News Summary
Los Angeles County has initiated the Small Business Resiliency Fund (SBRF) to aid small businesses affected by immigration enforcement activities. Offering up to $5,000 in assistance, the program targets entities that suffered economic hardship, including workforce loss and revenue decline since June. Applications are open until October 31, with funding stemming from the county’s Care First Community Investment program. Emphasizing the importance of small businesses, officials highlighted the devastating impact of ICE actions on local communities.
Los Angeles County has rolled out a new cash assistance program aimed at supporting small businesses impacted by federal immigration enforcement activities. The initiative, known as the Small Business Resiliency Fund (SBRF), will offer eligible businesses up to $5,000 in financial assistance to help them recover from disruptions experienced after June 6, 2025.
The Small Business Resiliency Fund is administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). It seeks to assist businesses that faced workforce loss, property damage, customer decline, economic disruption, or revenue loss due to immigration enforcement actions. The funds may be allocated for essential expenses such as rent, payroll, equipment repairs, inventory replacement, and other recovery expenses.
The application period is currently open and will remain so until October 31 at 5 p.m. Interested businesses can find more information and access the application portal at opportunity.lacounty.gov/resiliencyfund.
The announcement was made during a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, where L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis and DEO officials highlighted the importance of supporting small businesses, which play a vital role in local communities and the broader economy. The fund was established following a motion proposed by Solis alongside Supervisor Janice Hahn, aiming for quick support to businesses facing disruptive events.
Initially, $1.8 million from the county’s Care First Community Investment program will fund the first round of grants. To qualify for this assistance, businesses must be located in Los Angeles County and demonstrate financial hardship related to immigration enforcement from the designated date. Types of qualifying events include forced closures and labor shortages due to workforce detentions or significant revenue loss resulting from curfews or protests.
The grants will cover a range of recovery-related expenses, including rent or mortgage payments, employee wages, inventory restocking, equipment repairs, debt repayment, and marketing efforts. Due to limited funding, businesses that do not make the selection criteria will be added to a waitlist for potential future assistance.
Additionally, there is an opportunity for organizations, foundations, and institutions to contribute to the Small Business Resiliency Fund by reaching out to [email protected].
Community-based organizations are also playing a role by providing application support, including technical assistance available in multiple languages. Understanding the struggles faced by many in their jurisdictions, Supervisors noted that ICE raids have caused chaos within communities, significantly affecting small businesses almost overnight.
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation reported that federal enforcement activities in June caused disruption to over 19,000 businesses in downtown Los Angeles. Among those, more than 3,700 are in the retail sector, which has been notably affected. Data from the USC Equity Research Institute indicates that nearly 25% of undocumented workers in L.A. County are employed in retail environments.
The total economic output of businesses located within the downtown L.A. curfew zone is approximately $72.6 billion, which supports over 284,000 jobs in the area. For those facing issues with the application portal, the AidKit Support Team is available to assist via phone at (213) 770-6148 or through email at [email protected].
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Additional Resources
- LAist: LA County Launches New Fund for Small Business
- California News: Cash Assistance for Businesses Impacted by ICE Raids
- Boyle Heights Beat: Funding for Small Businesses Affected by ICE Raids
- Newswire: LA Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation Launches Small Business Fund
- Wikipedia: Small Business
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