In summary
California continues to support legal defense for immigrants facing deportation despite a tight state budget and projections calling for deficits.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom plans on Friday to announce the allocation of state funding for removal defense and other services for immigrants impacted by detention and the Trump administration’s massive deportation agenda.
His office is releasing $35 million that the Legislature set aside in the state budget to help 33 philanthropic partners connect immigrant families with food assistance and other basic needs.
The money comes in addition to funds California set aside to provide legal resources to immigrants facing deportation.
“When federal actions create fear and instability, our responsibility is to show up for families. This investment strengthens local partners who are helping people access legal services and meet basic needs during an incredibly difficult moment,” said Kim Johnson, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency.
California found money for the support despite serious budget constraints. Newsom’s office expects a $2.9 billion deficit in the coming budget year, and the state limited health care for unauthorized immigrants this year to help resolve a larger deficit in 2025.
A spokesperson for Newsom said the governor has been hearing directly from immigrant families and community leaders. “People are afraid to leave their homes, afraid to go to school or work, and unable to afford groceries,” the spokesperson said. CalMatters has reported on families in farmworker communities who are foregoing critical medical care.
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a Republican from San Diego, called the funding allocation “absurd.”
“If you were audited by the IRS and found to owe money and back taxes, as a citizen, you couldn’t say, ‘Well, I want a free lawyer to fight the federal government,” said DeMaio.
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State Sen. Lena Gonzalez, chairperson of the California Latino Legislative Caucus and a Democrat from Long Beach, said the funding signifies Democrats standing with immigrant families.
“The federal government is waging a war on our communities – and we won’t stand for it,” she said. “We are putting money behind an effort to stop the fear, stop the separation of our families and stop violating our basic rights.”
President Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to carry out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. He signed a budget bill in June that included $170 billion for immigration enforcement, detention, and deportation efforts over four years. That record-breaking federal investment is designed to facilitate the deportation of up to 1 million people per year.
State funds earmarked for immigration legal services come with restrictions preventing money from being used to help people with serious or violent felony convictions fight deportations. California’s sanctuary law does not prevent state corrections staff from transferring people who have been convicted of violent or serious felonies to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for deportation.
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