Only three supervisors listened to dozens of speakers Tuesday afternoon on a proposal by Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer.
The acting chair of the board wants to modify and extend the Immigrant Legal Defense Program (ILDP).
Launched in 2022, Lawson-Remer said the program has provided legal help to around 2,500 people. But the proposal failed due to lack of a quorum; supervisor Jim Desmond wasn’t there.
After the unsuccessful vote, the action then moved downstairs where Lawson-Remer made her case to supporters.
“We actually have an opportunity here in San Diego County to take a stand and to make a difference," Lawson-Remer said through a bullhorn.
Right now, the ILDP is only available to people in detention. Lawson-Remer wants to change that to make it available to any immigrant who needs help, in detention or not.
Right now, the program is free. Lawson-Remer wants to introduce a sliding fee scale to stretch program dollars.
“We know that the most important thing that you can do is make sure that you have an attorney so your due process rights are protected and that’s a core tenet of the U.S. Constitution," said Lawson-Remer.
Lawson-Remer said the need for a renewed ILDP has only become more urgent since President Trump took office.
“The government can’t just raid your house and lock you up and throw away the key — that you get your fair day in court," she said.
That’s especially true for migrant children who find themselves here without their parents or anyone to help them.
“The Immigrant Legal Defense Program would make sure that kids who are here don’t have to stand in a courtroom, a 4-year-old, a 6-year-old by themselves," Lawson-Remer said.
Lawson-Remer said it’s now time to concentrate on the upcoming fight over the county budget. She said the ILDP provides a lot of bang for the buck.
If her reorganized ILDP proposal eventually passes, its budget will stay the same, at about $5 million, less than 1% of the county’s approximately $8 billion budget.
Lawson-Remer said she’ll bring the measure back up after a new District 1 supervisor is elected.
