La Raza Community Resource Center

It takes part in collaboratives with left-leaning groups such as the San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network (SFILEN) and the San Francisco Rapid Response Network, which offer hotlines to report Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities and officials. ²

It relies on local government contracts for its primary source of revenue. It is also funded by left-leaning groups such as the Tides Foundation. ³

Financials

La Raza Community Resource Center had total revenues of $4.6 million and total expenses of $4 million with $1.4 million in total assets in 2023. In the audit report, it declares that it is principally funded by the city and county of San Francisco. ³

In its 2023 report, government contracts were La Raza Community Resource Center’s largest source of revenue, constituting 58 percent of the total revenue, worth $2,762,070. That same year, program services were the largest expense, consisting of 75 percent of all expenses, worth $2,997,154. ³

In 2023, it received a grant of $264,637 from the City and County of San Francisco, $153,229 from the Instituto Familia de la Raza, $32,228 from the Central American Resource Center, and $10,466 from Siren-Services, Immigrant Rights & Education. It lists the Tides Foundation as a donor, without disclosing the amount. ³

Background

La Raza Community Resource Center was founded in 1974 in San Francisco, California. The group is focused on helping Latino immigrants by providing low cost and free legal assistance, social services, and education. ⁴

It offers family services such as rental subsidies, parenting classes, women support groups, and food distribution. It cooperates with local government projects such as the San Francisco Emergency Rental Assistance Program (SF ERAP), which seeks to prevent homelessness. ⁵

It offers legal services related to immigration and family separation. Its work includes work permit renewal, adjustment of status, asylee petitions, and assistance with family emergency plans. ⁶

It advocates for expanding immigrant and labor rights for California’s Latino population. It partners with left-leaning groups such as the San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network (SFILEN), Immigrant Parent Voting, the San Francisco Latino Parity and Equity Coalition, and the San Francisco Rapid Response Network. ⁴

Support for Legislation

La Raza Community Resource Center was one of 203 groups that signed a joint letter to U.S. President Joe Biden urging a halt to the federal Circumvention of Lawful Pathways program. The signatories appealed to the President’s campaign promise of expanding legal immigration into the U.S., characterized by the letter authors as “the values and promises you held high when defending the right to seek asylum on the campaign trail.” ⁷

Controversy

Executive director Gabriel Medina was accused in 2022 of “precarious handling of finances and certain programs, mistreatment of staff, and his failure to take responsibility and address any of the problems.” Carl Larsen Santos, La Raza Community Resource Center’s legal director, accused Medina of mistreating staff members, arguing, “Many staff felt demeaned and bullied by him.” According to Larsen Santos, 12 out of 20 La Raza employees supported the protest seeking to replace Gabriel Medina. ⁸

In the aftermath of the controversy, La Raza Community Resource Center lost $8 million in government rent relief grants. San Francisco City Supervisor Hillary Ronen (D) expressed concern when talking about La Raza during a Budget and Finance Committee meeting: “You guys need to work on what’s happening in your organization,” she said. ⁹