The Antelope Valley Times

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County approves $3 million in contributions for legal aid fund

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LOS ANGELES  – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to contribute $1 million, growing to $2 million next year, to a legal aid fund for immigrants facing deportation proceedings.

County officials and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the creation of the $10 million L.A. Justice Fund on Monday, calling it a direct response to Donald Trump’s threat to increase deportations of undocumented immigrants and other “dangerous rhetoric” by the president-elect.

Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn recommended the county’s participation.

“We have a history of providing help to all residents,” Solis said, noting that the county’s social services safety net provides lunches for seniors and children and emergency medical care for uninsured residents, documented or not.

The fund is a partnership between the city and county of Los Angeles, California Community Foundation, Weingart Foundation and the California Endowment.

Garcetti said the city will contribute $2 million from its general fund. The county’s $3 million, to be contributed through June 30, 2018, is subject to matching contributions and private philanthropic organizations are expected to chip in $5 million.

Hahn pointed out that legal pathways to staying in the U.S. are available, but “without lawyers assisting them, they may never know or be aware of their options.”

The majority of speakers urged the board to approve the funding, but a vocal crowd of opponents argued that using taxpayer money to help individuals who came to America illegally amounted to taking money away from legal residents in need.

Not everyone’s OK with this. People are OK with legal immigration,” said Emily Hemingway of the Los Angeles County Republican Party, telling the board that “people cutting in line” and “leeching off of our system” is unfair and threatens the integrity of the social safety net and public education.

Supervisor Sheila Kuehl told opponents that the county spends many millions for public defenders to act on behalf of residents accused of crimes.

“They’re not innocents, but we provide a defense,” Kuehl said. “It’s not unprecedented for us to stand on the side of the accused and give them their day in court.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger cast the lone dissenting vote. She said she was sympathetic to families faced with a “broken” immigration system, but told her four colleagues, “I believe this is a federal responsibility.”

Barger added that she thought it wasn’t fiscally responsible for the board to step up and contribute when nonprofit groups were willing to help.

Solis made a different economic argument, telling her colleagues that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are a vital part of the local workforce.

“The contribution that undocumented immigrants make to the county is roughly $57 billion,” Solis said, referring to a local GDP estimate.

Others shared a personal perspective.

“I can’t go home one day and find an empty home,” Pomona College student Maria Jose Vides said, urging the board to “look at us as fellow human beings and look at how much we can contribute to this nation.”

The L.A. Justice Fund is expected to focus on helping immigrants in the county under temporary status such as the Deferred Access for Childhood Arrivals program, military families, refugees and unaccompanied minors, but not immigrants with a serious criminal history.

Solis said it costs roughly $5,000 to fund one deportation case. Experts estimate that about 7,000 Los Angeles County residents face removal proceedings without a lawyer annually, according to Solis’ office.

Some questioned whether the fund would be constitutional. A legal expert assured the board it would be consistent with federal immigration law and principles of fairness and due process.

Previous related stories:

County to seek legal aid for immigrants facing deportation

L.A. County officials push back against threats of deportation

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Filed Under: Politics

63 comments for "County approves $3 million in contributions for legal aid fund"

  1. ID RATHER GIVE MY MONEY TO ILLEGALS THAT ARE HARD WORKING THAN TO DRUG ADDICTED VETERANS THAT WILL JUST USE MONEY BEING CRACK METH AND HEROIN

  2. MASS DEPORTATION WILL NEVER HAPPEN IN CALIFORNIA KEEP DREAMING OUR POLITICIANS ALREADY SIGNED LAWS INTO EFFECT PREVENTING THAT IF ANYBODY DOES NOT LIKE HOW OUR DEAR ELECTED OFFICIALS MAKE LAWS CAN MOVE OUT OF CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS OR ARIZONA STOP CRYING DONALD CHUMP WILL BE IMPEACHED HAIL THE NWO.!

  3. Why can’t we scrape up some money for those who really need it and are here legally? Homeless people. Vets?.

    • Because they are libs.maybe ca should remember this.forget about veterans, homeless, etc.support illegals. You have the vote.they dont have any money for homeless, so they raise sales tax, but its a miracle, now they come up with 3 million.

  4. You want to see a racist supermarket go to Vallarta Market they discriminate against black people and white people enable and hire a new one they are racist

    • SO O CARES YOU PROBABLY LOOK LIKE A CRIMINAL OR FELON WITH TATTOS ALL OVER THAT IS WHY YOU ARE NOT BEING HIRED AND PROBABLY HAVE A METH MOUTH

    • Yeah I always wondered about that too.How come they can get away with hiring 99.9% Hispanics? Complete double standard.

      • They have a perfectly legitimate prerequisite…all their employees are required to be bilingual. Most people who qualify are Hispanic.

        • I know for a fact Tom that they hire illegal immigrants the managers are also illegal with no social security card to work here and I know that from my neighbor.
          I have four neighbors that work at Vallarta Market…
          So we Hillary Clinton lover you need to get your facts straight

          • Sure you do. It always amazes me how so many law and order sycophants will spout off about all the crimes they “know for a fact” are being committed around them. If a multimillion dollar company is putting itself at risk through routinely committing crimes do you really think they are going to be so sloppy that a random dingbat on the street is hearing about it from their neighbors?

            Your neighbors are probably laughing their heads off over cervezas and saying “Stupid bigot thinks everyone with a brown skin is an illegal. Tomorrow let’s tell him we sell the coca off the loading dock and see if he believes that too!”

          • STOP LIYING THEY DO NOT HIRE ILLEGALS YOU ARE JUST JEALOUS THAT VALLARTA IS A HUNDRED MILLION EMPIRE COMPANY THAT IS BIGGER THAN FOOD 4 LESS AND YOU DID NOT GET HIRED BEACUSE YOU HAVE A METH MOUTH AND TATTOS AND DO NOT LOOK DECENT LIKE VALLARTA WORKERS

  5. ANYBODY THAT DOES NOT LIKE HOW OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS RULE CAN JUST LEAVE TO ANOTHER STATE TO LIVE STOP WHINING IM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ALL YOU CRYBABYS THIS STATE IS DEMOCRAT AND WILL ALWAYS BE

    • It’s not about politics it’s about right or wrong why do we have to spend money that could go to schools fire departments police departments are veterans to help someone who broke the law illegally like yourself I’m pretty sure your Mexican with the name Lisa

  6. They are Illegal, they should have a no right until they are Legal Amercian. Been here all my life,(74) except for my time in the Army. California should get out of the USA!

  7. Garcetti said the city will contribute $2 million and the County’s $3 million. The city & County is completely broke Mr Garcetti you mean you will strong arm $5 million from the people of Los Angeles.

      • Or the sound of him telling boeing to stop gouging the american tax payers.in the end, boeing reduced the price of f 35 and the new airforce one.i think hes accomplished more than obama did in 8 years, and still not even prez.obama has got to feel humiliated.

        • patriot. Someone called Kellyanne Conway “The Queen of Hyper-spin” and that would make you a Princess.

          You trumpettes are constantly having to spread the BS to cover for him. You would have more dignity cleaning up after elephants in a circus than cleaning up after trump.

          • To libs,it’s b.s.to the rest,it called success.you william,being an Obama lover,wouldn’t know anything about success.well,he did let out a record number of criminals from prison.to some on here,that’s success.

  9. I am not a trump supporter but I do support him when it comes to Illegal immigration I’m a truck driver and any warehouse that are go to to get loaded at are all Hispanics they do not hire anyone but Hispanics there is no equality when it comes to jobs because Hispanics only hire other Hispanics the Vallarta Supermarket is a clear example where they only hire Hispanic people there are other races in California that cannot find jobs because they do not speak Spanish illegal immigrants use fake Social Security numbers to get jobs they do not pay taxes and they take advantage of the welfare system so if it doesn’t affect you now it will in the future I hope president-elect Trump do something about it

    • My daughter’s friend is white, like a ghost, Vallarta on I hired her.
      My friend works in a major chain furniture manufacturing, warehouse, retail sales company. He is a transfer driver (naturalized citizen from Mexico that served our country), his company hires all colors based on skills. Common complaint in the yards they work in is that there are lazy drivers OF ALL NATIONALITIES.
      Yes it is a benefit to speak Spanish, though not a guarantee. I only speak English, but have been a field hand and the token white guy on an all Mexican, Spanish speaking team, we worked it out.
      As for taxes, if they are using a social security number then they are paying taxes, but it causes issues for the person that actually owns that number.

      • Come on really any Vallarta Supermarket I’ve been to only hire Hispanics they may have one white person one black person working there just not to get sued for discrimination I don’t care what you say I see it everyday all the warehouses I load it from Northern California to the bottom of Southern California are predominately Hispanic I work with Hispanics most of my life and they had their friends before their hire anyone else I was born in America raised in America live in America why should I have to learn to speak Spanish to get a job

  10. What makes people think they have a right to run across our border and were just to hand them benefits. Can I just go to Austrailia without a passort and say hear I am. I want to live here .Give me a place to stay benefits, a job, right to vote, right to drive. SORRY IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY.

  11. Well get ready to get your funding cut. Theres a new sherriff in town. Hes also got Congress behind him . Get ready to lose money. Its coming.

  12. … time to face facts, sad truth be told, you and I have no say in the matter, whatsoever. For the hoodlums, punks, gangbangers, career criminals and illegal immigrants, by decree Los Angeles is declared a sanctuary city. Period. And, that’s that. The laughing stock of the lower 48 states, world capitol and proud home of the Los Angeles street-gang, no small wonder the rest of the nation calls us Mexifornia. Eric Garcetti is indeed on the fast track, to becoming its de facto president. With statistical certainty Garcetti’s first proclamation will be, “a clean slate” (e.g., gangbanger heaven; declaration of blanket amnesty; all criminal records expunged) –

  14. Bout time to get out of this f***** up
    state nothin like a Mexican or should we be politically correct and say Hispanic mayor fightin state gov’t vs the fed gov’t
    Sounds like civil war all over
    Straighten him out Donald!

          • Ew. Ouch. Rego made a funny at my expense. What will I do?

            I will enjoy you being conned.

            There won’t be a wall.

            And, the wall that won’t be won’t be paid for by Mexico.

            That was just trump conning you for your vote.

            What else were you expecting him to do for you? Better give that up too.

          • Rego, the Great Wall of China worked oh so well. Walls fall down, get tunneled under and in modern times flown over daily. It helps to understand how immigrants of any kind get here in the first place. Many illegal immigrants did not come through the southern deserts, they arrived as ‘vacationers’ or visiting family then never go home. Some come in via cargo boats, an unpopular option for Asian transit, though it also happens from southern ports.
            Have fun working on the “The Wall” (Your quotes fit beautifully), at least it will be a paying job if they do it. I would prefer roads, plumbing, energy, forests all fixed first since they add to the economy.

          • Rego is another 1 hit wonder.

            In 6 months when he realizes that he’s been conned by his Orange God, do ya think he’ll be posting here admitting to that?

            Of course not. We’ll never see that username again.

          • Hey Will I’ll post again when he cuts your way left liberal Welfare Check and he forces you to take The WALL job
            Mean while my stocks have gone up 300K since the election

          • The market is up 6% since the election. To be up 300K at that rate you would have to have a five million dollar portfolio. Are you claiming that you are that wealthy, or are you claiming that your portfolio is greatly outperforming the market as a whole?

            Pro tip: don’t tell whopping lies with specific numbers. Generally they reveal more about what you AREN’T than anyone believes you say about what you ARE.

        • Better sell soon, you know darn well that there will be a BIG correction a-comin’ when the players sell off and the Dow drops 500 or more points.

          Y’see, there’s no real reason that market is up other than speculation. Right? Gas prices and mortage rates will likely increase which will slow down the economy a bit, so it’s not like the economy will boom, just a boom in the stock market speculation.

          Since November 8, trump’s big mouth cost Lockheed-Martin’s stock to drop by $4,000,000 when he said he’d cut the F-35 fighter jet.

          Then also, he nominated someone for Treasury who wants to privatize Fannie and Freddy which shot their stock prices up and trump supposedly has millions invested in them.

          That’s called INSIDER TRADING, Rego. Got it?

          Stay tuned, sucker.

        • Hey, Rego

          Have you recovered from the bush depression in 2008-9 yet?

          You know how the gop is, right, Rego? Crash in 1987 and 2008 both under gop reigns. No crash under 8 years of Clinton or Obama. Why is that?

          Do you live hoping there are boom and bust cycles under gop administrations. If so, there’s another one a-comin’.

      • Says the guy who pays zero taxes.you must be proud tim,3 million for illegals,zero for veterans.zero for homeless.libs would rather cater to law breakers.

        • I currently need no taxable income, so I pay no income taxes. I spend pretty freely, so I uncomplainingly pay a reasonable amount of sales tax. I pay the appropriate amount of property tax, also without complaint. I pay gas tax, the occasional sin tax on alcohol, my share of DMV fees plus the occasional ticket…no doubt I could list several others. So what are you crying about (laugh)’riot?

          • I say that I pay no taxes in conversations about income taxes pretty regularly. Naturally, you have no qualms about taking things out of context because asshats are like that.

          • Meanwhile, in conversations about income tax I routinely say I don’t pay any. If pulling that out of context makes you feel all swole up, good on you, but it doesn’t make you look any smarter. You are still a laugh ‘riot.

    • Civil war is bloody.
      Civil war involves violence.
      Civil war is not civil.
      Please, do stop paying your taxes.

  16. … Los Angeles politicians earmark more per capita revenue mollycoddling their beloved brothas, hoodlums, punks and gangbangers than they do, law abiding citizens –

    • “…more per capita revenue…”–you sound like you know what you’re talking about, Barbara–how much per capita revenue do they earmark for their “brothas” & how much per capita income is earmarked for “law abiding citizens”?

      You can’t just throw a sentence out there w/out backing it up it facts, Barbara. It is iresponsible & provocative.

      Either provide facts & figures or retract the statement.