By Melanie Slone
In January 2025, the community “witnessed the fear caused by traumatic immigration-related actions, including parents taken while bringing their children to school,” says community advocate Lisa Montes.
A few people in Solana Beach responded, forming Somos TIAS.
Somos TIAS (Take Inspired Action Siempre; a play on words with the Spanish We Are Tías, or Aunts) is a group of neighbors dedicated to extending care and support to vulnerable at-risk members of their communities.
“TIAS is a community-led response to federal government-inflicted harm, centered around neighbors supporting neighbors,” Montes says. Much of the focus is on helping immigrant families.
The members of Somos TIAS consider themselves a solidarity network. “Immigrants are our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, friends, and families,” says Amy Bryan, a Somos TIAS member. “Every bag of food, every letter, every act of care is a way of saying: you belong, you are not alone.”
The group now boasts more than 50 active members, 100 associate members, and hundreds of supporters across multiple chapters in Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Escondido. It is also available to provide strategic support to other communities across San Diego County.
Lisa Montes, whose family helped found La Colonia de Eden Gardens in Solana Beach, notes, “La Colonia’s rich history is thanks to close-knit communities indigenous to Solana Beach. Our members’ roots in the community go back many generations.”
Today, neighbors keep an eye on each other. “When we see something, we say something,” says Montes. That means keeping a close eye on neighborhoods “to ensure that we are all aware of what is going on in and near our homes, parks, schools, and other places of community.”
Bryan adds, “Our work is about neighbors supporting neighbors. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for providing educational materials, preparedness resources, food or supplies to our families, but we work together to make it happen.”
Somos TIAS:
- Works with community members and service organizations to get resources directly to families.
- Helps families understand and assert their rights and proactively prepare to reduce harm that would be caused by a loved one no longer being in their home.
- Stands with families following traumatic events that leave children and loved ones without support.
- Strives to bring hope and connection through writing letters to neighbors that are detained and by accompanying neighbors at immigration court as they follow their paths to permanent residency and citizenship.
Anyone interested in getting involved with Somos TIAS can email somostias@proton.me or visit somostias.org.
