Spring 2025: “Los Angeles for Humane Immigration Rights” with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
For the Spring 2025 semester, CPF POSC 395 Policy Research Internship students explored how the approaches of cities like Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and New York in navigating migrant buses can be combined to create adaptable, evidence-based strategies that integrate recent arrivals into their regional communities. They analyzed the political and policy environments in each city, such as sanctuary status, funding availability, and political climate. Students examined how local and federal policies align (or conflict) in the areas of healthcare, education, employment, and housing. They presented a humanitarian-centered view of migrant integration, offering practical recommendations that reflect real-world challenges like limited funding, administrative delays, and political narratives. Their final findings highlighted community-driven solutions and explored how cities can prioritize people over politics in building inclusive, resilient systems. They presented their extensive research and recommendations to our partner, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.
Olivia Lei, a junior majoring in International Relations and Global Economy, said this about her research experience:
“I conducted a mixed-method analysis of local integration challenges. I interviewed community advocates, sifted through census datasets, and distilled academic studies into concise briefs to guide the Mayor’s team on equitable service delivery. Presenting preliminary findings to senior officials sharpened my ability to translate evidence into actionable recommendations. As a CPF Student Scholar, I regularly drew on CPF seminars to enrich our policy framing and bipartisan outreach. The experience deepened my appreciation for data-driven governance, collaborative problem-solving, and the resilience of Los Angeles’ immigrant communities.”
Project: Los Angeles for Humane Immigration Rights
Partner: Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
USC Students: Alexa Didinsky, Pavithra Harsha, Shiza Khan, Olivia Lei, Isai Ortega-Leal, and Dor Peretz
Research Question: How can the approaches of cities like Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and New York in navigating migrant buses be combined to create adaptable, evidence-based strategies that integrate recent arrivals into their regional communities?
Read the group’s full research presentation.
Watch the video presentation on “Los Angeles for Humane Immigration Rights.”