In November 2025, amid stormy weather, community members came together at the Del Aire Park Community Center for a powerful Racial Justice Learning Exchange titled “The Journey of Us: Honoring the Diverse Immigrant Stories that Shape Us.” Led by LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who serves the 2nd Supervisorial District, the gathering became more than a conversation—it was a forum for truth-telling, policy critique, and deep collective reflection on the realities immigrants face throughout Los Angeles County. Despite the storm and late hour, the room pulsed with energy, empathy, and a collective hunger for truth and action. Supervisor Mitchell’s closing words weren’t just a speech—they were a call to conscience.
Speaking with clarity, warmth, and conviction, she challenged every attendee to leave the event not just informed—but transformed. The space, she explained, was more than a forum—it was an RJLE: a Racial Justice Learning Exchange. The goal? To unpack biases, exchange knowledge, and ignite a deeper understanding of racial and immigrant justice.
“We All Have Agency”
Mitchell didn’t mince words. “Everyone has agency,” she said. “Even if you don’t have all the facts, you have the power to resist.” From asking hard questions in your workplace—“What do we do if ICE shows up?”—to practicing empathy and learning something new, resistance, she insisted, isn’t reserved for activists. It belongs to all of us.
She praised those who shared their stories during the forum, noting how personal testimony changes hearts. She emphasized that resistance can be as simple as breath, as profound as solidarity, or as structured as policy—and LA County is backing it up.
Policy in Action
“LA County is doing the thing,” she declared. Mitchell proudly shared recent policy actions, including:
- A motion she carried ensuring that county workers detained by ICE while doing their job will be defended by the county
- Rent and worker relief programs now extended to those impacted by immigration enforcement
- County funding and partnerships with philanthropy and nonprofits to offer legal defense, shelter, and support services
Her voice, both grounded and fierce, carried deep urgency. “We passed worker relief after the wildfires,” she said. “Now we continue it in response to ICE.”
“We Are All Immigrants”
Though Supervisor Mitchell doesn’t know the precise origin of her ancestors due to the legacy of slavery, she shared that she’s a direct descendant of survivors—of the transatlantic slave trade, of Jim Crow, of systemic erasure. “That makes me an immigrant too,” she said. “Unless you are Indigenous, we all have immigrant stories. And that should deepen our empathy.”
She also shed light on shocking new knowledge many attendees didn’t know:
- That undocumented residents don’t qualify for organ transplants
- That a student visa expires after just 180 days, starting a dangerous clock for young immigrants
Her message was clear: knowledge must lead to action. And action begins with recognizing our shared stake in immigrant safety, dignity, and survival.
This Is History—What Will You Say You Did?
Perhaps the most powerful moment came when she asked the crowd to imagine a future conversation. “One day,” she said, “your grandchild may ask you, ‘You lived through 2025. What did you do?”
It was more than hypothetical. It was a charge. For Mitchell, the work LA County is doing is about being able to look in the mirror and say you did something when it mattered.
She closed with gratitude, reminding everyone to breathe, reflect, and take the message beyond the room. “We must be able to stand in someone else’s shoes. That’s where change begins.”
To hear Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s full remarks, watch the video: https://youtu.be/5Useqc0Mbc0
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