February 23, 2026
Cal Matters: Why these California counties are directly funding immigrant legal defense amid Trump’s crackdown
With the Trump administration escalating immigration enforcement, a number of California municipal and county governments are setting aside public money to help immigrants and rapid response networks build legal defenses.
San Francisco and Alameda County are among the latest to designate additional money for immigrants to defend themselves against deportation. In October, when President Donald Trump threatened to increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors beefed up its defense fund by a unanimous vote with $3.5 million. In March, Alameda County doubled the fund it had started with $3.5 million.
Richmond, Los Angeles and Santa Clara County also have established immigration defense funds. And Bay Area cities have joined forces to create Stand Together Bay Area Fund, a legal resource completely funded by philanthropy.
