FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2025
CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org
SACRAMENTO, CA –Hortencia Rodríguez Sandoval, director of community partnerships and state and local policy at the Acacia Center for Justice, released the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2025-2026 state budget proposal, which excludes renewed funding for the Children’s Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP):
“Despite the tried-and-true success of CHIRP, no funding has been proposed for this program in either the special legislative session or the 2025-2026 state budget, and its future remains unclear. This omission is surprising and disappointing. If not remedied by the California legislature, the children and youth who depend on this program would be left without vital support when it is needed most.
“For the last three years, the Children’s Holistic Immigration Representation Project has mobilized community support and resources to provide critical trauma-informed care and legal services to unaccompanied children and youth who call California home. Our dedicated, statewide network of legal service providers and advocates has equipped children to register for school, receive health services, and secure necessary support alongside their legal representation in immigration court.
“As California prepares for the incoming Trump administration, we urge Governor Newsom and the legislature to explore all avenues to support programs that effectively protect immigrant communities and restore funding for CHIRP through the 2025-2026 budgetary process. Now, more than ever, the state should recommit to expanding programs that protect our most vulnerable neighbors.”
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