The City Council committee on Friday considered options to increase funding for Represent LA, the city-backed legal services partnership for immigrants, after public commenters and council members urged an immediate expansion.

Represent LA was created to provide legal services to immigrants facing detention and deportation. Public commenters and nonprofit legal providers told the committee the program needs more money now as recent federal immigration activity has increased demand for representation.

Julie Jacobi, representing the City Administrative Officer's office, told the committee the CAO's report showed $5,000,000 in city allocations to date since Represent LA launched in February 2022 — $2,000,000 in 2021–22 and $2,000,000 in 2022–23 — and that the city did not allocate funds in 2023–24 because prior-year unspent funds were available. Jacobi said the adopted 2024–25 budget included what she described as an additional $11,000,000 and noted the council added back $1,000,000 during budget deliberations. Jacobi said the CAO did not recommend using the General Fund for an increased contribution, saying, “If we were to use general fund, it would be to reduce services in other program areas.”

Advocates who testified urged immediate action. Leon Hanke, representing Democratic Socialists of Los Angeles, told the committee, “getting another million dollars for Represent LA is going to save lives,” and said the CAO report was “inadequate.” Renata Jong Khamasat Hit, a legal representative at the Thai Community Development Center, said disaster conditions and recent raids have increased trafficking and detention cases and asked the council to add at least another $1,000,000. Public Counsel attorney Jana Walley said her office receives Represent LA funding and described detained clients facing lengthy detention and bond hurdles, saying additional city support is needed to secure release and litigation where necessary.

During deliberations council members criticized the CAO report as lacking urgency and options. Councilmember Rodriguez said the council has tools to reallocate funds and urged stronger use of the city’s budget authority: “If you're serious about it, let's effing go,” she said. Councilmember Nazarian asked the CAO to engage the grants team and explore state grant programs and philanthropic partners. Jacobi said the CAO will reengage its grants unit, note the city's partnership structure with Los Angeles County (where contracts to service providers are held through an MOU), and that the first financial status reports are expected in September.

The committee agreed to hold the item and instructed the CAO to: (1) review the citywide unallocated balance and other UB resources for possible reallocation; (2) task the CAO grants unit with a targeted search of state grant opportunities and philanthropic partnerships; and (3) work with Represent LA providers to report back at the next committee meeting with an accounting of what an additional $1,000,000 would purchase and metrics on how many people the program has served to date. The committee did not vote to appropriate funds at the meeting.

The committee earlier approved items 5 through 11 on consent; the clerk recorded five ayes when those items passed to full council.

The committee’s instructions require the CAO to return with specific findings and options; members said they expect quicker follow up than the CAO report's initial presentation.

Notes: the CAO described current funding sources and recommended against a General Fund transfer without offset; the CAO said the county remains the contract holder for service providers and philanthropic reengagement is being discussed.