Santa Barbara Council approves $500,000 for immigrant legal defense and community support, pledges to replenish housing fund

The Santa Barbara City Council voted to allocate $500,000 from the city’s flexible housing and homelessness fund to support immigrant-serving organizations providing legal defense and emergency assistance to families affected by federal immigration enforcement.

Senior assistant to the city administrator Barbara Anderson presented staff recommendations to allocate $130,000 to the Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC) to expand legal representation and casework and to partner with the Fund for Santa Barbara for a $370,000 grant program to distribute funds to local nonprofit service providers. Anderson told the council ILDC’s work would support an estimated 35 to 40 cases and that the Fund would receive up to 10 percent of its award for administrative support.

"This is just not a policy matter. It's a human issue," Fernando Martinez, a community organizer with MICOP, said during public comment, urging council to approve the funding.

Scope and distribution

Staff said the Fund for Santa Barbara would manage grant solicitation, a grantmaking committee review process and annual reporting to the city; all final grant awards would return to council for approval. Funding criteria presented by staff require grantees to be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or to apply through a fiscal sponsor, to deliver nondiscriminatory services, and to offer secular services where faith-based groups participate.

Anderson also emphasized that grant funds cannot be used to provide training or tools that could be perceived as interfering with federal law enforcement, and that services must target individuals or families living or working in the city of Santa Barbara.

Public comment and council deliberations

More than a dozen public speakers, including organizers and representatives from MICOP, Unidos 805 and Move Santa Barbara County, urged the council to approve the allocation and highlighted cases of families separated by enforcement actions. Faith leaders and local advocates also supported the proposal and asked the city to coordinate donations and other emergency supports.

Council members debated both the urgency of distributing aid and the source of the funds. Several council members, including Council Member Sneddon and Council Member Santa Maria, said the flexible housing fund provided the fastest mechanism to get money into community hands and pledged to work through the finance committee to replenish the fund. "We need the council today to renew this pledge," Larry Barrett of Indivisible Santa Barbara said during public comment.

Vote and next steps

Council Member Sneddon moved the staff recommendations and Council Member Santa Maria seconded. The council approved the package in a roll-call vote, 5 to 1 (Mayor Ross cast the lone no vote; Council Member Jordan was absent). The action directs staff to amend ILDC’s existing agreement to add the $130,000 and to execute a partnership agreement with the Fund for Santa Barbara to administer the $370,000 grant program. Council members said they expect to discuss replenishment options at a finance committee meeting currently scheduled for Oct. 14.

Staff and community groups said they plan to announce the grant program and begin accepting applications after agreements are finalized and return to council for approval of award recommendations.