Grant funding allocated by the city of Goleta last year helped three nonprofits serve local families affected by federal immigration enforcement activity, organization leaders told the City Council earlier this week.

But those nonprofits now face new challenges.

The city approved $100,000 in funding several days after the federal operation in Carpinteria last summer for nonprofits “providing frontline assistance” to community members impacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to Robert Nisbet, city manager. 

The city’s Human Services Standing Committee soon after decided to grant money to three nonprofits.

805UndocuFund and Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC) received $45,000, and Learn Engage Advocate Partner (LEAP) received $10,000.

The Immigrant Legal Defense Center used the funds to support its removal defense program, helping children and youth navigate the immigration system.

It also offered case management and clinical counseling for its clients, including Goleta residents, said Jordan Rabani-Jenkins, a removal defense staff attorney. 

Rabani-Jenkins said the center has attended 40 federal immigration check-ins with their clients since last year.

At two visits, federal agents detained clients. The Immigrant Legal Defense Center’s lawyers helped secure their release through habeas corpus petitions in federal court.

“That experience reflects both the challenges we are seeing and the evolution of ILDC’s removal defense program,” she said.

Previously, when a person was detained, habeas corpus petitions were “less common because immigration judges would hold a hearing to determine whether someone could be released on bond,” Rabani-Jenkins said.

But since last year, immigration judges have concluded they do not have jurisdiction to consider releasing certain individuals on bond, meaning that people can face mandatory detention, she added.

“We are seeing issues affect individuals, regardless of whether they have a criminal history or not,” she said.

To adapt, the nonprofit expanded its removal defense program to include habeas corpus petitions, challenging “unlawful” or prolonged immigration detention and alleged violations of due process, Rabani-Jenkins said. 

The nonprofit has litigated and won seven federal habeas corpus cases. Two directly impacted Goleta families, she said.

The Immigrant Legal Defense Center is also representing five asylum-seeking families from Goleta and providing immigration and legal representation to about 20 kids.

The center wants to strengthen its advocacy in federal court, according to Rabani-Jenkins.  

Since receiving the funding, the immigration enforcement landscape has evolved. Enforcement activities are now seen at ICE check-ins, nonprofit leaders said on Tuesday.

“This means that even individuals who have complied with immigration requirements and appeared for scheduled appointments now face the possibility of being detained during those very check-ins,” Rabani-Jenkins said. 

“Understandably, this has created tremendous fear among our clients and their families,” she added.

Speaking on behalf of 805UndocuFund was Anthony Rodriguez, who recently joined the nonprofit as a rapid response organizer.

“The fight is getting a little bit more difficult because of the fact that (federal) tactics are changing,” Rodriguez said.

805UndocuFund, using the grant funds, put $40,000 toward its emergency assistance fund and the remainder into its mutual aid fund, which supports basic needs, he told the council.

From the $40,000, ten Goleta families received $1,000 in direct assistance. Forty Goleta households were also served through the nonprofit’s mutual aid.

The nonprofit hosts and manages the Rapid Response Hotline, which community members use to report federal immigration enforcement activity.

“This is unity, and this is community,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez said the organization has recorded more than 1,000 immigration-related arrests since January 2025.

That breaks down to 662 in Santa Maria, six in Montecito, 123 in Santa Barbara, three in Guadalupe, one in Solvang, 10 in Goleta, one in Santa Ynez, 26 in Carpinteria and 173 in Lompoc, according to Rodriguez.

The federal government has rarely released official numbers on immigration-related arrests, but a data dump in May put arrests at roughly 550 in Santa Barbara County during that same time period.

Lori Goodman, CEO of LEAP, said one Santa Barbara family — Jonathan, Joani and their toddler, Kaleth — was detained when they arrived at an immigration appointment. They were then sent to two different detention centers.  

LEAP staff helped facilitate the family’s release and return to the Central Coast.

Goodman also read a story on behalf of Laura Costilla, a LEAP staff member, about the day Kaleth returned to the nonprofit’s campus with his friends and teachers. He was overjoyed to return to Goleta after spending time at a Texas detention center with his mom, Joani.

Councilmembers thanked the leaders for their services to families impacted by federal immigration enforcement activity.

“Supporting the idea of grabbing people off the street based on ethnicity and imprisoning them is fundamentally un-American,” Councilmember Stuart Kasdin said.

Councilmember Jennifer Smith floated the idea of having the city’s Human Services Committee discuss potential continued support.

Nisbet said that would be added to the committee’s next meeting, which has not yet been scheduled.