Months after the nation's first sustained immigration raids hit Los Angeles and surrounding cities, the City of Angels hosted the first congressional field hearing on their impact -- a process set in motion after One LA-IAF leaders met with Mayor Karen Bass and pressed for public hearings to document widespread civil rights violations.

Before the hearing, Mayor Bass marched with One LA leaders, clergy, and families to the LA Metropolitan Water District, where the hearing convened. LA Auxiliary Bishop Matthew Elshoff, OFM Cap. also joined the procession.

Energy crackled as 110 COPA leaders from 28 institutions, including Bishop Lucinda Ashby of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real, filled the room for an honest, wide-ranging conversation with California Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas.

Crediting One LA with the idea, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Congressman Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced a broad congressional investigation into civil rights abuses, with the first field hearing to take place in Los Angeles.

Maria Elena Manzo, Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action (COPA) Leader, and Founder and Executive Director of Mujeres en Acción, was announced as this year’s recipient of the Siembra Latinos Fund’s Alfred Diaz-Infante Award.

Amid a growing climate of fear in Los Angeles, One LA-IAF launched its "Freedom School" strategy to respond to recent immigration raids and undermining of civil liberties that have terrorized communities throughout Los Angeles County. Hearkening back to the civil rights movement, 200 leaders spent July 4th reflecting on their faith traditions and American constitutional principles, while learning concrete organizing skills to safeguard their communities.

Last week, Central Valley IAF Sponsoring Committee (CVIAF) drew a crowd of leaders to Fresno City Hall to oppose the Southeast Development Area (SEDA) —a massive, 9,000-acre housing proposal that would redirect billions in taxpayer dollars away from Fresno’s existing neighborhoods. If approved, the project could saddle current and future residents with higher taxes and service rates for generations.

Maria Elena Manzo (to the right of Pope Francis) with the Pontiff and the 2024 W/SW IAF Vatican delegation. Maria wrote this article.

[Originally published by Monterey County Now]

Last August, I had the opportunity to travel to Rome and visit Pope Francis. I joined a delegation of 18 leaders and organizers from across the West/Southwest Industrial Areas Foundation, the organizing network to which Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action (COPA) belongs. This was the third meeting our group had with Pope Francis between 2022 and 2024, each a 90-minute conversation at his residence at the Casa Santa Marta. At each encounter, he demonstrated humor and humility as he listened attentively to our organizing stories and engaged us in conversation.

One LA-IAF hosted its inaugural Labor Seder at member institution Temple Isaiah, joining in solidarity with over 150 leaders from labor unions, faith organizations, and nonprofits to take part in the annual Jewish tradition of the retelling of the Exodus story.  SEIU Local 2015 was honored for their organizing work on the "Quality Wages for Quality Home Care" campaign, with workers at the center of an evening about interfaith solidarity.

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Widespread fear lingers in the immigrant community...after the Trump Administration announced it would allow immigration enforcement arrests in locations including churches and schools.

“In January, when I saw Border Patrol vehicles up here, it got my attention,” says Bishop Joseph Brennan with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. “It didn’t feel right, it didn’t look right. And my immigration status is good.”

While the uncertainty lingers, the Diocese of Fresno is meeting with government leaders, law enforcement, and the Central Valley Industrial Areas Foundation to brainstorm on how to build – and repair-- community trust....

[Photo Credit: Byron Solorio, FOX26]

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This may look like an ordinary stop sign.

However, for residents of Southeast Fresno, it represents a hard-fought victory in making their community safer.

Before this week, the intersection along South Avenue—a busy road cutting through city and rural farmland—was only a two-way stop. It was a dangerous crossing, and last summer, Alex Burgos, a young parishioner from St. Anthony Mary Claret Catholic church, learned that firsthand when his car was T-boned by another vehicle.

“At first, I thought it was just bad luck,” Burgos said. “Then I started talking to other people in my church, and I realized I wasn’t the only one....”