Legal Resources

While Inclusive Action is not a legal organization, we have included some resources below that might be helpful to our community members. Please consult with an attorney directly regarding your specific questions or needs.

Protections for Street Vendors

Inclusive Action championed SB635, the Street Vendor Business Protection Act, in 2025. This new California bill went into effect in January 2026 and prevents local sidewalk vending permitting and enforcement activities from being used to detain, deport, and separate families.

The law:

  • prevents immigration enforcement agents from being able to access personal identifying data about street vendors collected by local governments;
  • prohibits local governments from inquiring into citizenship or immigration status or requiring the completion of background checks or fingerprinting requirements in order for sidewalk vendors to receive their local vending permits.; and 
  • Prohibits local governments and any company that is contracted for sidewalk vending enforcement from aiding or cooperating with any agency conducting immigration enforcement. 

Read the legislative alert from Public Counsel for guidance on this new law.

Know Your Rights for Workers and Families

With the federal government and ICE targeting immigrant communities across Southern California, we want to ensure workers, families, and community members know your legal rights if ICE is at your door. Visit our Know Your Rights page to learn more and the phone numbers for local organizations with more resources. 

Know Your Rights Information for Businesses 

We are also helping inform business owners about their rights to help protect their employees and customers. Read more guidance from our partner Public Counsel in English and Spanish.

Steps To Prepare In Case ICE Comes To Your Business

  1. Create a workplace policy: Use guidance from organizations like Public Counsel to build a plan.
  2. Train staff: Identify and train a designated team member to handle any immigration enforcement interaction. All other employees should be trained on their rights, and instructed to remain silent when approached by ICE.
  3. Find legal support: Find a lawyer or nonprofit legal organization to call in the event of an ICE encounter. 
  4. Limit information collection: Do not collect more personal information about employees or clients than is necessary, and store it securely. Immigration may be able to access the data you collect if they have proper legal documentation, and can also view any documents that are left in plain view.
  5. Designate private space(s): Label private areas such as offices or break rooms with signs ie. “Restricted Area: Employees Only.”
  6. Be audit ready: Learn more about I-9 Audits and what to do if you receive a notice from ICE.

What To Know If ICE Comes To Your Business 

  1. Stay calm, don’t run and follow your plan. 
  2. Have a designated person trained to engage with ICE. This person has the right to ask for identification and other documents, such as a warrant signed by a judge or a subpoena.
  3. ICE cannot enter private areas without a warrant signed by a judge. Ask them to stay in public areas.
  4. Being in a public area does NOT give ICE the authority to stop, question, or arrest just anyone.
  5. Do not give ICE consent to speak with employees. Workers have the right to remain silent and ask for an attorney.
  6. You do not have to answer if ICE asks if a specific person is present.
  7. You do not have to release any information about workers unless required by a judicial warrant or subpoena.
  8. Contact a lawyer or nonprofit legal service provider as soon as possible. 
  9. Document and record the encounter.

Read more in-depth information about your rights as business owners and employers – from our partner Public Counsel. Their guide is available here in English and Spanish.

Commercial Tenant Protections for Small Businesses

Through our advocacy work, we’re proud to have co-sponsored the Commercial Tenant Protection Act (Senate Bill 1103) in 2024, which went into effect in January 2025. To fight displacement, this bill offers protections for small businesses and small nonprofits when entering into commercial leases. These new protections include:

  • Expanding language access by requiring commercial leases be provided to tenants in the languages in which they are negotiated (Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean) 
  • Creating transparency and standards with respect to building operating costs
  • Giving small businesses and small nonprofits more time to prepare for rent increases or termination of their tenancies

Read more about the commercial tenant protections now available for small businesses and nonprofits in California – and how to exercise your rights.

Other Legal Resources

If you’re an entrepreneur, worker, or small business owner looking for legal representation or to connect with an attorney, we recommend contacting trusted local legal organizations: