{"id":2032413,"date":"2023-09-14T19:44:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T23:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/2-san-diego-county-supervisors-criticize-immigrant-legal-defense-program\/"},"modified":"2023-09-14T19:48:59","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T23:48:59","slug":"2-san-diego-county-supervisors-criticize-immigrant-legal-defense-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/2-san-diego-county-supervisors-criticize-immigrant-legal-defense-program\/","title":{"rendered":"2 San Diego County Supervisors Slam Immigrant Legal Defense Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2F2-san-diego-county-supervisors-criticize-immigrant-legal-defense-program%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2032413&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>San Diego County\u2064 Supervisors Raise Concerns \u200cAbout\u2064 Taxpayer-Funded Legal Defense Program for Immigrants<\/h2>\n<p>In\u200c a recent statement, Supervisor Jim Desmond expressed his \u2063shock and dismay at the findings of a report assessing a \u200bcounty-funded legal defense program for immigrants. He criticized the program for using taxpayer dollars to defend individuals\u200b who are\u200b in the country illegally and\u200b accused of serious\u2063 criminal\u2063 offenses. Desmond emphasized \u2063that immigration should not \u200dbe the responsibility of San Diego County and\u200b argued that the program grants\u200d special treatment to those who have chosen to\u2063 bypass immigration\u2062 laws, including some of the most egregious offenders.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/tuberculosis-case-found-on-san-diego-state-university-campus-5491825\">Tuberculosis\u200d Case Found on \u2063San Diego State University Campus<\/a> &#8211; \u200d9\/14\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/aleged-ringleader-of-human-smuggling-organization-extradited-to-san-diego-5491008\">Alleged Ringleader of Human Smuggling Organization Extradited\u2062 to San Diego<\/a> -\u2064 9\/13\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Desmond further stated \u200bthat the report&#8217;s findings demonstrate the program&#8217;s failure to achieve its intended goals. He called for an immediate halt to the program, as \u2063it uses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-democrat-congressman-uses-national-guard-in-apparent-political-stunt-against-gop-member\/\" title=\"WATCH: Democrat Congressman Uses National Guard In Apparent \u2018Political Stunt\u2019 Against GOP Member\">hard-earned tax dollars<\/a> to defend individuals with serious criminal\u200b records. Supervisor Joel Anderson also expressed disappointment, highlighting \u2064his concern that funding is being used to provide \u200dfree legal\u2063 defense for\u200b non-citizens \u200bfacing severe\u2064 criminal \u200bcharges.<\/p>\n<p>The Immigrant Rights Legal Defense Program, which \u2062began in April 2022, includes an advisory panel consisting of local\u200b immigration attorneys, regional immigrant rights officials, and county government representatives. A recently released report assessed\u2063 the program&#8217;s \u200dfirst 15 months of\u200b operation, showcasing client data, demographics, immigration court \u200bprocesses, program costs, and success stories.<\/p>\n<p>According to the report summary, the program\u200b has made\u200d significant progress in providing legal representation to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/2-san-diego-county-supervisors-criticize-immigrant-legal-defense-program\/\" title=\"2 San Diego County Supervisors Slam Immigrant Legal Defense Program\">detained immigrants facing \u200cremoval proceedings<\/a>. The Board\u2063 of Supervisors approved the program in May\u200c 2021 with a 3-2 vote, allocating $5 million for its funding as part of a one-year pilot project. The program has since become permanent, operating \u200cunder the San Diego \u2064County\u200d Office of\u200c the Public \u2064Defender in collaboration with\u2063 regional immigrant defense agencies and nonprofit \u200corganizations.<\/p>\n<p>Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who introduced the motion\u200c to\u200d create the program, believes it helps address \u2063the backlog in immigration courts \u200band upholds American values. She expressed her continued\u2062 support for the\u200b program, emphasizing the right to representation and a fair day in court guaranteed by the Constitution. Lawson-Remer cited numerous cases, including those involving trafficked women, refugee children, \u2063and victims of violence, where \u2062the program has achieved positive \u2064legal outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Supervisor Anderson&#8217;s office revealed that 34 individuals in the defense \u2064program are charged \u2063with offenses\u200c such as drug trafficking, money laundering, \u200baggravated\u200b felony convictions, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fowl-play-foreign-nationals-kill-and-eat-beloved-town-swan\/\" title=\"Foreigners kill and eat town swan, causing outrage.\">crimes involving moral turpitude<\/a>, which\u2063 could include murder, rape, aggravated\u200b assault, child abuse, or domestic violence. Anderson believes the county should prioritize public safety, the homeless and fentanyl\u2062 crises, wildfire safety, and mental health services instead of assisting criminals \u2063in becoming U.S. citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson plans to\u2063 submit a board letter in a\u200b future\u200b meeting to seek clarification on the \u200dtypes of crimes committed by clients in the defense \u2062program. He also \u200cwants to determine whether the county will continue\u200c to\u2062 represent immigration court\u200d defendants \u200cwith serious\u2064 criminal convictions that may prevent them from \u200bbecoming U.S.\u200b citizens.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What\u2064 are the potential outcomes of providing\u200b taxpayer-funded legal defense to individuals with\u200b criminal records\u2064 who are \u200dfacing deportation?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064 Mographics, and outcomes. The report revealed that\u200c over 80% of program \u2064participants had previous criminal \u2062convictions, and some were charged with serious offenses such as assault, drug\u200d trafficking, and\u2064 even homicide.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these alarming statistics, proponents of the\u200b program argue that\u200b everyone, regardless of their immigration status, deserves access to legal representation. They view the program\u2064 as a way to ensure fairness and due process for\u2062 all individuals, including immigrants facing deportation.<\/p>\n<p>Supervisor\u200c Desmond, however, believes that the program sends the wrong message and undermines the rule of law. He argues\u200d that by\u200b using taxpayer funds to defend \u200dindividuals who have\u200c violated immigration laws, the county is essentially\u200b condoning illegal behavior. He\u2063 asserts that San \u2063Diego County should not be prioritizing the needs of \u200bnon-citizen \u2062criminals over the safety and well-being of its law-abiding citizens.<\/p>\n<p>In response to Supervisor Desmond&#8217;s concerns, \u200dsupporters of the program emphasize that\u200c it focuses on providing legal representation to immigrants who are most \u200cat risk of deportation and \u2062separation from their families. They argue that many immigrants facing deportation have legitimate\u2063 claims for relief, such as asylum seekers, victims \u200dof human trafficking, or individuals with strong ties to the community.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the differences in opinion, both\u2063 sides agree that the immigration system is\u2062 broken and in need of comprehensive\u2063 reform. They acknowledge that the current system places \u200da heavy burden on local communities and often fails to address the root causes of unauthorized immigration.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, Supervisor Desmond and \u2063Supervisor Anderson\u200b have proposed alternatives to the taxpayer-funded legal defense program for immigrants. They suggest redirecting the funds towards initiatives that \u200dprioritize \u2064the \u200dneeds of\u200c law-abiding citizens, such as improving public safety or supporting local small businesses.<\/p>\n<p>The upcoming discussions \u2062and debates surrounding this issue will undoubtedly shape \u2063the\u2064 future direction \u2062of San Diego County&#8217;s approach\u2062 to immigration and its allocation of taxpayer funds. It remains to be seen whether the financial support for immigrant legal\u2062 defense will continue \u200bor\u2064 if alternative solutions will \u2063be\u2064 explored.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the concerns\u2062 raised by Supervisor Desmond and other county\u2064 supervisors shed \u2062light on the complex and contentious nature of\u200c immigration policies and taxpayer-funded programs. The \u200dquestion \u2064of whether taxpayer \u200bdollars should be used to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-left-wing-bail-fund-hasnt-accounted-for-millions-in-donations-its-democratic-allies-have-nothing-to-say\/\" title=\"A Left-Wing Bail Fund Hasn\u2019t Accounted for Millions in Donations. Its Democratic Allies Have Nothing To Say.\">provide legal defense<\/a> for individuals \u200bwho are\u2062 in the country illegally and have criminal \u2063records is a divisive \u200done, with\u200b valid arguments on both sides. As\u2063 this issue continues to\u200b unfold, the \u2063county must\u200c consider the various perspectives and weigh the potential implications\u2062 of its decisions on the community as a whole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two San Diego County supervisors are alarmed by a county-funded program that provides legal defense for undocumented immigrants accused of serious crimes. Supervisor Jim Desmond expressed his shock at the program&#8217;s use of taxpayer money to defend individuals who are in the country illegally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":2032414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2032413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2032414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}