State restores $15 million for legal aid program serving unaccompanied immigrant children after local advocacy effort

CARPINTERIA, Calif. – State and local leaders gathered in Carpinteria Thursday to celebrate the restoration of $15 million in California's 2026–27 budget for the Children's Holistic Immigration Representation Project, or CHIRP, a program that provides free legal representation and case management for unaccompanied immigrant children.

Assemblymember Gregg Hart announced the funding alongside the Santa Barbara Immigrant Legal Defense Center (SBILDC), whose leaders advocated to restore the program after it was left out of Governor Gavin Newsom's initial budget proposal.

"At a basic level, the CHIRP program brings hope," Hart said.

CHIRP, which is administered by the California Department of Social Services, pairs unaccompanied immigrant children with attorneys and trauma-informed case managers as they navigate immigration proceedings.

"We're talking about one of the most vulnerable migrant populations, which are unaccompanied immigrant children," said Julissa Peña, executive director of the Santa Barbara Immigrant Legal Defense Center. "Children as young as 2 or 3 years old."

According to SBILDC, the organization reached out to Hart after learning the program's funding was not included in the Governor's proposed budget. Hart authored a budget request to restore the funding, and lawmakers ultimately included $15 million for CHIRP in the final state budget.

Peña said losing the program would have left many children without legal representation.

"They would have been forced to defend themselves in immigration court from removal," Peña said. "If they don't show up with an attorney, they have very little chance of being able to stay here in this country with a family member that is able to keep them safe."

Since its launch in 2022, CHIRP has provided services to more than 1,100 unaccompanied immigrant children across California.

Locally, SBILDC says it has used CHIRP funding to support nearly 100 children and youth in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.

Peña said each child in the program is paired with both an attorney and a case manager who remain with them throughout their case.

"They're going to have two very familiar faces that they're going to be able to trust with their story," Peña said. "We're going to use that story and the facts of that story to defend them from removal."

Advocates say legal representation can be critical as children seek immigration relief or work to remain with family members in the United States.

Crystal Canela, a supervising immigration attorney with SBILDC, said the work is emotionally challenging but deeply meaningful.

"At the end of the day, we're doing everything possible to help them stay here legally," Canela said. "Realistically, that may not be the outcome for all of the children we're representing."

She said simply having someone to stand beside children during court hearings and immigration appointments can make a significant difference.

"Knowing that I'm at least there to give them a voice," Canela said. "When they have to show up for an ICE appointment, I'm there to talk on their behalf and make them feel a little bit more comfortable in a situation that is really scary, even for an adult."

Advocates say they will continue working with state lawmakers to secure long-term funding so the program can continue serving vulnerable children across California.