According to federal grants reviewed by The Center Square, the allocation of $159 million in FEMA funding has been made by the federal government to provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants in California since 2023.
California became a sanctuary state in 2017 and has recently passed a new law that allows individuals with convictions that may affect their immigration status to request a resentencing. Pew estimates that there are approximately 1.9 million undocumented immigrants in the state.
It is uncertain whether these programs will continue to exist due to President-elect Donald Trump’s stance against funding services for undocumented immigrants and California’s limited fiscal capacity.
According to California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, Republicans have long been cautioning against the financial burden of providing taxpayer-funded benefits to undocumented immigrants. He asserts that Democrats now face a crucial decision – whether to continue incentivizing illegal immigration through these giveaways or prioritize the needs of American citizens. The response of the Democrats will reveal their true priorities.
California recently allocated $4 billion annually to expand healthcare coverage to 700,000 undocumented immigrants, bringing the estimated total to 1.9 million individuals. This initiative is expected to cost around $11 billion per year. However, with the state facing a budget deficit of $47 billion, tough decisions may need to be made, such as cutting services or increasing taxes, in order to maintain a balanced budget.
The City of Los Angeles, which was granted $22 million from FEMA for migrant services in 2024, is currently fast-tracking a sanctuary city ordinance. This ordinance aims to prohibit city staff from asking about immigration status or collaborating with federal immigration authorities.
Los Angeles is currently facing financial difficulties and has resorted to taking out an $80 million loan to cover lawsuit payments. This situation raises concerns about the city’s ability to allocate an additional $22 million for migrant services without assistance.
In 2023 and 2024, FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program allocated $364 million and $641 million, respectively, in federal grants to organizations that offer humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants.
California organizations were granted a total of $48 million in SSP grants in 2023. Among these grants, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of San Diego received $35 million, while Riverside County received $13 million.
The funding for SSP in 2024 has significantly increased compared to 2023. This rise can be attributed to the expected surge in illegal border crossings into California, which is projected to increase from 514,000 in 2023 to approximately 625,000 for the fiscal year 2024.
The number of illegal crossings has significantly increased in California since 2022, with the figure rising from almost 300,000. This surge can largely be linked to the border crackdown in Texas, which has led to a notable decrease in illegal crossings into the Lone Star State.
In the initial term of the Trump administration, Governor Jerry Brown of California enacted SB 54, a law that restricts state and local law enforcement agencies from utilizing their resources to carry out immigration enforcement activities such as investigating, interrogating, detaining, detecting, or arresting individuals.
The mayor of Newport Beach, a luxurious beach town in Southern California’s Orange County, recently shared on social media that the U.S. Coast Guard successfully apprehended a boat containing 21 illegal immigrants. Among them were individuals from Russia and Uzbekistan. This incident highlights the challenges posed by SB 54 in detaining criminal migrants.
According to Mayor Will O’Neill’s Instagram post, it is evident that the arrival of individuals from Uzbekistan through Mexico to enter the United States illegally on a boat off the Orange County coast is an unusual occurrence. Mayor O’Neill emphasizes the importance of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) intercepting the boat due to their ability to collaborate with Customs and Border Patrol as part of the Federal government. In contrast, local law enforcement, such as the police or OC Sheriffs that patrol the Harbor, are restricted from doing so by a state law known as SB54, also referred to as California’s Sanctuary State policy.
O’Neill proceeded to detail the impact of SB 54, which effectively hindered Orange County’s ability to inform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the release of 1,015 inmates with ICE detainers. Subsequently, 238 of these individuals were rearrested within Orange County, with some facing charges of assault and battery, rape, and robbery.
As we reported earlier this year, The Center Square highlighted the issue of serial criminals in California being released by local authorities before federal immigration authorities can apprehend and deport them.
In early 2024, California made a significant move by granting taxpayer-funded healthcare to all undocumented immigrants, even though the state was already facing a shortage in healthcare resources. Shortly after, lawmakers suggested expanding the state’s existing taxpayer-funded deportation defense program for nonviolent illegal immigrants to also cover those convicted of serious or violent felonies. Additionally, they proposed providing access to zero-down, zero-payment home “loans” worth $150,000 to illegal immigrants.
The proposal to provide deportation defense for violent felons did not progress beyond the committee stage. However, the proposal for a homebuying program successfully made its way to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. In his veto decision, Governor Newsom mentioned the program’s limited funding, which received no allocation this year and ran out of funds within 11 days last year. The decision also took into account the state’s current budget situation.
The state budget this year necessitated a reduction, realignment, and postponement of expenditures totaling $47 billion.
The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office recently released a comprehensive report on its independence from the governor’s office. This report comes just before the preliminary budget analysis, raising questions about the accuracy of the governor’s optimistic portrayal of the state’s fiscal situation and the sustainability of current spending levels.