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Durham council approves $200,000 amendment to immigrant legal aid grant after public questions about transparency
Summary
The Durham City Council unanimously approved a $200,000 amendment to a city grant for immigration legal assistance, raising the contract total to $450,000; public commenters urged transparency and an open competitive process for future funding.
Durham City Council on Feb. 16 unanimously authorized the city manager to execute a first amendment to the fiscal year 2026 grant agreement expanding the city's immigration legal assistance project by $200,000, bringing the contract total to $450,000.
The amendment, described by staff as a funding increase for the existing immigrant and refugee assistance effort, drew public comment centered on who the program serves and whether the city should use a competitive procurement process.
"I would like to know who has this organization been working with," said Victoria Peterson, a local political activist, asking the council for an itemized budget and for clarity about which immigrant communities the program will serve. "It looks like that they have already received over 200 and some thousand dollars...I would like to get a report on this."
Another public speaker framed the grant as access to counsel. "To me, it's the right to counsel," said Pablo Freeman, urging the council to consider a transparent RFP so multiple nonprofits and private attorneys could compete to provide services and to ensure taxpayer accountability.
Council moved the authorization in open session and the motion passed without dissent. Mayor Mary Williams presided over the vote.
Why it matters: Durham is directing federal and local funds toward a service many immigrants lack — legal representation in immigration proceedings — while residents pushed the council to ensure the contracting process is transparent and inclusive. Council members asked staff to circulate timelines for procurement and to confirm reporting expectations for the grantee.
What happens next: Staff will execute the amendment and, per council direction and public recommendation, provide details about the application and oversight process to the council and public. The funding increase becomes part of the city's FY26 grant management for the immigration assistance project.
