Soros-Backed Group Meets to Promote ICE “Resistance”
By Christy Lozano
On February 27, I attended an event at the Faulkner Library in Santa Barbara, called “Protecting our Immigrant Community: How Can Santa Barbara County Help?” This event was put on by the League of Women Voters. The League claims to be non-partisan, but if you look at their track record, they primarily support progressive Democrat leaders and ideas.
I learned that the League of Women Voters Educational Fund is funded directly by George Soros and his Open Society Institute. This might explain why this meeting was focused on how to push back and defy federal government orders from ICE. This promotes defiance against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), rather than focusing on how we can help people around us.
Leading the charge for the LWV, was Supervisor Laura Capps.
This meeting did not focus on problem-solving questions or solutions to support community immigration issues such as: How to work within federal laws to help immigrants; how to support our government yet respectfully request understanding and support for those in our community who might be here illegally and have been longstanding contributing members of our county; how to come up with requests or solutions to the Trump Administration for consideration towards community members who don’t have legal immigration status.
Instead, this panel focused on how not to work with ICE. The panel and others in the room talked about the ways to avoid, undermine, and pressure law enforcement. They were not working with, but instead were spending taxpayer money on legal defense to work against them. There was no mention of violent criminals and gang members that the Trump Administration says it is focusing on first. ICE agents are prioritizing national security threats, but not one panel member focused on any positive work that ICE is doing to arrest and detain criminals.
This event presented a one-sided view. It gave the “perception” of care and support for Santa Barbara’s immigrant community and drew on the idea that we should have “compassion.” Which has just become a lot easier for Laura Capps, as she just voted to give herself and her partners on the Board of Supervisors a $56,000-a-year pay raise.
Here are some facts to help us find the truth about the organizations and panel members involved. Looking over the tax records from the IRS, interestingly there were no schedules listing who the contributors are for these organizations.
The Event Sponsor is the Fund for Santa Barbara
Its mission is “Advancing Progressive change by strengthening movements for Economic, Environmental, Political, Racial, and Social Justice.” In 2022, The Fund raised $1,727,517 towards those efforts and shared the money countywide with many youth educational programs, health agencies, family services, planned parenthood, and activist organizations. The biggest recipient of a donation was the Santa Barbara Foundation in the amount of $110,000.
Another Sponsor is Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN)
Its mission statement reads: “The SBCAN Board of Directors is committed to advancing the following principles and goals for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in carrying out its stated mission to promote social and economic justice, to preserve our environmental and agricultural resources, and to create sustainable communities.” In 2022 SBCAN spent $145,000. $72,162 was given to (a) Monitored Planning Commissions, City Councils, Board of Supervisors, advocating for preservation of open space, agricultural land, affordable housing, and transportation. $73,205 was given to (b)support community based efforts to positively impact and preserve open space, the environment, youth arts, and public information and engagement for social and economic justice.: Jonathan Abboud is Treasurer; he keeps the books. He is also President of the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara City College.
Panelist, Julissa Peña is Executive Director, SBC immigrant Legal Defense Center. Their Mission is “to provide equal access to justice and due process to indigent immigrants.” They are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit agency providing pro bono legal services to indigent immigrants in deportation proceedings and educating immigrants on their basic civil rights. According to their tax records, they raised $503,000 in 2021 and $313,000 in 2022. Of the $451,000 expenses for 2022, $78,000 was spent on legal fees. $244,000 was spent on employees. A key member of its Board is Melissa Rodezo-Patrino, former Just Communities Executive director, now director of development Botanic Gardens.
Panelist Primitive Hernandez is executive director of 805UndocuFund. Their Mission: “We mobilize resources when disaster hits, provide short-term financial relief to undocumented residents, and advocate for long-term systems change to ensure they are effectively included in disaster planning, preparedness, response, and recovery.” They provide an 805 Immigrant Rapid Response Network, a community-led initiative that provides support and resources to undocumented individuals and families facing immigration enforcement actions across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.
Keeping Secrets from “You Know Who”
Trained volunteers respond to reports of ICE activity, offering legal observation, know-your-rights education, and immediate assistance to affected individuals. On the tax returns, 805UndocuFund did not raise more than $50,000. How they fulfill their mission while raising no money is a mystery.
Panelist Chief Craig Bonner, Undersheriff, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, spoke on behalf of Sheriff Bill Brown. In his own words (click his name for video) “As local law enforcement we do not, not, enforce federal immigration law.” We do not ask questions attempting to determine a person’s immigration status.” According to the Truth, Trust, and Values Act, referred to as SB54, “The sheriff’s office will only share information with ICE about persons currently housed within our county jail. And only then, it is done upon specific request, and only if the inmate meets the specific SB54 requirements related to their criminal history, and that is going to be serious or violent offenses.”
Panelist Onyx Starrett, Deputy Public Defender is an immigration Specialist. Onyx provides advice and training to trial attorneys representing noncitizens and advocates for clients through post-conviction relief. When asked what one could do, participant Nancy Mark, President United Nations Association, Santa Barbara Chapter of UNA USA, responded “What can we do? There is something we can do. This year happens to be the UN Universal Periodic Review of the United States and how we are doing with human rights.
“It is very appropriate, and I hope ‘you know who’ doesn’t find out we are doing it.”
I believe the truth of what happened at the Faulkner Library was that a group of bureaucrats played on the emotions of people who really do care to take more money for this ‘need.’ Then they’d spend a tiny amount on immigrants and the rest on themselves and their friends. One need look no further than the tax receipts and the raise supervisors have just given themselves to verify that opinion.
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Thanks Christy for sentencing yourself to attending that meeting and then tracing the money. It is time to shine the light on how many Non Government Organizations (NGOs) are dependent on the government for their funds. An example is the NGOs, undoubtedly funded by California, suing the federal government for cutting their funding.
Remember, undermining the work of ICE puts the lives of the agents at risk.