Federal immigration authorities, including ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), have been conducting intensive raids targeting undocumented immigrants across Southern California for over a month, causing serious harm to immigrant and low-income communities. The fear of leaving home has driven a sharp decline in the use of welfare services, threatening residents’ health and, for some, their basic livelihood.
In Los Angeles Koreatown, the impact is evident. According to Korean American nonprofit organizations, in-person support programs such as free grocery distribution events have been significantly reduced as residents avoid going out.
A KYCC (Koreatown Youth and Community Center) representative stated, “Due to the impact of ICE raids, residents are avoiding going out, and participation in various events has plummeted.” The organization is now considering reallocating funds to operate alternative programs focused on home visits or delivery services.
Medical services have also seen severe declines. Mission City Community Network (MCCN), located on Wilshire Boulevard, reported that over the past month, the number of Medi-Cal users has dropped by nearly 50%. Mark Lee, Director of MCCN, explained, “The number of Korean visitors has remained relatively stable, but Latino patients have decreased to about half.” He added, “We are actively informing patients that ICE cannot enter clinics and that their information is not shared with the federal government.”
Some undocumented residents are now avoiding leaving home entirely, creating severe difficulties in their daily lives. Jeff Lee, Secretary General of the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, said, “One undocumented Korean American requested help, saying they couldn’t even go to the market for 10 days.”
These trends are occurring not only in Koreatown but across Southern California. According to a July 9 report by the LA Daily News, indiscriminate raids have caused undocumented immigrants and low-income immigrant communities to cancel 20–30% of hospital appointments, while overall welfare service use has sharply declined.
In response, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors introduced an ordinance on July 8 to ensure all residents can access public services regardless of immigration status. The ordinance includes provisions to expand telehealth, home visit services, grocery delivery, and immigrant rights awareness campaigns.
Meanwhile, the federal government is halting funding for suicide prevention programs targeting LGBTQ youth, raising concerns about mental health service gaps. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under the Department of Health and Human Services announced it will discontinue the ‘Press 3’ option of the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline starting July 17. Introduced in 2022, this feature had been used by over 1.3 million LGBTQ youth.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
