As California grapples with skyrocketing homelessness, crumbling infrastructure, and wildfire recovery that never seems to end, our local governments are finding creative ways to divert precious public dollars. But instead of fixing these pressing issues, city councils and county boards of supervisors across the state are reallocating funds to shield undocumented immigrants from federal immigration enforcement.
This isn’t compassion: it’s a calculated scheme to fund progressive NGOs, perpetuate crises, and potentially aid criminals, all while evading accountability. With COVID-era funding dried up and USAID pulled back, these organizations are turning to general funds, turning taxpayer money into a slush fund for political loyalists.
On July 22, 2025, the Goleta City Council voted to reallocate $100,000 from childcare initiatives to local nonprofits providing legal aid and mental health services for families “affected” by ICE raids. That’s right: Money meant for working parents and kids was redirected to fight federal law enforcement. This amount is 10 times what neighboring Carpinteria allocated, just $10,000 for similar “immigrant support services.” Santa Ana and Montebello each set aside $100,000, while Anaheim boosted its fund by $250,000.
At the county level, Santa Clara earmarked over $8 million for immigration-related services, and Los Angeles County is creating a cash fund for raid-impacted families. Even Long Beach launched an emergency fund, and Sacramento County allocated $50,000 from transient occupancy taxes.
Santa Barbara County’s Board of Supervisors approved $105,000 for the Immigrant Legal Defense Center. This patchwork of allocations of your tax dollars is exploding statewide as NGOs chase new revenue streams.
Let’s call it what it is: a taxpayer-funded bailout for a network of progressive organizations that have grown fat on public money. Remember the cycle we’ve seen before: Create or inflate a crisis, profit off it, and keep it alive to fund loyalists. Policies like sanctuary laws and lax enforcement exacerbate illegal immigration, leading to raids that these same groups then “respond” to with demands for more funding.
During COVID, NGOs devoured billions in emergency aid, much of it vanishing into administrative black holes. Now, with federal spigots tightening, they’re pivoting to local pots.
And the victims? Everyday Californians. That $100,000 in Goleta could have supported childcare for dozens of families; instead, it’s padding NGO salaries and legal fees.
Worse, are these funds aiding criminals? Federal law makes it a crime to harbor or conceal undocumented immigrants, especially those with criminal records. Yet cities are using public money to provide legal aid that could delay deportations of individuals with serious felonies.
What about the employers who hire undocumented workers, fueling this underground economy? There’s zero accountability there: no fines, no audits, just a wink and a nod while taxpayers foot the bill for the fallout. If a raid disrupts a family because a parent has a criminal history or is evading deportation, why are we subsidizing their defense instead of enforcing the law?
The legal implications are staggering. Sanctuary policies, which these funds bolster, could expose cities to federal funding cuts or lawsuits for non-cooperation with ICE.
Justin Shores ran for Goleta City Council in 2020 and now lives in Ventura.
