On August 5, 2023, Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office announced the securing of $3.4 million in philanthropic funding aimed at providing legal defense for immigrants. The announcement was framed as a significant step by Lurie to support the immigrant community amid a historic budget deficit, with the goal of addressing the growing demand for immigration defense services.
However, it has since been revealed that Mayor Lurie did not actually secure the funding in question, nor did he play a direct role in obtaining it. The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office had previously applied for a grant from the Crankstart Foundation, which is operated by billionaire venture capitalist Michael Moritz.
The grant, aimed at hiring three attorneys and a paralegal for the public defender’s immigrant defense unit, was awarded by Crankstart, a fact first reported by Mission Local on June 23. The subsequent formal approval of this grant required the Board of Supervisors to pass legislation to “accept and expend” the funds—a routine process that is common within city governance. This type of legislation has been introduced 78 times within the last year alone.
While either a supervisor or the mayor can sponsor this type of legislation to show support for an initiative, many consider such sponsorship to be a mere formality. David Campos, a former District Supervisor, described the process as “very routine,” emphasizing that taking the administrative step to accept a grant is not a substitute for more proactive measures to defend immigrant rights.
Bevan Dufty, another former supervisor, noted that while there is a “certain pro forma-ness” to Lurie’s actions, being associated with immigration issues is generally seen as a positive move for a mayor. The mayor’s spokesman, Charles Lutvak, countered that this was not just an administrative action but a necessary legislative step for receiving the grant, insisting that Lurie played a significant role in “securing” the funding. Lutvak failed to respond to queries regarding whether Lurie or his team offered any additional assistance beyond sponsorship of the legislation.
The Crankstart Foundation, known for its discreet approach to philanthropy, expressed confusion about the mayor’s press release; a consultant for Crankstart reached out to the public defender’s office on the same day the announcement was made, seeking clarification on whether the funding was new or related to the pending grant. The public defender’s office affirmed that it was indeed the same funding as mentioned in Lurie’s press release but noted that they were not aware that the release was forthcoming.
Interestingly, Lurie’s announcement arrived alongside a broader context of financial cuts to immigrant legal defense. Despite claiming to bolster funding for immigrant defense initiatives, Lurie effectively reduced available resources by declining to renew previously allocated funds by former Mayor London Breed.
At the end of 2024, in anticipation of President Donald Trump’s potential reelection, Breed had allocated one-time funding of $878,000 to local immigrant legal services groups. According to budget proposals shared with members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Lurie made the decision not to renew this funding, despite appeals from immigrant defense organizations for continued support.
Lariza Dugan-Cuadra, executive director of Carecen, expressed the urgency of continued funding in communications with Lurie’s staff, citing the pressing need to combat increasing federal immigration enforcement and the negative impacts it has on immigrant communities. Her appeals were ultimately unsuccessful, and as of June 2023, Carecen and its partner organizations have not received funds from the previously allocated grant.
San Francisco traditionally funds immigration legal services through the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, collaborating with various local nonprofit organizations, including Carecen and 15 others in the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative. Additionally, funding for immigration defense is provided through the Public Defender’s Office, which maintains a dedicated immigration unit.
The ramifications of Lurie’s decision come during a time of heightened immigration enforcement in San Francisco. Immigrants are being arrested daily during routine check-ins at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office and after other formal court hearings.
These increased enforcement activities have led to a higher demand for the already limited free or low-cost legal services available for immigrants in the Bay Area. Organizations that comprise the Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative, such as the San Francisco Bar Association, play a crucial role in defending individuals against immigration enforcement actions. The Bar Association’s “Attorney of the Day” program provides pro bono attorneys to support asylum seekers during crucial moments, often when they are at risk of ICE detention.
One past incident highlighted the need for such legal support: an asylum seeker, unadvised by an attorney, panicked upon seeing ICE agents and attempted to flee, leading to an unfortunate altercation.
The Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative also includes organizations that respond to ICE activity in real-time, providing immediate assistance and facilitating longer-term legal representation for affected individuals. The previous allocation of $878,000 from the Breed administration allowed nonprofits to expand their capacity and tackle more cases, as well as fund legal clinics and hire coordinating attorneys to mobilize more volunteers.
In his press release, Lurie detailed additional measures his office was implementing to assist immigrants, including inquiries to the San Francisco Police Department regarding ICE arrests and conducting emergency preparedness exercises with various city departments. However, specific details concerning the effectiveness and operational aspects of these measures were not clarified by the mayor’s office in subsequent queries from Mission Local.
In summary, Lurie’s claimed commitment to expanding immigrant legal defense funding seems at odds with his actions, particularly his decision not to renew Breed’s vital grant amid a time of increasing immigration enforcement. The disparity calls into question the efficacy of the mayor’s initiatives in truly supporting the immigrant community in light of escalating federal actions.
This story was reported in collaboration with Joe Rivano Barros.
image source from：missionlocal
