Mobile legal aid clinic for immigrants unveiled in Contra Costa County

MARTINEZ — As the Trump administration continues its immigration crackdown, a new program in Contra Costa County aims to reduce barriers to legal services for some of the area’s most vulnerable residents.

Stand Together Contra Costa, a rapid response and legal aid organization focused on immigrants and formed out of a public-private partnership, unveiled a new mobile clinic during a press conference Thursday.

As a legal office on wheels, the clinic’s goal is to provide immigration legal services to those facing barriers with transportation, work schedules, child care or fear of violence by federal immigration agents.

“This mobile legal clinic reflects a simple but powerful idea: justice works best when it’s accessible,” Ali Saidi, a deputy public defender in the Contra Costa Public Defender’s Office and the director of Stand Together Contra Costa, said in a statement. “By showing up directly in neighborhoods across the county, we’re removing barriers, building trust, and making sure people know they’re not alone when legal issues arise.”

Contra Costa Public Defender employees will staff the van, providing free and culturally sensitive legal guidance to those seeking help navigating the immigration system. The clinic will also help direct county residents toward other resources like public benefits and housing support.

“The county’s new mobile legal clinic van will make it easier for immigrants to access our rapid response services quicker and meet their needs in the community,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia.

Beginning in February, the mobile clinic, which reportedly cost the county about $200,000, according to KTVU, will be deployed in each of Contra Costa County’s five districts. The Contra Costa Public Defender’s Office and Stand Together Contra Costa will announce dates, times and locations.

“Our commitment to serving community members in Contra Costa County goes beyond our vigorous advocacy inside of the courtroom,” Ellen McDonnell, a public defender with the Contra Costa Public Defender’s Office, said in a statement. “Access to justice means making sure every community member – no matter their income, background, or neighborhood – understands their legal rights and is able to find help when and where they need it.”

Bay Area residents, nonprofits and public agencies have increasingly organized around immigrant communities under threat since President Donald Trump took office again a year ago with a promise to crack down on illegal immigration. His administration has since deployed federal agents to cities like Seattle, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Everyday residents have protested immigration operations with rallies, marches and walkouts, and have monitored areas where day laborers are known to gather.

Counties and cities allocated millions of dollars toward immigrant relief funds meant to educate the public on their rights when confronted by federal officials and provide legal support to immigrants facing deportation proceedings.

Ordinances prohibiting staff of public agencies from cooperating with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers without being served a judicial warrant have been adopted by counties, cities and school districts. And so-called “ICE Free Zones,” a policy banning ICE from staging operations on publicly-owned land has been adopted by Pinole, San Jose and Alameda County, and is under consideration in other jurisdictions.

Nonprofits and coalitions of community organizations like Stand Together Contra Costa, Reimagine Richmond, Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership and Rapid Response Networks in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties quickly mobilized to verify reports of ICE sightings.

Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, who attended the mobile clinic’s unveiling Thursday, said in an interview Friday that times are “chaotic” under the Trump administration’s crackdown, making public demonstrations and investments in resources necessary. Richmond has similarly invested in legal aid clinics under its $1 million Immigrant Relief Fund.

The mobile clinic “is a symbol of solidarity, a symbol of hope,” Martinez said. “We need help in as many different forms as possible because what works for one person might not work for another person.”