On Saturday, June 7, Charles Alvidrez, incoming president of LMU’s Counseling Graduate Student Association (CGSA), awoke to news of ICE raids taking place throughout the Los Angeles area, including his hometown of Paramount, California.
As the son of a mother who immigrated to the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico, Alvidrez felt compelled to act. He reached out to his fellow counseling graduate students and officers in CGSA, and together they launched a fundraiser on Instagram for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA). Their initial fundraising goal was $500.
Since that time, they’ve raised over $20,000—and counting.
“Using our platform as CGSA to challenge the feeling of hopelessness felt like the right thing to do given the circumstances,” Alvidrez said. “We wanted to remind our community that the strength of our love is enormous, and our generosity will help those in need to overcome what’s been happening.” As footage of the raids in Los Angeles spread online, and as protests over their actions gathered steam, so did shares of their post seeking donations. People around the country responded.
CHIRLA’s track record of proactiveness and staunch support for immigrant rights made it a natural fit for CGSA’s fundraiser. “We appreciated that CHIRLA was putting out messages to let people know that even if you’re an undocumented immigrant, you still have agency. You still have rights that you’re entitled to and that you can exercise,” he said. The legal services and support that CHIRLA provides are critical and practical next steps for affected families and communities, he added.
CGSA is no stranger to fundraising in times of need. Earlier in 2025, the group raised over $500 to support communities affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles and also raised nearly $500 for the Homeboy Art Academy. “We hope that all our fundraising efforts are reflective of our compassionate community of social justice advocates,” Alvidrez said. “We’re steadfast in our belief that all students and families are valued and deserve support, regardless of income, immigration status, privilege, ethnicity, or any other marker that differentiates one human from another. This belief is at the core of our training as aspiring counselors at LMU’s School of Education.”
His mom’s journey, he said, has always motivated and inspired him. “I grew up hearing her stories about being an immigrant and having to assimilate to American culture, and dealing with the hardships of immigrating and then later becoming documented,” he said. “Hers is just one of many such stories throughout California and beyond.”
Like many, Alvidrez describes himself as heartbroken at the recent actions of ICE. But the unexpected success of the CHIRLA fundraiser, which is still active, has given him a sense of hope. “Raising over $20,000 when we originally aimed for $500 felt like asking for a hand and receiving the love and strength of an entire village,” he said.
He also hopes their effort will inspire others at LMU and those beyond the bluff to take action. “Anyone can step up in their own communities,” he said. “Embrace social responsibility. In the grand scheme of things, as long as we keep community in mind and operate from the lenses of strength and love, that’s all that really matters.”