The daily average population at the Otay Mesa immigration detention facility has increased by nearly 200% over the past several years.
Two individuals stand by the gate, waiting for it to open as they leave the Otay Mesa Detention Center on Feb. 20. A San Diego County program that provides free legal counsel to immigrants in detention and unaccompanied minors could face “significant funding gaps” next fiscal year, given the increased demand, Representation and other program-related costs are expected to reach $13.
4 million in fiscal 2027 and $18 million in fiscal 2028, exceeding the annual $5 million budget, the report found. Expenditure increases are driven by growth in immigration detentions under the Trump administration and multi-year representation as clients’ cases often extend beyond a single year.While immigrants have the right to an attorney during immigration proceedings, the federal government is generally not required to provide one, and many are unable to pay for or find representation. During its first years, the program was able to stay under budget. However, the report noted a shift as detention levels at the Otay Mesa Detention Center went up and staffing levels for the program have increased. The daily average population at the Otay Mesa immigration detention facility has increased by nearly 200% over the past several years, jumping from 466 in fiscal 2022 to 1,390 in fiscal year 2025, according to“The strain on the county’s resources is really being driven by the Trump policy of mass incarceration, and we’re doing everything we can to protect the rule of law and due process,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who launched the program in 2021.the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and private prison operator CoreCivic to gain access to the Otay Mesa Detention Center for a full public health inspection, after county health officials were given For the next fiscal year, the program’s costs are expected to exceed the annual budget by $7.6 million, even with an additional $268,000 from unspent funds of prior years and a The report, released Friday, warned that, without additional resources, “maintaining current program service levels will not be feasible.” “Strategic planning, including securing philanthropic, state, and other funding sources, will be essential to sustain operations and meet the Board’s directive for equitable access to legal defense,” the report reads. “Continued collaboration among County departments, nonprofit partners, and policymakers will be important to support the program’s long-term sustainability.” Projections indicate that immigrants served by the program whose cases began in previous fiscal years and will extend into next fiscal year will average over 1,100 clients per month. However, the report noted that even if the program suspends new client intakes in July, it “likely would not be sufficient to align expenditures with available funding, given the program’s ongoing legal obligations to clients already accepted into the program.” Current funding levels could cover representation for an average of 525 detained clients and 25 unaccompanied minors per month, which is significantly lower than the number of clients accepted in previous years whose representation extends into the next year. The report also acknowledges other factors that should be considered, including rising county labor costs, increased immigration court filing fees and unanticipated changes to immigration laws or policies. The number of appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals andLawson-Remer said she feels “confident” that the county will be able to find the necessary resources to continue the program. Otherwise, she said, there’s a possibility of asking the board for an increase to the program’s annual budget.County airport in Carlsbad is on FAA’s national ‘hot spots’ listHow does Petco Park factor into sale of San Diego Padres?Surprise: Snapdragon Stadium will host 11 Olympic soccer matches in 2028Nighthawk battery facility in Poway is about to take flight15 can’t-miss events in San Diego County in the spring
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