Advocates urge legislature to preserve and expand $75 million annual immigration‑legal services allocation

Dozens of immigration‑service providers and advocacy groups told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee that California should preserve the governor’s proposed $75 million annual allocation for state immigration‑legal services and consider increases to meet rising demand.

The testimony emphasized three themes: (1) state funds help immigrants access relief and avoid family separation; (2) demand for services is increasing amid federal enforcement activity and policy changes; and (3) funding needs flexibility to let providers respond quickly to changing legal and operational requirements.

Why it matters: Immigration legal representation in many removal and administrative proceedings is not guaranteed federally. State funds that pay for attorneys and navigation support are a primary means for keeping families together and helping people obtain relief, advocates said.

What advocates reported

- Organizations including the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA/CHIDLA), Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the ACLU of California Action, California Immigrant Policy Center, CARE, CRLA and others described increased demand for consultations, removal defense, asylum and family‑based applications and detention/deportation response.

- Several groups urged the subcommittee to retain the governor’s $75 million annual allocation in the CDSS budget and to consider additional one‑time or multiyear funding. An advocacy witness asked for an increase of $60 million in FY 2025–26 and another $60 million in FY 2026–27 to expand capacity (requests reflected in testimony from some providers).

- Providers asked the legislature to allow flexibility in contracting and to sustain programs such as the Children’s Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), which provides social‑work and legal teams for unaccompanied children across dozens of counties.

Quotations

"State funded immigration legal services help keep thousands of California families together and safe," said several providers during public comment, and groups urged the legislature to increase funding "as mass raids and deportations continue."

Committee follow‑up and context

Department and provider witnesses noted the importance of multilingual outreach and of tailoring services for rural and limited‑English‑proficient communities. Providers also asked for emergency crisis funding to help families who lose a breadwinner to enforcement actions and said delays in funding or restrictive procurement rules can hinder rapid response.

Ending

Advocates asked the subcommittee to protect current funding levels and to expand investments to meet projected needs as federal immigration enforcement activity increases. The committee did not take votes at the hearing but staff asked CDSS and DOF for further technical and fiscal analysis should the legislature consider augmenting the governor’s proposal.