More immigrants throughout Orange County could get citizenship status, work visas and other legal documentation following a $1.5 million state grant to Catholic Charities of OC. 

It comes roughly five months after federal deportation efforts kicked off in early June, which saw ICE agents and Border Patrol officers detaining and arresting people throughout Orange County at places like Home Depots and car washes. 

Founded in 1976 when scores of Vietnamese refugees were coming stateside, Catholic Charities Executive Director Ellen Roy said the organization has helped 350,000 people gain legal status in the county. 

“Our immigration services are at the root of what we do,” Roy said at a Friday morning news conference in Santa Ana. 

“We had some really rough times this year, so I did a lot of praying,” Roy said. 

Catholic Charities Executive Director Ellen Roy speaks to Congressman Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) after the press conference announcing $1.5 million in state funding for immigration services for local families. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Assemblyman Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim), who helped spearhead the $1.5 million grant, said ICE raids are greatly impacting Orange County.

“We are second only to LA when it comes to deportation cases statewide,” Valencia said. 

He also said federal officials haven’t learned from history. 

“I am the proud son of Mexican immigrants – they came here in the early 80s. And they were some of the fortunate ones who – because of amnesty – they had an expedited path to citizenship,” Valencia said. “Instead of learning from the best of our past, we are making the same worst mistakes.”

Nearly 970,000 of Orange County’s roughly 3.1 million residents are foreign born, according to the Census Bureau.

An estimated 229,000 people are undocumented in the county, according to the Migration Policy Institute. 

Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Meanwhile, cities like Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana have rolled out immigration aid funds for residents – helping families impacted by ICE raids with things like legal services, rent assistance and food. 

[Read: Immigration Legal Aid Funds Grow in Orange County] 

This week, Santa Ana City Council members bolstered rent relief to low and moderate income immigrant families who’ve been impacted by the ongoing ICE raids. 

Congressman Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) said the United States is “a country of immigrants from all over the world.” 

He also called on people to document the ongoing ICE raids and federal deportation efforts. 

“We want to make sure our children and grandchildren remember what we went through,” Correa said at Friday’s news conference. 

He said the legal services the grant provides is critical for immigrants. 

“The first step to Due Process is having legal representation,” Correa said. “That’s what we’re doing here today.” 

Middle, Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), speaks to a migrant advocate during the press conference announcing funding to Catholic Charities of Orange County to help the organization obtain citizenship status and other legal documents for immigrants. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) said the $1.5 million grant sends a message. 

“This $1.5 million – it’s not just a line item in our state budget, it’s a commitment,” Rivas said during Friday’s news conference. 

He also said the community input he got from an August immigration round table – along with numerous resident testimonies – impacted him and his colleagues. 

“These stories that we heard here and all over the state – they stick with you,” he said. “Immigrants are the backbone of this region.” 

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