Immigrant Defense Advocates is partnering with the office of Senator Sasha Renée Pérez to host a series of legislative briefings focused on immigration. The goal of these briefings is to connect California policy makers with organizations working on the ground in various issue areas. We are pleased to share information about our first virtual briefing below.
If you are interested in attending a briefing, or would like access to a previously recorded briefing please reach out to hamid[at]imadvocates.org
- When the Guardrails are Off: Federal Cuts to Immigration Services – Challenges and Opportunities for Due Process in California
In Partnership with Acacia Center for Justice
March 18, 2025 2:00pm-3:00pm PT- Federally funded immigration legal services programs serve tens of thousands of people across California annually providing them with critical information and legal representation during high stakes legal proceedings. The federal government has arbitrarily begun to strip essential funding that protects immigrant communities and safeguards their rights to due process as it ramps up enforcement efforts and detention capacity. Orders were issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to stop work immediately on critical legal access programs impacting individuals at risk of rushed deportations, and unaccompanied children. These orders have since been rescinded and work has resumed due to public pressure, but many risks remain. California is uniquely positioned to protect and benefit from the long-standing immigration legal services infrastructure built nearly a decade ago. This briefing will spotlight the ways immigration legal services providers are managing these risks and will outline existing, proven opportunities the State of California can invest in to ensure families remain safe and together.
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Protecting What Works: Children’s Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP)
In Partnership with Acacia Center for Justice –
April 7, 2025 2:00pm-3:00pm PT
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The Children’s Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP) is a pioneering initiative providing unaccompanied immigrant children in California with comprehensive legal representation and trauma-informed care. Launched in September 2022 as a two-year pilot funded by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), CHIRP has served over 700 children, offering integrated support in education, mental health, medical services, food access, and housing assistance. Despite its success, the program has yet to be integrated into a permanent part of California’s budget. The future of CHIRP is particularly relevant as the federal contract that supports this work nationwide has been terminated dismantling protections for unaccompanied children that took a decade to build. CHIRP is primed to be an alternative to hold the line on due process for children and demonstrate what impactful support looks like. This briefing will highlight how CHIRP’s holistic model addresses the unique challenges unaccompanied minors face and explore opportunities for sustained investment by the State of California to support the well-being and integration of these vulnerable youth.
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