Committee forwards $3.5 million appropriation for immigrant legal services to full Board

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee voted 3–0 on Nov. 12 to amend and forward an ordinance that would appropriate $3.5 million from the city’s general reserve to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development to expand coordinated immigrant legal defense and rapid‑response services.

Julia Sabore, director of community development at the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), told the committee the supplemental would add attorneys and paralegals, expand staffing for coordinated response, improve technology for real‑time communication and intake, and increase multilingual outreach and “know your rights” workshops. Sabore highlighted rising demand: “The projected fiscal year 2025 annual goal was a total of 1,200 calls. But in just the first quarter of this fiscal year, the hotline has already received over 1,400,” she said, adding that calls are “up 350%” compared with the same period last year.

Nick Menard of the Budget and Legislative Analyst's Office summarized fiscal effects, saying the $3.5 million transfer would be about a 28% increase over the current $12.3 million portfolio for these services and that the appropriation is one‑time. “Because this is taken from the general reserve, we consider approval of this item to be a policy matter for the Board,” Menard said, noting that per the city’s reserve policy the funding will need to be replaced in the next budget year unless alternate sources are identified.

Committee members framed the supplement as an immediate response to increased enforcement and service demand while pressing for accountability and long‑term planning. Chair Supervisor Connie Chan said she wants the item considered a budget priority and asked staff to provide strategy and continuity plans for upcoming budget instructions. Vice Chair Supervisor Matt Dorsey emphasized accountability and the need for the city to fill gaps as philanthropic support wanes.

During public comment, attorneys and nonprofit legal staff urged passage. Omar Dela Cruz of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies said the funding helps keep families together and maintain rapid response capacity, warning of intensified federal enforcement and describing recent deployments of federal agents in the city. “When the president sends federal agents with military grade weapons into our cities,” he said, “this kind of funding also supports these networks.” Other commenters representing Pangea Legal Services, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, API Legal Outreach, the University of San Francisco law clinic, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights urged similar support, describing increased caseloads and use of habeas petitions to secure releases from detention.

Chair Chan moved to amend the ordinance to clarify the purpose as funding for immigration legal defense and services to immigrant communities; the roll call vote recorded Vice Chair Matt Dorsey—aye; Member Bea Alcaraz—aye; Chair Connie Chan—aye. The amendment passed. The committee then voted 3–0 to forward the amended ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with recommendation. The clerk noted items acted on today are expected to appear on the Board agenda on Nov. 18.

The committee’s action forwards the ordinance for full Board consideration; because the appropriation is funded from the general reserve, staff and supervisors emphasized the need to identify longer‑term funding and to evaluate provider capacity and cost efficiency before distributing the supplemental funds.