San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced, earlier today, that the city has received nearly three-and-a-half million dollars from philanthropists to help provide legal defense for immigrants.
Under a bill sponsored and signed by Lurie and Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, the money will go to San Francisco’s Public Defender’s Office.
The office has an annual budget of 24 million dollars, staffed by more than 100 attorneys. An unspecified number working in the immigration unit.
The Mayor said the funding will help ensure residents have access to legal representation, giving them a fairer chance at deportation hearings.
San Francisco has become a flashpoint for clashes between community groups and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE agents.
