Immigration (Immigrant Services)

AB 475 creates a state grant program to fund immigration-related civil legal services for individuals and families. It allocates $300,000 for the 2025-26 fiscal year to award grants to community-based organizations (including for-profit groups) that provide legal assistance in immigration matters, with requirements that applicants have a history of such services and offer them without regard to immigration status. The bill also enables counties to fund similar services through existing county budgeting mechanisms. This directly supports immigrants facing legal challenges and expands access to civil legal aid in immigration cases.

SB 446 creates a state grant program to fund immigration-related civil legal services for individuals and families, allocating $300,000 for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The Department of Administration will award grants to community-based organizations (including for-profit groups) that provide such services without regard to a client's immigration status, requiring applicants to have a history of offering these services. The bill also amends county funding rules to allow local governments to provide broader civil legal services to individuals and families through separate county grants, which are not limited to immigration matters.