Immigration advocates rallied outside the San Mateo County Center in Redwood City on Monday, June 9, urging the Board of Supervisors to boost funding for legal defense in deportation cases. (Courtesy of Faith in Action Bay Area)
Amid
escalating federal immigration enforcement in California, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved $1.75 million in legal aid funding for residents facing deportation proceedings.
About 55,000 people in the county, or roughly 7.5% of the population, lack legal status, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute. Money for the aid will be drawn from Measure K — the county’s half-cent sales tax for public services.
Tuesday’s vote came as demand for immigration legal assistance has surged.
In the first three days of June, the county’s rapid response hotline received more than 250 calls, 95% of which were requests for legal help, according to Faith in Action Bay Area, a civic group that partners with the county to assist immigrants. The group urged the board to increase funding by $1 million, raising the total to $2.75 million.
“Many of the callers are asylum seekers fleeing persecution, unaccompanied youth, and others who are extremely vulnerable,” the group said in a statement.
Hundreds of advocates attended Tuesday’s board meeting to urge supervisors to add $1 million to the funding, enough to hire at least three more immigration attorneys for a total of seven. But because the item was placed on the board’s consent agenda — a bundle of measures approved without discussion — supervisors did not publicly address the request or explain why it wasn’t included in the final resolution.
County spokesperson Michelle Durand said the board approved the amount as proposed to avoid disruptions to ongoing services.
“The board moved forward with the agendized funding request to avoid any gaps in service if the agreements between the county and the Legal Aid Society reach their June 30, 2025, expiration date,” Durand said, referring to one of the local organizations contracted to help the county provide legal aid to immigrants. “The board can still consider increasing the funds at a later date.”
Board President David Canepa said he has supported deportation defense funding since 2017.
“I fully support this work and will continue to advocate for our immigrant community and any needs that may arise during these uncertain times,” Canepa said in a statement. In a separate text message, he added that the board is open to considering additional funding in future meetings.
Despite the board’s decision, Faith in Action Bay Area said it looks forward to continued collaboration.
“San Mateo County residents deserve to have legal consultation and representation in immigration court,” said spokesperson Trinidad Villagomez. “This is urgent, and we look forward to their swift action in future meetings to protect the safety and dignity of our immigrant families.”
County officials said previously they’re reviewing next year’s budget with caution as they brace for potential federal funding cuts. The
proposed $4.9 billion spending plan reflects that restraint.
During the meeting, many immigrant community advocates said the current funding levels fall short. Carol Cook, a San Mateo County resident of 35 years, called the situation urgent.
“A larger increase is needed due to the urgency and scale of the crisis,” she said. “Adding three more attorneys would still bring us to less than 40% of the level Santa Clara and San Francisco counties are funding.”
Faith in Action Bay Area said in a news release Santa Clara and San Francisco counties each allocate about $6 million annually to immigrant legal services.
Alameda County approved $3.5 million in March for similar programs. Last December, Santa Clara
redirected $5 million from its cash reserves to bolster deportation defense after President Donald Trump announced plans for mass deportations.
Local teachers and advocates also voiced fears for their students and neighbors.
“Every time one of my students doesn’t come in, I am terrified for them,” said Jak Buford, a teacher in Redwood City. “If we cannot protect them entirely from ICE, at the very least we can support them in court so they have the help every member of this country is entitled to.”
Tensions between California officials and the Trump administration are escalating amid widespread protests that
began in Los Angeles and have now spread to the Bay Area. Border czar Tom Homan recently threatened to arrest state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, warning them not to obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
With more protests planned in the Bay Area in the coming week, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus — the county’s first Latina sheriff — emphasized in a statement Tuesday that her department does not assist ICE with its operations.
“Our policy complies with applicable state law,” she said. “We only comply with judicial warrants. Since I took office in January 2023, the Sheriff’s Office has not turned anyone over to ICE.”
Corpus added that her department remains focused on public safety and upholding constitutional rights.
“We respect and honor individuals’ First Amendment rights,” she said. “We also want to remind community members that we will not tolerate violence, harm to law enforcement or civilians, or destruction of property during protests.”
