Ventura County supervisors split over immigrant legal-defense package; $250,000 county contribution fails

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 12 considered a multi-part package to expand legal help, education and other services for immigrant residents, approving policy changes and staff-training direction but rejecting a $250,000 county contribution to a community-run legal-defense fund and taking no action on a request to add seven positions to the public defender—s office.

The measures were part of agenda item 43, introduced by Supervisor Vianney López and widely discussed during a nearly eight-hour public-comment period that drew dozens of speakers from cities across Ventura County. Supervisors voted to adopt nonmonetary actions directing county counsel and departments to develop staff policies, protocols and training for interactions with federal immigration authorities (approved 4-1) and unanimously approved amendments to the county—s legislative platform asking state and federal policymakers to preserve constitutional protections during immigration enforcement and to support comprehensive immigration reform.

But the board did not approve a proposal to set aside $250,000 from the county general fund to establish an immigration legal-assistance account administered through the Ventura County Community Foundation. That motion required four affirmative votes and failed after two supervisors voted no. A separate request to create seven fixed-term positions in the public defender—s office to stand up an immigration-defense unit failed to advance after…