Mayor Lurie takes credit for immigrant legal funding he had little to do with

Mayor Daniel Lurie's announcement of $3. 4 million in funding for immigrant legal defense has drawn scrutiny over his minimal role in securing the grant. The San Francisco Public Defender's Office had applied for the funding from the Crankstart Foundation, and Lurie's contribution was limited to sponsoring the legislation needed to accept it. Critics, including former supervisors, labeled the action as routine and insufficient for the urgent needs of the immigrant community. Further complicating matters, Lurie chose not to renew $878,000 in one-time funding provided by former Mayor London Breed, marking a de facto cut in resources for immigrant legal services.

This comes at a time when demand for such services is rising, particularly in light of anticipated federal enforcement actions. Advocates like Lariza Dugan-Cuadra have underscored the critical nature of this funding for local immigrant defense. The mayor's office defended his actions as necessary legislative steps, but questions remain about the lack of additional support for the public defender's office. Crankstart, the foundation providing the grant, has not commented on the mayor's claims.