The Latino Community Foundation (LCF), the nation’s largest Latino-serving community foundation, today announced a new round of investment of $350,000 through its Community Protection Fund (Fund), a national philanthropic initiative launched earlier this year to strengthen accountability and oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and protect immigrant families harmed by abusive and unconstitutional government actions.
This grantmaking comes at a pivotal moment, as Congress debates tens of billions of dollars in new immigration enforcement funding—raising concerns among advocates about the expansion of detention and deportation infrastructure—and the one-year anniversary of the June 6, 2025 ICE raids in Los Angeles, which sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny over federal immigration enforcement practices.
With this latest investment, LCF will have granted $600,000 to 16 grassroots organizations across five states, supporting legal representation, rapid response, advocacy, and direct services for immigrant communities facing detention, deportation, and family separation.
“Across the nation, we have witnessed the power of everyday people who are demanding humane, lawful treatment of their immigrant neighbors. Their voices can make a difference in holding ICE accountable, and we must remain steadfast in our collective advocacy,” said Julián Castro, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation.
“These resources are critical to protect immigrant communities, and to further the cause of democracy for all,” Castro added.
Despite a 12% drop in ICE arrests nationally, and changes in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership, ICE continues to operate without accountability.
Among the concerns:
- More than 60,000 people remain in ICE detention centers—with more than 70% of whom have no criminal record—and the Trump administration plans to build more detention centers across the nation.
- From Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, to the Adelanto ICE Facility in San Bernardino County, California, news reporting and community-led advocacy have uncovered widespread human and civil rights violations at these detention centers, from illegal use of force and lack of counsel to the denial of health care and food.
LCF’s grantmaking comes as Congress considers an additional $70 billion for ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through 2029, on top of the $170 billion already allocated under the “One Big Beautiful Act.”
At the same time, public concern over immigration enforcement appears to be growing. A March 2026 poll found that 54% of voters have a negative view of the president’s immigration actions, with Latino voters viewing them with higher negativity at 67%.
Across the country, grantee partners are responding to the growing impact of detention, deportation, and immigration enforcement through legal services, rapid response, advocacy, and community support. Leaders from organizations receiving support through this latest round of LCF’s Community Protection Fund underscored the urgency of this work:
“Immigrant communities across Arizona are once again being targeted by escalating detention operations, deportation raids, and political attacks designed to spread fear across our communities. In this moment, our response must be rooted in community power, solidarity, joy, and collective care. We are grateful to the Latino Community Foundation for investing in Arizona families and standing with our communities during this critical time.” — Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director, Arizona Center for Empowerment
“Support from the Latino Community Foundation is critical at a time when immigrants and our borderland way of life are under attack. By stepping into the breach alongside us, they help ensure access to counsel and due process in our joint pursuit of justice. Their contribution buoys our efforts to hold agencies accountable when they violate the rights of people caught in their crosshairs. Las Americas celebrates the contribution and looks forward to a continued partnership.” — Marisa Limón Garza, Executive Director, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, El Paso, TX
“We are deeply grateful to the Latino Community Foundation for investing in ICIJ’s rapid response work through the Community Protection Fund. This support strengthens our ability to respond to enforcement activity, support immigrant families, and continue organizing to shut down the Adelanto ICE Processing Center and end the harm caused by immigrant detention in our region. Thank you for standing with immigrant communities and investing in community-led protection, resilience, and justice across the Inland Empire.” — Javier Hernandez, Executive Director, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, San Bernardino, CA
The second round of Community Protection Fund grantees are:
- A La Defensa, Los Angeles, CA
- Arizona Center for Empowerment, Phoenix, AZ
- California Immigrant Policy Center, Sacramento, CA
- Estrella del Paso, El Paso, TX
- Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, San Bernardino, CA
- The LA Local, Los Angeles, CA
- Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, El Paso, TX
- Poder in Action, Phoenix, AZ
- Santa Barbara Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, Santa Barbara, CA
- Transgender Law Center, Oakland, CA
About Latino Community Foundation
The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) is on a mission to unleash the civic and economic power of Latinos in California. LCF has the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country and has raised $100 million to build Latino civic and political power. It is the only national foundation solely focused on investing in Latino communities in California, the Southwest region, and across the country. In 2023, LCF named former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Julián Castro, as their CEO. For more info, please visit: latinocf.org.
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