Ely’s Deportation Battle and Legal Aid Crisis | Venice Beach News

Venice Beach News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 24, 2026 · 1m

A Salvadoran immigrant, Ely, who had been living in the U.S. legally for years with no criminal record and consistent immigration compliance, was suddenly detained by ICE in March—just months after being released from detention. Thanks to her community rallying around her and securing legal aid from the Immigrants Defenders Law Center, she was eventually freed. But now, as funding for critical programs like RepresentLA—key to supporting immigrants facing deportation—is shrinking due to LA’s budget cuts, advocates are sounding the alarm: with ICE activity surging in Southern California, more…