San Mateo County dedicates $1.75 million toward providing legal services to support immigrant residents

“The recent changes in policies at the national level have caused anxiety and fear in our immigrant communities, and nonprofit legal service providers have seen increasing demand for immigration legal services, community education, and representation,” a staff report reads. 

Although there is a significant increase in funds dedicated specifically toward rapid response legal services, community members and activists say there’s more that can be done. Many specifically asked supervisors during public comment to find $1 million to hire three defense attorneys. 

At a press conference held Monday evening, leaders from Faith In Action Bay Area and community organizers gathered at County Center ahead of the meeting to share the importance of having access to quality counsel. Speakers shared their hopes for the commitment of even more funds to legal aid, and to stand united amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence in Los Angeles 

Leaders from many faith communities in the county came together to “bring a message of hope,” said the Rev. Penny Nixon, the faith director for the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County. 

“We stand on the side of solidarity, on the side of love, of hope and of belonging,” Nixon said. “What we want you to hear more than anything else is that you are not alone.”

Since 2018, Legal Aid Society has represented 219 individuals in removal proceedings. Of the 172 cases that have closed, 85% saw successful outcomes, according to a staff report. Considering that the life of these cases may last several years, there are 47 ongoing active cases remaining from the original 2019, and most are for clients under 18 years old. 

The updated agreement dedicates $800,671 toward those remaining cases, and Legal Aid Society will be able to take on new matters “under limited scope representation,” considering the one-year term of the contract, according to the staff report. 

While there is no increase in funds for expanding removal defense services, Supervisor Noelia Corzo said at Monday’s press conference that the county remains committed to its immigrant residents, including making a significant increase in funds dedicated to rapid response.

The contract with Legal Aid Society also includes a 526% increase in funds dedicated to its Rapid Response Legal Services, which provides comprehensive dispatch support and legal information and referrals to individuals in crisis. The organization works to support the county’s Rapid Response Services Network, which includes a 24/7 hotline operated by Faith in Action volunteers to dispel rumors and share confirmation of immigration enforcement activities. 

From January 2025 to March 2025, the hotline — (650) 666-4472 or (650) NO-MIGRA — has received 2,252 calls, which is a 3,465% increase in calls compared to the same time period last year, according to a staff report. 

The updated contract dedicates $800,671 toward funding this rapid response legal service, specifically. 

Since 2017, Legal Aid Society has helped more than 200 workshops, provided over 2,000 legal consultations, and filed over 1,500 applications for affirmative immigration relief, according to a staff report. For Fiscal Year 2025-26, the amount dedicated toward these services will not exceed $416,649, which is a 29% increase from the previous agreement.

In response to the protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Los Angeles, Sheriff Christina Corpus reiterated San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office’s policy to “not enforce federal laws,” on Tuesday. 

“We serve our stated mission to protect life, property, and public peace for all members of our community, regardless of anyone’s immigration status,” Corpus wrote in a statement. 

Corpus added the Sheriff’s Office “will not tolerate any violence, harm to law enforcement or civilians, or destruction of property,” should protests occur within the county. 

Regardless of the county’s policies to cooperate with immigration enforcement, however, the federal agency is able to detain individuals in the county. 

The contract with Legal Aid Society was approved on consent, but Corzo addressed the “many emails” the county has received, from residents who are fearful. 

“As the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants and someone from a mixed-status family, I share our community’s deep concern and outrage at the federal government’s treatment of our immigrant community,” Corzo said. 

The faith leaders affirmed to the immigrant community, both at their press conference and during the Board of Supervisors meeting, that they belong in San Mateo County. 

“The federal government cannot erase you, no document defines you,” Nixon said. “We are in really uncertain times and there’s a lot of darkness. All the more reason for our light to shine even brighter.”