Overview

• The Board of Supervisors approved the expansion on a 4–1 vote, with Joel Anderson opposed and Jim Desmond voting yes despite criticizing the program overall.
• The county will use existing resources from the $5 million Immigrant Legal Defense Program, estimating about $300,000 to hire an additional staff member for the children’s cases.
• County leaders acted after federal contracts for attorneys for unaccompanied minors were cut and only temporarily restored by court order through September 30.
• Officials say the federal cuts affected roughly 26,000 children nationwide and about 300 in San Diego County, some of whom lost their lawyers earlier this year.
• Advocates note there is no right to government-provided counsel in immigration court and cite data showing outcomes improve from about 5% to 66% with representation, with nonprofits such as Casa Cornelia and the Immigrant Defenders Law Center providing services.