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REQUEST FOR <br />COUNCIL ACTION <br />CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: <br />JUNE 20, 2017 <br />TITLE: <br />APPROVAL OF AN APPROPRIATION <br />ADJUSTMENT FOR AN IMMIGRATION <br />LEGAL DEFENSE FUND <br />CITY-MKNj<GER <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: <br />❑ As Recommended <br />❑ As Amended <br />❑ Ordinance on ll" Reading <br />❑ Ordinance on 2ntl Reading <br />❑ Implementing Resolution <br />❑ Set Public Hearing For <br />CONTINUED TO <br />FILE NUMBER <br />Approve an appropriation adjustment of $65,000 from the Clerk of the Council - Salaries Regular <br />account and appropriate the same amount into the City Manager's Office - Contracts Services - <br />Professional account for an immigration legal defense fund. <br />DISCUSSION <br />On May 16, 2017, the Santa Ana City Council, by a vote of 4-2, directed staff to further pursue five <br />options relating to immigration legal defense options that were presented: <br />• Partner with immigrant defenders or other established providers of legal services <br />• Establish a joint powers authority <br />• Establish a central location for referral of services <br />• Provide funding for a legal defense fund, and <br />• Pursue the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) support grant. <br />These options were developed as a result of a meeting hosted by the City Attorney on March 8, <br />2017 with legal service providers, private stakeholders, and City Staff, as well as subsequent <br />information gathering. At the same City Council meeting on May 16, 2017, the City Council directed <br />staff to agendize an appropriation adjustment of $65,000 of remaining voter outreach funds from the <br />Clerk of the Council Fiscal Year 2016-17 budget to be utilized as seed money for a legal defense <br />fund. Upon approval of the appropriation adjustment, the $65,000 will become available to <br />support a legal defense fund, or to support any of the options listed above per City Council <br />direction. Staff is continuing to evaluate all immigration legal defense options for consideration <br />by the City Council. <br />Regarding the Vera grant funding opportunity to join the SAFE Cities Network and provide <br />universal legal representation, staff worked with partners from UC Irvine School of Law Immigrant <br />Rights Clinic, Western State University Immigration Clinic, Resilience OC, and others, to prepare <br />20A-1 <br />