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Supervisors back $1.3 million supplemental to expand immigrant legal defense and rapid response
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee voted to forward a supplemental appropriation to expand the Public Defender—s immigration unit, rapid response network funding and nonprofit legal representation, citing urgent need amid increased federal enforcement. Supervisors amended the measure and took it to the full board with a positive recommendation.
The San Francisco Budget & Finance Committee on March 1 voted to forward to the full Board a supplemental appropriation — approximately $1.3 million from the general reserve — to expand immigrant legal defense services, support rapid-response community organizations and fund noncitizen outreach.
Supervisor Sandra Feuer, the lead sponsor, said the supplemental responds to an escalation in federal immigration enforcement and cited actions including the administration—s termination of DACA and expanded ICE activity. Feuer described amendments that reduced the immediate draw on the general reserve to $441,617 by shifting some costs and adjusting position counts; the measure would add 14 positions at the Public Defender—s Office for an immigrant-unit expansion and fund contracts for nonprofit legal representation and a 24/7 rapid-response hotline.
Brian Chu of the Mayor—s Office of Housing and Community Development said the money would allow immediate contract amendments to sustain the existing rapid-response network and legal-defense collaborative; a competitive procurement would follow for ongoing funding next fiscal year. Public Defender Jeff Adachi described detained cases where counsel secured release and cited local data showing that in 2016 the San Francisco immigration court completed 1,698 detained cases but only about 20 percent had counsel. Adachi said represented detainees are far more likely to obtain relief and that expansion would increase releases and case outcomes.
Members of the public—s immigrant-rights coalition, legal-service groups and faith communities gave extensive testimony, describing increased hotline volume (up to 100 calls per week on some lines), family separations, and a need for immediate legal and social-services capacity. Several speakers credited the city—s prior support for preventing separations and urged swift action. The committee voted to forward the supplemental as amended without objection.
The clerk noted scheduling constraints: committee members discussed moving the item to the March 6 full board meeting but were told the March 13 date is required under committee rules. The committee nevertheless recorded a unanimous positive recommendation to the Board.
