SANTA CRUZ — Months after it passed resolutions in support of local immigrant and LGBTQ communities, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will consider steps to back up the largely symbolic gestures with tangible resource allocations.At its meeting scheduled for 9 a.m.
Tuesday, the board will consider a recommendation to appropriate $200,000 from its general fund contingency to be used to support and defend local communities targeted by President Donald Trump’s administration. The funding will be split in half, with $100,000 going to undocumented immigrant legal services and the other $100,000 for LGBTQ support services.If approved, County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios, who put the recommendation forward, will work alongside leadership in the county’s Health Services Agency and Human Services Department to identify community-based organizations that can use the reallocated money to deliver services to these residents.
The board unanimously declared the county a sanctuary county for local immigrant communities at a meeting last December, that was accompanied by a directive for Palacios to engage with community-based organizations to identify supportive actions and programs. Similarly, the board reaffirmed its commitment to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community and women with another unanimously-supported resolution at its Jan. 28 meeting.
Last month’s resolution also asked Palacios to take action by collaborating with local nonprofits already engaged .
