LOS ANGELES – Today, the Gascón for Los Angeles DA campaign is proud to announce that the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Action Fund threw their support behind George Gascón for LA District Attorney. CHIRLA is an immigrant-centered and immigrant-powered organization working to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants. For more than 30 years, CHIRLA has been working to expand immigrant rights and defend the community against attacks from those who seek to scapegoat and blame immigrants for systemic problems. In California and the nation, CHIRLA drives the quest for fair, comprehensive immigration reform that acknowledges the contributions of immigrants and recognition that America is multi-ethinc, vari-colored and enriched by the diverse heritages of generations of immigrants.
“We are proud to support George Gascón for Los Angeles District Attorney as he has championed without hesitation solutions that take into account people’s humanity while fighting for equality and fairness in the criminal justice system,” said Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Action Fund President. “Mr. Gascón has a proven track record of progressive solutions that have had a direct impact on the large immigrant community. We look forward to his work in Los Angeles and his offering a fresh perspective for this great city.”
“When I was 13 my family fled Castro’s communist regime in fear. We came to this country with nothing but hope and the promise of freedom,” said former District Attorney and Assistant Chief of the LAPD, George Gascón. “I struggled to learn the language, I dropped out of school, and got a job bagging groceries before joining the army and serving my country. In many ways my life is indicative of the immigrant experience, we were drawn by the promise of opportunity and fairness. Somewhere along the way we lost our compassion and humanity when it comes to immigrants and people who make mistakes. I’m proud to have CHIRLA Action Fund’s support. This is an organiation built on the promise of second chances and an inclusive community that works to together to enhance our collective safety.”
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George Gascón grew up in Los Angeles after his family immigrated from Cuba. An army veteran, Gascón served as a Los Angeles Police Department Officer for 30 years, rising to the rank of Assistant Chief of Operations. In 2006 he became Chief of Police in Mesa, Arizona, where he stood up to the hateful and anti-immigrant policies of then Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. In 2009, then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Gascón Chief of Police. Newsom turned to Gascón again in 2011 when he tapped him to be District Attorney to fill the seat vacated by an outoing Kamala Harris who had been elected Attorney General. During his tenure Gascón implemented reforms that are being duplicated across the country while overseeing violent crime and homicides drop to rates not seen in 50 years. After being elected to two terms, Gascón returned to Los Angeles to care for his elderly mother and to be closer to his two daughters and grandchildren in Long Beach. Gascón is married to Fabiola Kramsky, a three-time Emmy Award winning journalist and recipient of the “Premio Nacional de Periodismo,” the highest recognition given to journalists in Mexico.