DATE:
April 21, 2026
16
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
EXPANDING IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS RESOURCES THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEXICAN CONSULATE (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
As federal immigration enforcement expands, more San Diego families are being pulled into detention and removal proceedings without legal representation. Unlike criminal defendants, individuals facing immigration removal proceedings have no constitutional right to appointed counsel. Without an attorney, even individuals with strong legal claims are routinely removed without ever having a chance to make their case.
Everyone deserves due process and a fair day in court. Since 2022, the County of San Diego's Immigrant Legal Defense Program (ILDP) has made that principle real: nearly two-thirds of ILDP clients whose cases reached a decision were granted relief by a judge, compared to just 5% of those without legal representation. The ILDP is administered through the County's Office of the Public Defender, which provides legal representation to individuals facing removal proceedings who cannot afford private counsel. The program has proven cost-effective, with legal costs nearly 80% less than hiring a private attorney.
Aggressive mass deportation sweeps are tearing local families apart, destabilizing neighborhoods, and eroding trust in government. These operations undermine due process and swiftly remove people from their homes and communities. Without an attorney, even individuals with strong legal claims are far less likely to succeed. The impacts are immediate and long-lasting: kids left without parents, workers ripped from jobs, and families forced into crisis overnight.
Mixed-status and binational families are bearing the brunt of this enforcement wave. San Diego County is home to at least 200,000 Mexican nationals, nearly half of whom are estimated to have uncertain or unresolved documentation status and may face heightened risk of detention...
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