Community leaders react to San Mateo County’s approval to increase legal aid for people facing deportation: “We are grateful, but we demand more”
Amid the crisis triggered by the Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigrant policies, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors agreed on Tuesday, June 10, to increase the budget for legal defense of undocumented individuals in the county, approving a nearly half-million-dollar boost for the July 2025–June 2026 period.
Grassroots organizations, such as Faith in Action, had requested that lawmakers raise the budget to $2.75 million to fund services provided by the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, which offers legal representation to immigrants.
Ultimately, the board approved an allocation of $1.75 million for 2025–2026, half a million more than the previous year’s $1.2 million.
According to Latina supervisor Noelia Corzo, the amount had already been agreed upon in a contract with Legal Aid Society, following negotiations in which she participated.
Faith in Action (FInA) connects those in need of legal assistance and without sufficient resources to government-funded legal services.
In its proposal, FInA had requested that the number of Legal Aid Society attorneys be increased to 11. These professionals specifically handle rapid response to immigration raids, deportation defense, and “affirmative relief” such as applying for residency and citizenship. Under the newly approved budget, that number can now rise to 8 as of July.
More than 50 Faith in Action members—leaders and activists from various religious denominations—gathered in front of county offices in Redwood City the day before to present their counterproposal and announce they would attend the supervisors’ Tuesday morning meeting.
Indeed, more than a dozen members of the organization took the microphone during the public comment period to reaffirm their request.
In a passionate speech, FInA co-director Lorena Melgarejo said that members of her organization—including herself—often must drop other responsibilities to accompany individuals to immigration court, as ICE agents wait there to detain them. Melgarejo apologized as she had to “rush to San Francisco,” where a situation like the one she described was taking place.
Faith in Action spokesperson Nani Friedman told Península 360 Press they are “grateful” to the Board of Supervisors for increasing the legal assistance budget, despite it being less than they requested, and appreciated that the decision was made without delay.
On Monday, June 9, Supervisor Noelia Corzo joined Faith in Action’s gathering outside 500 County Center to say she planned to ask her colleagues to approve the legal aid budget increase.
Corzo cautioned, however, that the contract with Legal Aid Society had already been signed and could not be amended. “That’s why I will ask for the agreed amount to be approved,” she said, “but also for negotiations to continue so that we can bring more support to the county’s undocumented residents who need it.”
Corzo, the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, said she understands the anxiety people feel when they must appear in immigration court, fearing they may be arrested by ICE. “Next week we’ll have budget meetings,” she added, committing to “try to find more funding” to strengthen legal aid for immigrants.
Wendy Cruz, a Salvadoran leader with Faith in Action who attended both the Monday rally and Tuesday meeting, told Península 360 Press that her organization was inspired to request more funding by counties like Santa Clara and San Francisco, which each allocate $6 million to legal services for undocumented individuals (according to data provided by FInA).
“Yes, we can,” affirmed Cruz, echoing the chants heard outside 500 County Center. She also shared her personal story, expressing gratitude for the county legal aid she received when her husband was detained for five months in 2018.
— Some Facts:
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- According to Faith in Action, “the vast majority” of immigrant residents in San Mateo County appear in immigration court without legal representation.
- For example, in the first three days of June, the County’s Rapid Response Hotline received over 250 calls, and in 95% of those cases, someone was requesting legal assistance.
- Many of the callers were asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home countries, unaccompanied minors, or other individuals in “extremely vulnerable” situations.
- San Mateo County Rapid Response Hotline to report ICE activity in your area: (203) 666 - 4472.
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