Ventura County Supervisors said no to a request to help fund legal aid efforts for the undocumented residents in the county impacted by immigration enforcement actions.
Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez brought the issue to the board, asking for the county’s help.
Her plan called for spending $250,000 annually for a county legal defense fund, and $1.3 million a year to hire seven people to help the Public Defender’s office support those with immigration issues.
Lopez and County Supervisor Matt LaVere voted in favor of the $250,000 contribution, but the majority of board members, Kelly Long, Jeff Gorrell, and Janice Parvin, overruled them.
Lopez was the only one who voted in favor of the funding to add public defenders.
The majority of the board cited concerns about tight county finances. Long and Gorell both said the federal government should provide legal assistance through the federal public defender's office. However, an official with the county public defender's office said the federal public defenders don't deal with civil issues. Depending on the circumstances, many cases are considered to be civil issues, not criminal.
Hundreds of people testified during two days of hearings on the proposal, most of whom called for supervisors to provide help.
The board approved training development for county personnel who might have to deal with federal immigration enforcement action.
The status of undocumented immigrants in the county has been a concern since the Trump Administration took office, and became a huge concern after massive immigration raids in Camarillo and Carpinteria on July 10.
