Centro Legal de la Raza (Centro Legal)
Contents
Centro Legal has supported hunger strikes and litigation in response to the GEO Group, which owns some California prisons, paying inmates less than minimum wage for voluntary labor. It has also supported strikes in support of increasing wages for farmworkers and teachers. 2 3
Background
Founded in 1969, Centro Legal de la Raza is a nonprofit organization that provides legal services in California’s Bay Area, with a focus on immigration cases. 4 It offers legal representation to immigrants facing potential workplace and housing violations as well as representation for immigration processes. 5
Centro Legal is a vocal critic of for-profit prisons, including the GEO Group, for paying inmates below minimum wage for their labor. It advocates for left-of-center labor policies on behalf of immigrants, supporting the unionization of workers to represent the interests of immigrants. 2
Legal Services
In 2020, Centro Legal de la Raza reported spending $19.7 million on legal services to over 10,000 individuals including legal and illegal immigrants as well as individuals seeking asylum and facing deportation. Of the $19.7 million, it distributed over $12.4 million of which were spent in grants. It also reported receiving $321,189 for its legal services. 6
In addition to providing legal services for immigrants, Centro Legal takes cases of workplace discrimination, tenants’ rights disputes, represents victims of violent crimes, and files class-action lawsuits. 1
Advocacy
Centro Legal de la Raza has held forums and campaigned for local law enforcement to end cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration authorities. It advocates against enforcement of federal immigration laws to prevent allegedly unjust deportations and immigrant detentions. 7
Centro Legal has filed lawsuits against ICE and the GEO Group, which owns prisons and detention centers, for paying inmates less than minimum wage for voluntary work programs. It argues that California’s minimum wage laws apply to incarcerated individuals. 3 2
People
Monique Berlanga serves as the executive director for Centro Legal de la Raza. She is an attorney that previously worked for Bay Area Legal Aid and Eviction Defense Center in Oakland, California, representing individuals facing eviction and housing violations. 8
Funding
In 2020, Centro Legal de la Raza reported receiving $21.5 million in total revenue, $15.8 million of which came from government grants, $5.2 million from “other contributions,” and $321,189 for legal services. 9 10 It also reported $21.7 million in total expenses, $12.4 million in grants, and $7.2 million in salaries and compensation for employees. 11
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,950,098 | $11,901,160 | $12,114,634 | |
| 2024 | $8,325,419 | $18,527,859 | $20,234,248 | View |
| 2023 | $9,740,180 | $46,223,637 | $46,180,402 | View |
| 2022 | $11,012,762 | $107,287,718 | $107,090,810 | View |
| 2021 | $11,440,171 | $21,545,671 | $21,743,613 | View |
| 2020 | $7,665,210 | $10,432,005 | $9,565,411 |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 109
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Monique J Berlanga | Executive Dir. | $197,126 |
| Maciel Jacques | DEPUTY DIRECTOR | $150,687 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $29,482,902
- Number of Grants: 495
- Number of Funders: 126
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $739,061
- Number of Grants: 8
- Number of Recipients: 8
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years: