in his car um sixmasked uh, you know,
unidentified individuals.
(20:20):
They stopped him, they brokehis window and they dragged him
out of his truck.
Um, and the family actuallyposted an update last night.
Um, or I saw it last night thathe is already in mexico and um,
according to them, he didn'tsign any deportation papers,
they just they just pretty much,which is something that you
(20:43):
know.
We're hearing a lot about that.
People aren't given their dueprocess or just well, they're
coerced into signing deportationpapers.
The conditions in the holdingfacilities are awful, and then
there was a raid.
This one was probably likethree weeks ago, almost a month.
(21:04):
It's wild to yeah.
To just look back at the lastmonth, because it really has
been one full month of these iceraids, just um, terrorizing
communities, um, and there was araid at the car wash on
Sepulveda and Venice, alsoreally close to us yeah, I've
been to that car wash hundredsof times as well.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yeah, I used to.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
I used to work in front of that car wash at the
Baskin Robbins.
Oh, yeah, yeah, um, and so,yeah, it's like that's our
community and I believe it wassix individuals that were taken
during that raid and it's just,it's really awful what's
happening and it it's verydeeply concerning yeah, I mean I
(21:48):
know.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So the one at the car wash is like the first one that
, like I think, gained likereally big media attention, at
least for like Culver City,really big media attention at
least for like Culver City.
But yeah, it was like you see,these men who, by the way, like
literally anyone could pretendthat they're an ICE agent, I
feel like, which is also scarytoo, so scary.
Like I'm not trying to giveanyone ideas, but I've already
(22:11):
seen like stories about it where, like people who aren't ICE
agents are just going up andsnatching like mainly women,
let's be honest and you knowthey're just like scary people
who are just like kidnappingpeople under the disguise of ice
.
So that's scary in and ofitself, but I did see, yeah, the
(22:31):
they went and they targeted thecar wash and this guy was there
with his two sons and he it wasjust wrong place, wrong time
for him.
He wasn't, he didn't work there, he was just there getting his
car serviced and they took himand left his two kids crying on
the side of the road.
Yeah, and like people aroundthem are, like you know, trying
(22:51):
to like this one.
The younger son is just inabsolute tears and the older
son's trying to like find outwhere he's going, like where are
you taking my dad and everyonearound is like these are his
kids, they're underage, theyneed to know where he's going.
And they don't say a word.
They just take him and leaveand it's horrible.
I can't imagine being in thatposition or watching that happen
(23:14):
to a family member or a friend.
I can't imagine seeing ithappen to a family member or a
friend or I can't imagine seeingit happen to a stranger in
person, but to see like yourfather taken away from you, like
that is devastating yeah and Idon't understand how some people
don't care right it's like.
At this point I feel like we'renot we shouldn't be talking
about this in like liberal orconservative, democratic
(23:36):
republican.
This is just like a human onhuman thing.
How do you not care aboutanother human being?
Right like this is far beyondpolitics.
It's just.
What's happening right now inour country is abhorrent.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
It's terrible yeah, it really is.
It's it's very scary.
It's, you know, it's like.
For me and many other peopleit's deeply personal.
A lot of the people that arebeing kidnapped and just
snatched away from theircommunity are hardworking
individuals.
(24:12):
All these images I'm like thesethese individuals look like my
family members, like that is soscary.
And a lot of the people thatare being taken away they have
no criminal convictions yeah,that's like the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
People are like, oh well, they're, it's.
They're taking violentcriminals.
No, they're not, but like ifthat's all they were doing, like
even then, just to like snatchsomeone away.
But they're going after fathers, mothers, grandfathers, people
who have worked and been in thecommunity for years and who,
(24:45):
like, their entire life is hereand they're just being taken to
wherever yeah and then thrownback into, let's say, mexico, a
place that they haven't been in,you know 30 plus years and just
been like OK, bye, like what?
What is this?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Yeah, it's really awful, and a lot of these people
they're you know, they'rehardworking.
I mean especially the twoindividuals that we just talked
about.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Like there were two of many, exactly, exactly.
They're just the ones that Ithink you know, we, we've seen
their stories.
Just because they, they aresuch, you know, a big part of
our community.
Yeah, they're like neighbors.
Exactly, they really are.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
They technically are and you know they're a great
example of immigrants.
Immigrants make America great.
Immigrants are entrepreneurial.
They're, you know, they're veryhardworking and they're.
These two individuals areperfect examples of that.
Yeah, and it's just, it'sreally, it's really sad to see
it.
You know, I'm not going to lie,I've definitely had some, you
know, just a little bit of likea little breakdown here or there
(25:52):
.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Just like you know, Sometimes we just need to cry it
out.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Exactly.
It's really scary what'shappening, but I will say that
there is a silver lining in thesense that, as these things, as
these kidnappings are happening,I've seen community members
just really, you know, go outthere and help their neighbors.
You know, communities arereally stepping up and help
their neighbors.
You know, communities arereally stepping up.
(26:17):
The city of Montebello approved100,000 in emergency funding to
support local families thatwere impacted by the ice raids.
So Huntington Park's citycouncil approved a resolution to
verify a federal agent'sidentity when they are operating
in the community, and that cameout after they arrested someone
who was impersonating a federalagent, which, yeah, is so scary
(26:40):
.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
I can't imagine like you're just giving these people
who have malicious intent adisguise to hide behind.
Yeah Like oh, just go ahead,yeah, just take them.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
What is this?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
That is such a terrifying thought, like just
imagine that you're snatched upby a stranger in a ski mask and
you're thrown into an unmarkedvehicle and you don't know where
you're being taken, you don'tknow what they're going to do to
you.
And also like, as women, likeI'm already scared of men.
So it's like if like six, yeah,so it's like if like six, yeah,
like if six masked men are liketackling me and then throwing
(27:19):
me into a car, like I'm going tobe terrified, I'm going to be
extremely scared.
Like yeah.
So that, yeah, that's one thingthat the city of Huntington Park
has done to ensure that theircommunity is safer.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
And closer to home, in Culver City, they're looking
to adopt a resolution to supportimmigrant families during this
time.
This past Monday, the 30th June30th, the city council met for
a special session to discussthis and during this meeting
there were 40 community memberswho signed up to give public
comment.
The council did not vote on theresolution.
There will be another specialsession on July 9th and during
(28:02):
this time, they're going to beconsidering stopping the use of
license plate readers,reconsider the city's police
policy.
On mutual aid to other agencies, for example, like mutual aid
to like a federal agency,they're going to be looking at
potential eviction moratorium ora rental relief for families
that have been impacted by theongoing raids in the community.
(28:25):
And all of this is, um, youknow, would be in support of
helping immigrants uh, in thecommunity and helping them keep
safe yeah, yeah, like going backto the man who was snatched up
at the car wash, they did, Ithink it was abc7.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Um, they interviewed his older son who was a witness
to everything and he said thathis father was the main provider
for the household.
And now he's like he's 16, orlike 15 or 16.
And he's like I'm going to haveto step up now and be the
provider, when he should befocusing on school and being a
(29:06):
kid and being a teenager and,you know, having fun in during
the summer, and now he'sfocusing on getting a job that's
paying enough to support.
You know his himself, hisyounger brother and his mom
because you know the mom isn'tmaking enough to just you know
it was a two-income family andnow they got down to one right.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
So now they they don't have money to pay rent
yeah bills, pay utilities, paythe lights, yeah there's all
these domino effects yeahbecause you have this like
looming threat of being, youknow, stopped and then deported,
uh, kidnapped, you know, likeall of this.
But then yeah, like the themain yeah, what happened?
(29:49):
The main breadwinner yeah, themain breadwinner.
They're taken away.
So it's like maybe you havesmall children, like what
happens now, maybe it's the momthat gets taken away and it's
like who's gonna feed the baby?
Like you know, especially ifthey're like a newborn, like
it's.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
It's multiple, it's multiple things like it doesn't
affect just the person who wastaken right.
It affects the entire family,the household, you know, yeah,
yeah it affects americans, likeyou know.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
I mean there there are a lot of mixed status
families, as we're discussing,where the children are citizens
and the parents are undocumented, and that's just a reality of a
lot of our neighbors and it'sreally sad and just awful that
(30:35):
this is happening.
But again, communities arestepping up.
One other thing that the cityis doing, culver City
specifically.
At the June 30 meeting, thecouncil voted to send letters of
support for the no SecretPolice Act SB 627, and the no
Vigilantes Act SB 805.
(30:55):
And both are state bills thatwere introduced to keep
communities safe during theseraids.
The no Secret Police Act banslaw enforcement from covering
their faces when interactingwith citizens, and officers
would have to wear visibleidentification when conducting
their duties.
And the no Vigilantes Act wouldstrengthen laws against
impersonating police or federalagents.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Perfect.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, and the city sent letters of support so
awesome.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Well, that's great.
I'm glad to see culver citystepping up because, you know, I
look back on like our highschool years and I feel like we
had a really like supportivehigh school, like it was very um
diverse.
It was very accepting.
Um diverse, it was veryaccepting.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
You know, it wasn't like I remember watching Mean
Girls as a kid and being like isthat what high school is going
to be like?
And it really wasn't.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
At least for me.
I hopefully I'm not, like youknow, speaking out of turn, but
I feel like, overall, our highschool was very accepting and
agree, right, yeah, and like wehad people of all ethnicities
and races and, um, identities,yeah, but you, you know, you
never know what's going tohappen in the community as a
(32:08):
whole during tough times likethis yeah so it's nice to see
that culver city is City, isstepping up and protecting its
citizens and population and atleast trying to do what is right
because it's right.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Yeah, no, I agree with you.
I Culver City is diverse, andthat is, that is, one of my
favorite things about CulverCity and having grown up here
and, um, just being part of,yeah, like the school district
because yeah, like you also, youwent to lynn woody, how I think
yeah okay, I went to albionaand, like I, one of my like
first memories, or like vividmemories of um being elementary
(32:48):
school, was they used to havesomething called like an
international dinner.
Oh, yeah, okay, you guys hadthat too.
Yeah, okay, and I, it was socool because I remember it was
like one giant potluck, yeah,and people would bring dishes
from you know, like theirfamilies, yeah, and then like
they had their background.
Yeah, and then like they had,you know, like us kids, like
perform, like some dance fromwherever, like your class was
(33:11):
assigned.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Like I remember, I think in third grade maybe I'm
like confusing it up Like I havememories and pictures of being
in like you know, like attireand stuff, but yeah, it was like
one giant potluck and like youcelebrate diversity and the
diversity that immigrants bringto Culver City and just the US,
and I think that's a beautifulthing, and so that's why it
(33:37):
really saddens me to see just somuch hate towards our immigrant
communities, specifically ourLatino communities.
And, as I mentioned, you know,like this is deeply personal to
me, because a lot of theindividuals that you're seeing
on the news and you know you'reseeing their GoFundMe they look
like my family.
They look like my family, likeI, yeah, like I am really
(34:02):
passionate about, um, you know,doing my part in just helping
make the community a little bitbetter.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, um, and again, this is on my time- so also, you
went to the no king's dayparade.
Did you go to the one that washere in culver city or the one
in downtown, the one in downtowndowntown, and how was that?
It was massive, yeah, I saw itwas like it was insane it was so
big but it was.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
You know, when I it was like 12 of us that went and
in our group and when I was umtalking to, uh, my friend and my
boyfriend, I was like it justfeels weird to say like it was a
really nice day, but it wasBecause it was.
(34:45):
You know so many people thatcare about other people and
immigrants.
There were a lot of signs, youknow, calling for ICE to back
off from LA, to get out of LA,and it was.
It was hopeful to see such ahuge physical representation of
the hate that's going on rightnow and, to be quite honest, I
(35:06):
was really nervous at first thatmorning of because, the weekend
before, the Sunday before, um,my boyfriend and I went to a
protest in downtown when thiswas all starting and it was
really scary.
Um, yes, it was one of thescariest moments of my life.
Um, the Sunday before the noKings day parade, I went to a
(35:30):
protest, um, in downtown with myboyfriend and, um, we met up
with one of my friends and wewere going to meet up with
another friend, and so when wegot there, we walked towards the
federal building off of Templein downtown and there were a lot
of people, there was a bigcrowd, everyone was peaceful and
we were on Temple and Iremember that there was a point
(35:53):
where a police van just starteddriving towards a crowd to split
the crowd To disperse themexactly, and then they started
shooting rubber bullets.
And when I do remember.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Now that you're saying that I it's like I
blocked it out from my memorybecause I can't have too many
bad memories up here.
But yeah, I, I saw that on thenews yeah, it was really scary.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
And so we were with my friend and she was looking
for her friends as well, andthey started shooting rubber
bullets, and then, of course,people are, like you know,
panicking.
So then I run the opposite wayfrom the bullets and my friend
runs into the crowd yeah, intothe crowd, looking for her
friend, and I was like I'm readyto go.
(36:40):
And I was like, um, I'm readyto go.
And so, um, you know, myboyfriend and I go the opposite
way, but we're still there for alittle bit, yeah, and then
we're trying to meet our otherfriend who was going to meet us
there, but she, she was takingthe metro and she couldn't get
off on the the little Tokyo stopbecause they were.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
They were just trying to divert yeah, they didn't
want people to get off and go tothe protest exactly, and so she
wasn't able to meet us there.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
So she ended up on the other side of the freeway
and um, we, you know we werelike checking in, we were trying
to meet up but we couldn'tbecause, of how chaotic
everything was and how scaryeverything was and, um, yeah, I
like the police and like therubber bullets and you know,
like the, the big crowd, it waspretty much between me and our
(37:27):
other friend that we were tryingto meet up with, um, the one
who came on the Metro, and so we, we stayed there for my
boyfriend and I stayed there fora little bit, but then, um, we
just well, I was like I like Ineed to, I need to go because
I'm really, I'm really scaredLike I.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I wasn't built for this, I think that's actually
what I said.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I said I, you know I'm not sure if I was built for
like this type of protest,because it's important you know
we should be, we should beexercising our first amendment
right to protest.
It's important.
But the thought of being shotout, shot at or like falling, I
(38:14):
was just, like you know, I wasjust imagining.
I was just imagining, like youknow being trampled over or
something because of, you know,people also being scared.
It was the first time that I wasgenuinely scared, like in a, in
a big crowd, and so we left andwe went into little Tokyo and
as soon as, like, we rounded thecorner, it was like normal.
(38:36):
And it was that was sounsettling to me.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, like the people on that street had no idea what
was going on on this street.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
I I think they did, but it was more of like.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
It just felt like a very hard like line right like
just very like it's rainingright here and exactly yeah
that's a really good comparison.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
So, yeah, we just, we just left and I was like I
can't do this like this isreally it's very scary.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I feel like this probably isn't like a good
comparison, because hopefully wedon't get there, but I feel
like we're like entering a stageof like the hunger games almost
, where it's like we'reprotesting against this current
administration.
I'm trying to choose my wordswisely here, but it's like we're
(39:22):
being like oppressed, like youknow where we're, like being
told we can't protest, and it'sa peaceful protest.
We're just out here holding thesign.
That's about it.
You know chanting.
We're not shooting at people,we're not doing anything, but
it's just.
You know, like you said,exercising your first amendment
right is getting you shot atwith a rubber bullet.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
What is happening here?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Yeah, I thankfully did not get Thankfully, yes Shot
at, but that's because I left.
But yeah, it was just it was.
I'll never forget it, itbecomes a really sad core memory
yeah, and you know that was aweek before the no kings parade.
So then, having right gone tothe no kings parade the next
(40:10):
week it was, it felt verydifferent.
Um, I think, I mean I I knowthat a lot of people were were
out there yeah I know santamonica had their like own
kings's parade, no king's paradeum culver city.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Yeah, downtown was probably one of the biggest ones
yeah, I think it was likelisted in, like the top five in
the country was.
It was like los angeles, newyork I want to say chicago, was
on that list.
I saw the chicago crowd and Iwas like geez, like it was
taking up like streets yeah um,what else?
I should have looked at thelist before, no.
I just sound like I don't knowwhat I'm talking about.
(40:43):
I want to say, like it was,like maybe San Antonio or Dallas
, it was just nice to see that,like you know, all these big,
like all the big main cities hadthat kind of a protest, and
then also, like the littlesuburbs, like Culver City had
theirs, santa Monica had theirs.
Like you, you know, I just loveto see that, you know, at least
(41:07):
we're all on the same page.
It sounds like Culver City's wasreally big, my little cousin
went um and he said there was alot of people.
Yeah, I heard it was like.
So our city hall is on uh,culver and.
Duquesne and it was taking upDuquesne all the way to like
Madison and, like you know, upto like the Culver Hotel.
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
So, like all of downtown, pretty much, pretty
much yeah, which was.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
I'm like, there you go, we're doing it slowly, but
we're doing it.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
Yeah, so that is hopeful.
It is hopeful, yeah, definitely, but it's so really sad Jesus.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
It's so depressing, it's so really sad Jesus.
It's so depressing, it's verydepressing.
So how can people like myselfget involved and whether it be
with Inner City Law Center orjust like in the community, like
, what would you say to somelike to me, I want to like give
back and get involved.
How would I go?
Speaker 2 (41:57):
about that.
So for Inner City Law Center,the events that I mentioned are
Skid Row Community Connect Dayvolunteering at that or a Pets
Landing event volunteering atthat.
We have all the information onour website.
We also have something calledICLC Community Conversations.
We're actually planning thenext one right now so I can send
(42:19):
you that information when thathappens.
Yeah, once you have a date,I'll post it in stories.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Oh, we're actually planning the next one right now,
so I can send you thatinformation when that happens.
Yeah yeah, once you have a date, I'll post it in stories.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Oh nice Thank you, and so we had an ICLC community
conversation back in April andit was on women and homelessness
.
Okay, we talked about theunique challenges that women
face while they're on the street.
I learned during that that it's23,000 women who are
experiencing homelessness in LosAngeles, which is wild, and so
(42:44):
these community conversationsare a really good opportunity
for people to learn what's goingon, get an understanding of the
issues that are happening intheir community community, and
the next one will be sometime inAugust, so I can definitely
send that to you, and I believethat one's going to be virtual
(43:07):
Um, so sometimes they're,they're in person too, um, and
then um, not ICLC related, andthese are more.
These are my personalrecommendations are, um, you
know well, a getting informed.
So, following social mediaaccounts, you know, reading up
on the latest, there's anInstagram account, the West LA
Rapid Response Network, and theyhave been doing really amazing
(43:30):
work where they will receivetips and sightings of where ICE
agents are, you know, arelocated, where they're perhaps
about to go out and kidnappeople, and so they receive
these tips.
They go out into thoselocations, they verify whether
they're there, they clear theareas.
(43:51):
They also will post GoFundMesfor people in the community who
have been taken.
So, like Enrique, who we talkedabout, and, uh, the grandfather
, I would say those two, thosetwo ways.
And then also just checking inon your neighbors Uh, we live in
LA, it's diverse, so youabsolutely know someone who, um,
(44:13):
would potentially be a targetof these raids.
Um, just checking in, you know,asking um if they need any
support.
Um, I don't think I mentionedthis earlier, but right now,
with everything that's happening, uh, you know, immigrant
communities are really scared todo just to go to work, to go to
the grocery, yeah to just exist.
(44:35):
Go to the grocery store, go, youknow, do laundry their normal
life.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
They feel like they can't.
They can't.
They don't even feel safe intheir own homes.
I was gonna say they don't feelsafe outside of their homes,
but even in their own homes.
It's I.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
I can't, I can't imagine exactly and so offering
a ride to someone goes a longway.
Offering to, you know, pick upgroceries for them goes a long
way.
So, um, I would say those threethings.
So, yeah, for for ICLC, umfollowing us on social media, um
, potentially volunteering atone of our events, attending an
(45:08):
ICLC community conversation, um,and then, secondly, my personal
recommendations um, uh,following social media accounts
that are covering these iceraids, um, specifically the West
LA rapid response networkcovering these ICE raids,
specifically the West LA RapidResponse Network.
If you're in a position to give, absolutely donate to someone's
GoFundMe and I know that wekeep talking about the two
(45:29):
members of our community thatwere taken, but there are two of
hundreds- of people in thecounty that have been affected,
and so we wouldn't have enoughtime to discuss each and every
one, because there's just toomany.
Right, and I feel like I've seensomewhere on social media where
there's like a spreadsheet ofjust like all the GoFundMes.
(45:50):
I need to look for that becauseI, you know, I want to go
through and donate where I can,um, and then I feel like I said
something else I totally forgot.
Now, oh yeah, and then umchecking in with your neighbors,
um, because it does go a longway, yeah um, kindness is free,
you know, that is true, that is.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
it's not too hard to be cut.
Well, for some people I supposeit is.
But, um it, it costs nothing tobe kind, and I do feel like I
need to say this as well Justbecause you might not be
personally affected by itdoesn't mean it's not important.
Just because I am not you know,I am a citizen and of legal
(46:32):
status, doesn't mean I don'tcare or shouldn't care.
Just because it might notaffect your life personally
doesn't mean it doesn't matterto somebody else.
So for those people who areturning a blind eye or being
like, well, it doesn't affectyou personally, it affects
(46:52):
humans.
So I feel like it does affectme personally, because you
should just care.
I can't talk.
You should just care, yeah'ttalk, you should just care.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Yeah, you, we should care, yeah, we.
Really simple as that, and Icompletely agree.
And I think one of the lastthings I'll say is please don't
normalize this violence.
This is not.
This is not normal like it'snot unprecedented times yeah
let's not get used to it yes,that's the perfect way to end
(47:24):
this let's not get used to it.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Don't normalize the violence and be a part, a
positive part, of your community.
Be kind, be generous if you're,whether it be with financials,
your time, just something.
It's, and that's that really.
I wanted to talk about thisissue for the past couple of
weeks, but I didn't want to talkabout it by myself because you
(47:48):
know that's lame, but I wantedto talk about it with somebody
who was well-informed and is apart of the solution, and I was
able to get Jessica here and umyeah, so I feel like it's
important to talk about.
I understand this might not beeveryone's cup of tea, and it's
(48:09):
that's fine.
You can just turn it off.
So there you go, and I do thinkthat's a great way to end the
episode.
It's be kind.
It costs nothing to be kindpeople that is true, there we go
.
So where can people find you andyour place of work?
Speaker 2 (48:28):
So for um inner city law center, you can follow us on
Instagram.
Um, you can also go onto ourwebsite and sign up for our
e-newsletter we send out everymonth.
There's a lot of really greatnews and um updates that we send
out every month.
There's a lot of really greatnews and updates that we send
out, so if you're interested,please check out our website and
follow us on instagram.
And we also have other socialmedia too.
Um, and then for me, um,separate from my work, um, I am
(48:54):
on instagram.
I think that's really like theone social media that I use the
most.
I'm wandering just cloud.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
She's had that name for years.
Speaker 2 (49:05):
Like.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
I think that was your original.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
It was yes, yes, consistency.
Yeah, she's like I'm justkeeping it, but that's where I
can be found.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Perfect, yes, and then you can find the podcast
and myself at Emily to Gremlinpod on Instagram and TikTok.
Tiktok is slow moving, but Idigress.
You can also email me and thepodcast at Emily to Gremlin pod
at gmailcom If you want to sendin your gremlin stories, if you
(49:36):
need gremlin guidance, which iswhat I decided- to call it now.
Normally I would have Jessicatell her gremlin story.
We decided to keep this episodemore serious and more about
what's going on, because it'simportant to talk about.
But she will be coming backagain and that'll be a little
more lighthearted, more fun.
That's where we'll talk aboutthe gremlin activities, but yeah
(50:01):
, so we definitely just wantedto keep this episode you know,
serious and important, becauseit is serious and it is very
important.
But if you have your owngremlin story or if you need
advice on anything, email meemilytogremleypod at gmailcom.
You can also watch this episode, emily to Gremlin pod, on
(50:21):
YouTube.
Like you said, consistency iskey and I kept it consistent
everywhere and that's theepisode.
Pretty much.
Like we said, cost nothing tobe kind and be the change you
want to see in the world.
And you know, I wore this shirtspecifically.
I can't read it upside down,but if you're watching you can
(50:42):
read it and let's cheers withour virgin apparel.
And thank you so much forcoming on.
It was so much fun catching upwith you.
I haven't seen you in yearsforever.
So cheers.
Speaker 2 (50:56):
Thank you for having me here.
Cheers, bye.
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