Supervisor Jackie Fielder said at a City Hall rally on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that San Francisco will put another $1.8 million into immigrant legal defense, a day after video showed immigration agents surrounding and detaining a man in SoMa, Mission Local reported.
Where the money would go
The funding would support Bay Area immigration legal services, groups that accompany immigrants to ICE check-ins, and the city's rapid response hotline, according to Mission Local. The Bay Area Habeas Network, a pro-bono group of attorneys who file habeas petitions to challenge detentions, would get $125,000.
Fielder said the plan has unanimous support from supervisors and the mayor. Board President Rafael Mandelman waived the usual 30-day waiting period, and the ordinance could be voted on as soon as Nov. 4, Fielder's office told Mission Local. Organizers said getting the money out will likely take a couple of months.
The rally
“We will defend our sanctuary city. Not just in words, but in action,” Fielder said on the City Hall steps, with six other supervisors beside her. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said the federal government's intention is “to intimidate,” CBS San Francisco reported.
The SoMa arrest
Surveillance video from Monday, Oct. 19, shows a man being detained by masked officers in SoMa while shouting that he is a U.S. citizen, CBS reported. The San Francisco Rapid Response Network confirmed ICE officers were involved and said it connected the man with a public defender. CBS reported the circumstances of the encounter were unclear.
Our earlier report: SoMa ICE arrest on 6th Street (Oct. 19).