Recap: 2026 Immigrant Day of Action Conference & Advocacy Day
Immigrants Rising was proud to co-sponsor the California Immigrant Policy Center’s (CIPC) 2026 Immigrant Day of Action (IDA) on April 14 and 15. This year’s theme, “Our Power Our Future: 30 Years of Immigrant Justice!” honored CIPC’s three decades of advancing immigrant rights in California and reflected our collective power to demand urgent solutions amid the current federal administration’s hostility against immigrants. Despite the federal environment, more than 2,000 community members, educators, students, policy leaders, community-based organizations, and philanthropic partners gathered at California’s State Capitol to advance immigrant rights. Over two days, Immigrants Rising participated through advocacy, storytelling, strategy, and knowledge-sharing.
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Immigrants Rising team (Iliana P., Alejandra G., Daniela R., Pedro R.) and Dr. Marlene Orozco join CIPC’s 2026 Immigrant Day of Action
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On Day One of the IDA Conference, Immigrants Rising connected with students and partners across plenaries and breakout sessions. Executive Director Dr. Iliana Perez joined CIPC, La Cocina, Inclusive Action for the City, Democracy at Work Institute, and the Employment Training Panel for the session, “SEEDing Economic Justice: SEED Funding Overview and Critical Partnerships for Immigrant Entrepreneurial Pathways.” Policy Advocacy Senior Manager Daniela Rodriguez spoke alongside partners from the California Undocumented Higher Education Coalition and Immigrant Justice in Action Coalition for the session, “Opportunity for All: Defending and Advancing California’s Higher Education Promise to Undocumented Students.”
Executive Director, Iliana P., presents at the “SEEDing Economic Justice: SEED Funding Overview and Critical Partnerships for Immigrant Entrepreneurial Pathways” session
Daniela R., Policy Advocacy Senior Manager, with co-speakers at the “Opportunity for All: Defending and Advancing California’s Higher Education Promise to Undocumented Students” session
The following day was Advocacy Day. Immigrants Rising joined hundreds of community members to speak with state legislators and their staff. Collectively, we advocated for a policy platform focused on economic justice, protection from mass detention and deportation, and access to health and public benefits. The platform included two of Immigrants Rising’s co-sponsored priorities: a reinvestment in the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Initiative (Carrillo & Becker) and AB 713 (Solache), which ensures access to on-campus employment opportunities for students at public colleges and universities, regardless of immigration status.
Immigrants Rising team (Daniela R., Alejandra G., Iliana P., Pedro R.) and Dr. Marlene Orozco in front of Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris’s office during Advocacy Day
Iliana P., Daniela R., and Dr. Marlene Orozco pose at a photobooth to celebrate CIPC’s 30 years and a galvanizing Immigrant Day of Action
Much is at stake for our community today. Together, we will continue to protect immigrants’ rights and opportunities to thrive. We are grateful to CIPC for its leadership, partnership, and for the opportunity to celebrate this milestone. We look forward to continuing our work with partners to carry the lessons and relationships from IDA into our collective efforts.
To learn more about the 2026 Immigrant Day of Action, please visit CIPC’s event homepage.
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For more information about Immigrants Rising’s 2026 policy priorities, please visit our policy advocacy webpage at immigrantsrising.org/policy-advocacy.
