Date:
November 17, 2026 25
To: Board of Supervisors
Title
Protecting Due Process for All by Strengthening the Immigrant Legal Defense Program (Districts: All)
End
Overview
As federal immigration enforcement escalates, more San Diego families face the threat of detention, deportation, and separation. The County's latest Immigrant Legal Defense Program Annual Report found that the median time clients spend in immigration detention nearly doubled in just one year, from 86 to 167 days, while calls from new clients seeking legal assistance surged 130 percent. Behind that number are parents, workers, and neighbors facing proceedings that can determine whether they stay with their families and in the communities they call home. For someone in detention, finding an attorney, gathering records, and preparing a defense can be extraordinarily difficult. At a time when the federal government is expanding immigration enforcement, access to a qualified attorney is more important than ever.
A fair hearing should not be something only the wealthy can afford. Yet without an attorney, people facing deportation must navigate a complex legal system alone, often without knowing what protections they may qualify for. A national analysis of immigration court cases completed from Fiscal Years 2019 through 2024 found that people without attorneys were more than twice as likely to be ordered deported - 62 compared to 27 percent of those with legal representation. Having an attorney doesn't guarantee someone can stay in the United States, but it does mean they have a fairer opportunity to understand their rights, present their case, and be heard.
The County of San Diego established the Immigrant Legal Defense Program (ILDP) in 2021 because due process must mean more than a promise on paper. Since launching in 2022, the program has helped people get a fairer day in court in more than 3,500 cases. More than half (52 percent) of cases with substantive outcomes have resul...
Click here for full text