In 2024, LES created a climate action, mitigation, and community resiliency program to address the pressing challenges of climate change, particularly the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, wildfires and smoke, cold winters, and retrofitting low-income housing for immigrant families, who are often vulnerable populations. Immigrant workers face heightened risks due to socioeconomic, legal, and environmental challenges.

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Climate change is leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, creating an urgent need for robust heat safety regulations for outdoor workers. Immigrant workers, who often endure low wages, inadequate healthcare, and dangerous working conditions, are disproportionately affected. Fear of retaliation and deportation prevents many worker from reporting violations. Statistics highlight the severity: farmworkers are 20 times more likely to die from heat than other workers, and construction workers face heat-related fatalities 13 times more frequently than the general population.

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Economically, many immigrant workers lack the resources to cope with and recover from heat-related illnesses and their immigration status can exacerbate their vulnerability. Environmentally, inadequate access to water, shade, and breaks compounds the dangers of excessive heat exposure. Moreover, substandard housing conditions prevent effective recovery from daily heat exposure, increasing dehydration and heat-related health risks.