To: Board of Supervisors
From: Ellen McDonnell, Public Defender
Report Title: Stand Together Contra Costa Contract
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Defender, or designee, to execute a contract with Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay, in an amount not to exceed $410,616, to provide civil legal deportation defense and community services for Stand Together Contra Costa, for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Estimated FY 24-25 cost of $410,616, which will be funded by the Department's budgeted General Fund allocation.
BACKGROUND:
On September 19, 2017, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to establish Stand Together Contra Costa, a collaborative partnership between the County and local community-based organizations to provide rapid response, legal services, and community education services to support safety and due process for immigrant families in Contra Costa County. Stand Together Contra Costa provides culturally responsive, no-cost legal defense services, and immigrant rights education and training to promote equity and due process for immigrant families in Contra Costa. Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay has been a partner agency providing immigration legal services with Stand Together Contra Costa since the program’s inception.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this contract is not approved, the civil legal deportation defense and community services currently provided by Stand Together Contra Costa would be severely disrupted since this contract funds ongoing legal representation for Contra Costa residents with currently pending deportation hearings. If the contract is not approved, it would leave the majority of current clients of Stand Together Contra Costa without access to legal due process in their deportation hearings.