Los Angeles, CA

Refugees are people fleeing violence and persecution—in Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and other countries in crisis. They have crossed an international border and are seeking safety and the chance to move their lives forward.

The U.S. has a long tradition of sheltering those fleeing conflict and persecution. Once refugees have been identified by the United Nations refugee agency and cleared for resettlement, the U.S. government works with the IRC and eight other national resettlement agencies to help them restart their lives in America. Out of the nearly 30 million refugees in the world, fewer than one percent are considered for resettlement worldwide.

Refugees may be placed in a city where they have relatives or friends, or where there’s an established community that shares their language or culture. Other considerations include the cost of living and a community’s ability to provide medical services. But as legal U.S. residents, refugees may live in any city and state they chose.

Learn more about how refugee resettlement works.

As refugees arrive in Los Angeles to start a new life, they are most in need of financial and vocational support. The primary desire of newly-arrived refugees is to gain the ability to provide for themselves and their families as they establish themselves in California. Immediate needs include finding affordable housing, a job, learning English and learning to navigate the local environment. For families, those needs can also include helping their children adjust to a new school. 

Our programs are designed to ensure refugees thrive in America—whether ensuring children are enrolled in school, adults become self-reliant through employment or starting businesses, or families receive the medical care they need to recover from trauma or illness. The IRC helps those in need to rebuild their lives and regain control of their future in their new home community.

Refugees are greeted and welcomed at the airport by IRC case workers and volunteers to ensure their transition is as comfortable as possible. The IRC also makes sure newly arrived refugees receive:

• Help with rent
• Help furnishing a home
• Health care
• Nutritious, affordable food
• English language classes
• Help building job, computer, and financial literacy skills
• Education for their children
• Social services and community support
• Legal services towards residency and citizenship

Our programs in Los Angeles:

• Resettlement: Meeting the basic needs for food, shelter, access to health care and assistance with navigating government agencies in the early, critical stages of resettlement.
• Economic Empowerment: Protecting, supporting and improving household livelihoods and financial security.
• Community Integration and Development: Strengthening communities and preparing individuals to participate fully in American society.

In addition to supporting refugees, the IRC also works with asylees, special immigrant visas (SIVs) and trafficking survivors. The IRC in Los Angeles provides services for those who have recently been granted status by the U.S. government, as well as services for those who have been in the country for a number of years and are ready to apply for permanent residence or citizenship. 

Our Immigration department provides low cost assistance in applying for Legal Permanent Resident cards, U.S. Citizenship, Refugee Travel documents, DACA renewal, and Central American Minor- Affidavits of Relationships (CAM-AOR), as well as various other immigration documents. Our Integration department provides Financial Coaching, Micro-loans, and an Afghan Youth Mentorship program. They also provide weekly ESL classes and Citizenship classes, remote and in-person (at the IRC office and in public libraries), available free of charge to immigrants throughout the area. 

There are many ways that you can get involved with the IRC’s work in Los Angeles. You can:

Donate: Give a tax-deductible financial contribution either via the website or sent to our office.

Wish-list: Help provide a warm welcome by donating urgently needed household goods for newly arrived refugees from our Amazon Wishlist. Urgently needed items include bedding, pots and pans, and gift cards. We also have plenty of Welcome Kit ideas, which are a great way to get involved as a group, office, faith group, or classroom.

Volunteer Opportunities: Read the steps you need to go through to become an IRC volunteer and see our current list of volunteer opportunities here.

Internship Opportunities: Internships are a great way for students to gain experience in the field of refugee resettlement and immigration. See our current list of internship opportunities here.

Spread the Word: Consider hosting your own Fundraising Campaign (on- or offline). Stay connected via our newsletter, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and ask others to do the same!

Housing: One of the greatest challenges to resettling refugees is securing affordable housing. If you are a landlord, or know anyone who is, consider renting to a recently arrived refugee.

Other Ways to Get Involved: Employ refugees, sponsor an event for clients, and help connect us to affordable housing options.

Once they acclimate to their new environment, refugees often thrive and contribute to their communities, building careers, purchasing homes and becoming citizens.