Amid shifting immigration policies and heightened federal enforcement, new funding from SB 104, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will expand immigration services across the Central Coast.
Catholic Charities of the Central Coast will receive $1.5 million of a $5 million budget allocation secured by Assemblymembers Dawn Addis and Esmeralda Soria as part of a statewide effort to strengthen legal service infrastructure in underserved regions.
While immigration raids like the ones seen in Southern California and elsewhere across the country, have not occurred in the Central Coast, Addis, who represents Assembly District 30, which includes Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties, said many local families are living in fear and in need of trusted, legal advice.
“What the federal administration is doing with bringing militarized troops into communities and immigration raids picking up even documented people and those that are here legally and have no violent past, immigrant legal defense is incredibly important right now,” said Addis.
The new funds will help strengthen legal representation, rapid response efforts, and community education for immigrant families facing increasing federal enforcement, with Catholic Charities of the Central Coast serving as a recipient to expand services in the region.
The faith-based, nonprofit social service agency provides aid to individuals and families throughout Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo counties.
Over the last year, the agency provided immigration legal services to more than 33,000 individuals through legal representation, consultations, outreach activities and Know Your Rights forums.
“In a lot of these places, we are the only service provider that is trusted, and that has the capacity to expand because we have infrastructure and the technical knowledge to provide the services,” said Executive Director of Catholic Charities Dioceses of Monterey Angela Di Novella.
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Immigration policies constantly changing
The immigration legal landscape has been a whirlwind since President Donald Trump resumed office in January, with new executive orders and policy shifts creating a minefield for individuals trying to navigate the system.
As of October, Trump has issued at least nine executive orders specifically related to immigration during his second term, overseen a $75 billion investment in Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) through the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” changed or in some cases eliminated entire legal pathways and upended usual immigration procedure.
The second Trump Administration has imposed restrictions on “virtually all types of immigration,” according to the non-partisan American Immigration Council, while prioritizing deportation.
“The fact that there has been a stop completely on granting asylum and refugee status has created a bind for people who were already in the pipeline to file,” said Di Novella.
The firing of immigration court judges and their replacement with less experienced adjudicators along with new requirements to bring cases to court that were previously handled through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), adds another layer of complexity and hardship.
Nearly 20 immigration court judges received termination notices in September, as reported by NPR, in addition to the more than 80 that were let go so far this year. Fox 4 News reported earlier in October the Trump Administration aims to bring in military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges.
For Central Coast families, appearing in immigration court means traveling to either San Francisco or Los Angeles.
“In the past, they could make appearances virtually, which is helpful for the families, but now they are requesting it to be in person,” said Di Novalla. “Or they need to submit a different form three days before they go to court.”
In some cases, court appearances are delayed or advanced with little notice, said Di Novalla, actions that are meant to “create confusion and chaos.”
“There is a constant movement of the goal post,” she added.
Trusted legal advice important
In the United States, both temporary and permanent immigration is generally limited to three different routes: employment, family reunification, or humanitarian protection, according to the American Immigration Council, and each of these legal avenues is highly regulated, with strict numerical caps and eligibility requirements.
If you want to become a citizen, for example, the amount of time depends on a variety of factors, according to the American Immigration Council, including a person’s country of birth, their pathway, and processing times at USCIS.
The process is complex, often costly, and leaves those navigating it vulnerable to misinformation and scams.
While out in the community at Know Your Rights forums and clinics, Catholic Charities program staff have encountered people that have been duped by notaries (or notarios), received the wrong information by those they thought they could trust or charged upwards of $10,000 by private attorneys who do not practice immigration law and therefore in the end could not help.
After being taken for thousands of dollars and getting nowhere or being told (wrongly) that nothing can be done with their case, many people are left discouraged and distrustful of the process.
Many people are surprised, said Di Novalla when they are told they do have a legal pathway.
“That is why we encourage our community to stay away from notarios and go with trusted partners — people that have Department of Justice accredited staff or immigration attorneys,” said Di Novalla.
The Catholic Charities Dioceses of Monterey Immigration and Citizenship Program staff is accredited by the Department of Justice and are regularly trained on the latest immigration policy changes. The agency also has a list of trusted legal service providers.
To learn more about Catholic Charities immigration legal services, go to their website.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: California boosts immigration legal services funds on Central Coast