Find trusted resources to help you navigate immigration questions and prepare for emergencies. Whether you're seeking legal assistance, need to know your rights, or want to create a family emergency plan, this page connects you with tools and information to help protect you and your loved ones.
- LA County Consulate:
2401 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057
(Entrada por Park View Street)
Information Line: (213) 351- 6800
Email: lapublico@sre.gob.mx
24hr Line: (520) 623- 7874
Website: LA Country Consulate - Informed Immigrant
Informed Immigrant has continually evolved to meet the urgent and ever-changing needs of the immigrant community. As we approach the year and face new uncertainties, they remain steadfast in their commitment to providing timely, reliable resources and support.
Website: Informed Immigrant - National Immigration Services Directory:
Use the guide on the website to search for immigration legal services providers by state, county, or detention facility. Only nonprofit organizations that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services are included in this directory. If you have questions, please see a list of frequently asked questions or email them at directory@immigrationadvocates.org.
Website: Immigration Advocates Network - Safety Plan:
Every family should have a plan for emergencies. For immigrant families, that also means being prepared for immigration-related situations. See below for a toolkit that includes resources to help you plan ahead, connect with trusted services, and understand your rights.
Family Preparedness Plan (Spanish)
Family Preparedness Plan
Childcare Plan, with resources listed from LAUSD:
- Verbal Agreement: The most informal arrangement is to let another adult know of your wishes for your child and to verbally agree with them that they will carry out your wishes to care for your child if you cannot. The benefit of this is that it is informal and easy – you do not need to complete any forms or legal documents, and such an agreement will not affect your parental rights. The downside of this informal arrangement is that your chosen caregiver will not have legal authority to make medical or school-related decisions on behalf of your child, which would be problematic if you were deported and unable to care for your child for an extended period of time.
- Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit (“CAA”): The next option in California is to not only get another adult’s verbal agreement to care for your child in the event you are unable to, but to have that adult complete a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit (“CAA”), which allows them to make certain school and medical decisions on behalf of your child. The benefit of this approach is that the CAA can be given to your child’s school or health care provider so that your chosen caregiver can make certain decisions for the child, and it does not affect your parental rights (you still have custody and control of your child). More information about the CAA and a form you can use are included in Part IV of this toolkit. Please note: the included Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit can only be used in California.
- Guardianship. The most formal arrangement is to have a court appoint a guardian for your child. The benefit of guardianship is that once someone has been appointed as a guardian by a California Probate Court, that person has full legal and physical custody of your child, meaning they can make decisions on behalf of your child. Please note: When a guardian is appointed, this does not terminate parental rights, but it does suspend them while the guardianship is in place. The drawback of guardianship is that it must be terminated by the Probate Court in order to get your parental rights back. Please note, you must file a petition in the Probate Court requesting the court to terminate the guardianship, and it is up to the Judge to decide on what the best option for your child is.
Keep in mind that in California, you cannot grant another person guardianship of your child informally or through a power of attorney – only a state court can do that. However, you can prepare a Form GC-211 to nominate a specific person to be the guardian of your child. The court will then consider Form GC-211 if and when a guardianship petition is filed. You can also make the nomination conditional upon your detention and/or deportation by completing an attachment to the form GC-211 that specifies when the nomination will be effective. Nominating someone else to have legal custody of your child is a serious decision; please connect with a trusted legal services provider to get more information.
A Note on Power of Attorney. A power of attorney is a written document that you can sign to grant another person the authority to act on your behalf in specified ways. For example, a power of attorney may be used to designate another person to handle your finances, make business decisions, use your money to pay your rent or mortgage, use your money to provide for your child, and similar actions. In California, we do not recommend that a power of attorney be used to designate another person to care for your child. While a power of attorney may be a good option in other states, in California, it cannot be used to transfer custody of your children to another person (only a state court can do that). It may be possible to use a power of attorney to grant someone else the authority to make medical and educational decisions on behalf of your child, but in California, completing the Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit is a simpler and less costly way to do the same thing.
Documents and Plan for Caregivers:
- Write Down Instructions if Your Child Has Any Medical Conditions and /or Takes Any Medications
Make sure to write down any medical conditions or allergies your child has, any medications that your child takes, as well as doctor and health insurance information. Keep a copy of this information in your important documents file. Give a copy to your child’s school and the adult you designate to care for your child. Let your child know where to find this information if you are not around. - Make Sure Your Children All Have Passports
If your child was born in the United States, visit travel.state.gov for more information on obtaining a U.S. passport. If your child was born in a different country, check with the embassy or consulate for more information on obtaining a passport. - Inform Your Family and Emergency Contacts About How to Find You if You Are Detained by ICE
Family members can use the ICE detainee locator to find someone in ICE custody. Be sure your family and emergency contacts have a copy of your A-Number (your registration number found on your immigration documents from ICE), if you have one. - Talk to Your Family About Your Plan
Assure your children that they will be taken care of if, for some reason, you are unable to care for them, even for a short time. Let them know who will care for them until you can.
Source: Family Preparedness Plan
Recommended Materials:
Give a trusted family member or friend bank information so that money can be accessed if needed. Setting up a power of attorney to ensure bills, etc., are managed.
A Comprehensive Guide for Emergency Planning:
Guardianship & Emergency Planning for Immigrant Families
Family Hotline and Summer Support LAUSD
The Family Hotline remains available throughout the summer
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
(213) 443-1300
Documents to carry or not carry:
- Carry a valid work permit or green card, if you have one. If you do not have one, generally it is advisable to carry a municipal ID, state ID, or driver’s license if it was issued in the United States and contains no information at all about your immigration status or your country of origin. Ask a local immigration advocate about what kind of documents are safe to carry in your area.
- Carry a red card to exercise your right to remain silent in case you are stopped or interrogated by ICE or police officers.
- Carry the telephone number of someone who can put your plans and wishes into place, call your immigration attorney, and access your important documents in an emergency.
- Do not carry any documentation about your country of origin.
- Do not carry any false identity documents or false immigration documents.