Overview
- Gov. Gavin Newsom authorized the immediate release of $35 million to nonprofits providing food, basic needs and expanded legal assistance for immigrants facing deportation.
- State officials said the allocation supplements existing California-funded legal services for people in removal proceedings.
- The move comes despite fiscal strain, with Newsom’s office projecting a $2.9 billion deficit after prior limits on health coverage for unauthorized immigrants to curb costs.
- Legal aid funded by the state cannot be used to defend people convicted of serious or violent felonies, and state law allows corrections officials to transfer such individuals to ICE custody.
- Democratic leaders praised the support while Republican critics objected, as the action unfolds against a federal enforcement push backed by a $170 billion funding package over four years.