City of Santa Barbara awards $333,000 in grants to immigrant-focused organizations
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The City of Santa Barbara's Immigrant Relief Fund issued $333,000 in grants to organizations helping the local immigrant community.
The Fund for Santa Barbara has been tasked by the City to manage the application and submission review process based on each group's demonstrated impact, community trust, and capacity to deliver responsive services.
"All people, including immigrants, deserve safety, dignity, and the opportunity to thrive in the place they call home," said Eder Gaona Macedo, Executive Director at The FUND for Santa Barbara. "At a time of increased violence, when fear and division shape national policy, these organizations embody the best of our community—standing up for our undocumented neighbors through legal defense, housing, advocacy, and emergency care, and helping keep families together while protecting the promise of a just and inclusive democracy."
Below are the grant recipients and their respective award ammounts:
- $100,000 to 805 UndocuFund for emergency financial assistance to undocumented families
- $100,000 to IMPORTA Santa Barbara to cover immigration application and medical exam fees for low-income undocumented people and mixed-status families
- $58,000 to the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County to support legal services for immigrants impacted by intimate partner violence and other vulnerable immigrants
- $25,000 to Future Leaders of America for emergency preparedness, legal referrals, and community outreach
- $25,000 to Immigrant Hope Santa Barbara to subsidize legal service fees and provide transportation and training for immigrant support
- $25,000 to Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) to expand legal assistance to members of the indigenous migrant community
The awards above join a previously awarded $130,000 grant to the Immigrant Legal Defense Center to support that group hiring a full-time staff attorney shared the City of Santa Barbara.
In total, $645,000 was requested by applicants to the city's immigrant-focused grant fund this cycle added the City.
"This significant level of support reflects the City’s continued commitment to equity, safety, and dignity for all residents—regardless of immigration status," said City Administrator Kelly McAdoo. "We are grateful to The Fund for Santa Barbara for their leadership in administering this process and to the organizations who work tirelessly to serve our immigrant communities."
