My name is Eddie Meyer, and I am a senior policy advocate at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.
We are living in extraordinary and difficult times. The current administration has weaponized the federal government, cutting vital resources to fund its deportation force.
As federal support is stripped away, the responsibility has shifted to local governments to fill gaps in care and protect our communities.
San Diego County has a moral obligation to step up where the federal government has failed.
We strongly support continued funding for critical county programs facing cuts and growing demand, including health care, housing, nutrition and other essential services our communities rely on.
One of our top priorities is strong funding for the Immigrant Legal Defense Program (ILDP). Demand for immigration legal services continues to rise as more residents face detention and deportation. No one should have to navigate one of the most complex legal systems in our country alone. The ILDP ensures immigrants in detention have access to legal representation.
We urge you to allocate $7 million for ILDP and maintain it as a universal, merits-blind program, and continue to invest in other safety-net programs that keep families stable and communities strong.
