About Us
It began with a caravan, and a refusal to turn anyone away.
In 2018, as migrant caravans reached Tijuana, Irving Mondragón built a safe haven for LGBTQ+ migrants who were unwelcome in traditional shelters. What started in an abandoned building is now a permanent home — and Casa de Luz SD raises the funds that keep its doors open.
Co-founders Irving Mondragón and Areli Palomo moved the growing collective through a squatted building, an abandoned gym, and a discotheque — wherever they could keep the community safe. Stability came when Jack Nooren, a Dutch-American developer, acquired and fully renovated a three-story building in Playas de Tijuana and founded the U.S.-based 501(c)(3) to sustain it.
The shelter license took two years and four rejections to secure — finally approved with the Mayors of San Diego and Tijuana standing side by side at the ribbon-cutting. Today, Casa de Luz is governed by a San Diego board rooted in medicine, law, hospitality, and civic advocacy.
No human life is illegal.
Trans, lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are fleeing from all over the world to escape “epidemic levels of violence” and threats from criminal gangs and security forces. In the past five years, more than 2,900 were killed in Central America alone. These are among the most vulnerable refugees arriving at the U.S. border.
Casa de Luz exists so that no one fleeing persecution for who they are has to face the border alone. We provide a safe place to stay and clear guidance on the legal route to asylum — all of it run entirely on donations.
One Organization, Two Cities
A permanent home, built two governments at a time.
Casa de Luz SD is the sister organization of Casa de Luz TJ. We were formed as a U.S.-based nonprofit to satisfy the legal requirements of two different governments — and we’ve been going strong ever since.
23 rooms
Comfortably housing 50+ refugees awaiting asylum
Collective kitchen
Feeding residents — and neighbors outside the shelter, too
Healthcare access
Helping residents get the medical care they need
Transportation
Getting residents to legal and asylum appointments on time
Who We Are
A board with deep roots in the cause.
Casa de Luz is led by a San Diego board rooted in medicine, law, hospitality, and civic advocacy — working alongside the team on the ground in Tijuana.
Our Supporters
We don’t do this alone.
Partner logos shown with permission pending — confirm rights with each partner before launch.
Newsletters
Read the year in review.
Every year we share the milestones, the residents’ stories, and exactly where your support went.