City Manager’s Office
www.santa-ana.org/cm
Item # 13
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
August 19, 2025
TOPIC: Immigration Legal Defense Services
AGENDA TITLE
Agreement with Immigrant Defenders Law Center for Immigration Legal Defense Services (Specification No. 24-137) (General Fund)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Immigrant Defenders Law Center to provide immigration legal defense services to Santa Ana residents in the amount of $250,000 for the term of August 19, 2025 to August 18, 2026, with provisions for two, one-year extensions at an amount of $250,000 per extension, for a total aggregate amount not to exceed $750,000 over a three-year period (Agreement No. A- 2025-XXX).
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 24-137 was issued on November 27, 2024 on the City’s online bid management and publication system. A summary of vendor participation and results is as follows:
486 vendors notified
2 Santa Ana vendors notified
13 Vendors downloaded the RFP packet
1 Proposal received
Proposals were solicited, opened on December 18, 2024, and evaluated. An evaluation committee reviewed and rated the proposal according to the criteria listed in the RFP.
Staff recommends awarding an agreement to the highest-ranked firm, Immigration Defenders Law Center (Exhibit 1).
Since its inception in 2017, the City’s immigration defense fund has relied on annual budget appropriations and one-year agreements with Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) to fund immigration legal defense services to Santa Ana residents facing deportation proceedings. The City has entered into a total of three (3) agreements with ImmDef since 2017, and their most recent agreement expired on January 31, 2025.
Immigration Legal Defense Services
August 19, 2025
5 2
5 8
Under this proposed agreement, ImmDef agrees to initiate representation with a minimum of 12 new clients during the initial year, while maintaining any Santa Ana active case where representation was initiated prior to this new agreement. ImmDef agrees to take on 12 new cases each year that the contract is extended, with a maximum cap of 70 active cases, for a maximum of two (2) full-time attorney caseloads (max caseload of 35 cases per attorney). To reduce the possibility of legal services being halted due to the 70 case cap, ImmDef will provide an explanation for any case that has no activity reported for two consecutive quarters.
ImmDef is uniquely qualified to meet all service areas outlined in the RFP for the City of Santa Ana, including removal defense, affirmative applications, and appellate representation. As the largest deportation defense nonprofit in Southern California, ImmDef has provided full-scope removal defense since 2015, with representation before immigration courts, USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition, ImmDef has offices in Santa Ana that provide ease of access to Santa Ana clients.
ImmDef attorneys regularly represent clients in both detained and non-detained proceedings, with legal expertise spanning asylum, withholding of removal, CAT, 212(c), 42A/B cancellation, SIJS, VAWA, T and U visas, and motions to reopen.
ImmDef brings deep experience in post-conviction relief referrals and appellate litigation, ensuring continuity of representation across complex, multi-forum cases, operating under a universal representation model and uses a structured intake process that prioritizes income, residency, and lack of counsel to ensure equitable access to services. Their infrastructure supports consistent, high-quality legal services through strong supervision, weekly case reviews, and systems that manage caseloads, track referrals, maintain confidentiality, and ensure reliable communication.
Awarding this agreement maintains our long-standing relationship with ImmDef and ensures uninterrupted, high-quality immigration legal defense services for Santa Ana residents facing deportation. This agreement provides stability, maximizes service continuity, and reaffirms the City’s commitment to protecting the rights and due process of its immigrant community.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with the action.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding is available in the current FY 2025-26 budget and funding for subsequent fiscal years will be included in the proposed budget for City Council consideration.
Fiscal Year Accounting
Unit
Fund
Name
Accounting Unit
Description
Amount
Contract ( 1-Year Term)
FY 2025-2026 01105015-
62300
General
Fund
Contract Services -
Professional
$250,000
Immigration Legal Defense Services
August 19, 2025
5 2
5 8
Optional Two One Year Extensions
FY 2026-2027 01105015-
62300
General
Fund
Contract Services -
Professional
$250,000
FY 2027-2028 01105015-
62300
General
Fund
Contract Services -
Professional
$250,000
Total $750,000
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Agreement with Immigrant Defenders Law Center
Submitted By: Sylvia Vazquez, Deputy City Manager
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager