Laserfiche WebLink
1. Map of the SAFE Initiative <br />Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Initiative Members <br />Glomeeo Co.,CA <br />Lan, Bnoch, CA <br />OaNand. CA <br />Sacramento, CA <br />San Ftonokoo, CA <br />Santo Ano. CA <br />New Nawn Universal RoSr nb on Pikt PmleetW <br />Dom ,CO <br />AHan1o.OA <br />Chloteo, IL <br />Cook Co.. IL' <br />Baltimore, MD <br />Ponoe Gearye'a",MD <br />Romeo, Ca.. MN <br />R Paul, MN <br />Columbus, OH <br />Philatlelphu.M <br />Aus,n,T <br />Dollae.l% <br />San Antanlo,U <br />Done Co.. WI <br />Mow. —,WI <br />*N..sporNem—MC 1. da apubluly landed <br />tlepartNion tlelenx Pm9mm <br />Background <br />The Santa Ana SAFE program <br />Santa Ana is the first and only city in Orange County —and one of only a handful of cities in California —providing <br />legal defense to immigrants facing deportation though a merits -blind, universal model. For almost fouryears, it <br />has been a leader in the SAFE Initiative. <br />One of the original SAFE Initiative cities, Santa Ana voted to create a legal defense fund for immigrants in July <br />2017. It officially joined the SAFE Initiative in October 2017 when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding <br />with the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera). Vera contributed $100,000 in one-time catalyst funds in the first year of <br />the program. Since then, the funding has been entirely from the City, most recently at $200,000 per year. <br />Immigrant Defenders Law Center's Three Years in SAFE <br />In October 2017, after Santa Ana signed its first agreement with the Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) <br />to provide legal services to immigrants through the fund, ImmDef moved swiftly to open a new office in Santa <br />Ana. They began taking on clients starting in February 2018 and became fully staffed and operational in March <br />2018. Santa Ana renewed its contract with ImmDef for the first time in October 2018, and a second time in <br />January 2020 after running a second request for applications. On March 16, 2021, the City renewed its $200,000 <br />per year contract with ImmDef through March 2023. <br />Initially, ImmDef provided services to immigrants detained in Orange County's Theo Lacy Detention Facility <br />(Orange, CA) and James M. Musick Detention Facility (Irvine, CA). When Immigration and Customs Enforcement <br />(ICE) stopped using those facilities in 2019, ImmDef shifted to providing services to immigrants detained in the <br />Adelanto Detention Facility (Adelanto, CA). ImmDef also began accepting cases on the non -detained docket to <br />address needs of the community for representation of released people. <br />Vera Center on Immigration + Justice <br />