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aanta Lena wants to create legal defense tuna for immigration detainees facing deportation... Page 3 of 4 <br />But Solorio raised concerns on how contributing to such a fund and the four <br />other initiatives would affect the city's general fund. In a budget work study <br />session earlier Tuesday, staff projected a deficit of $14.4 million for fiscal year <br />2017-18 and $19.5 million for fiscal year 2019.19. <br />"It's still very unclear how much money is being requested for this entire <br />endeavor,"Solorio said. <br />Councilman Vincent Sarmlento said his initial proposal wasn't to create <br />money over the long term for a legal defense fund, but to provide the catalyst <br />for other organizations to do so. <br />"This really wasn't intended for us to fund anything," he said. "Los Angeles is <br />doing a multimillion -dollar effort. Unfortunately, as many of you saw through <br />our budget situation, we are not In that position, but we can do some." <br />Sarmiento also made a motion, which was approved, to put about $65,000 in <br />the Clerk of the Council's budget that remains unused from a voter outreach <br />program last year toward the legal defense fund. Appropriating that money <br />requires another council vote. <br />Another option staff is pursuing Is establishing a joint powers authority with <br />Anaheim or other interested cities that may strengthen its eligibility for a <br />support grant from the Vera Institute, which has partnered with New York <br />City to provide public defender services to immigrants in removal <br />proceedings. <br />The Consulate of Mexico in Santa Ana signed a memorandum of <br />understanding with the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County in March, <br />bolstering their capacity to provide free or low-cost counseling and legal <br />representation. <br />A solid network of pro bono attomeys exists, Koh said, but there a great need <br />for lawyers focused on detained immigrants, <br />"It is our hope that Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Orange mightjoin the effort (in <br />Santa Ana) and kind of say to their own residents that they have their back," <br />Ashar said. <br />http://www,ocregister.coml20 l 7iO5l l 7fsanta-aLX&As,tbSVeate-legal-defense-fund-for-im... 6/9/2017 <br />