14 Oct Richmond Picks Initial Recipients for $1 Million Immigration Fund, Makes ‘Fiscal Turnaround’

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

After months of waiting, the city of Richmond has settled on three recipients who will receive part of its $1 million immigration fund.   

City Manager Shasa Curl told the City Council on Oct. 7 that East Bay Covenant, Catholic Charities East Bay, and the Multicultural Institute will use a chunk of the funding to provide services to residents. But there is “more to come” as to where the rest of the funds will be directed.  

Council members approved the fund in March in response to the Trump administration ramping up immigration enforcement. The city lagged in disbursing funds, prompting residents to show up at recent council meetings calling for their release. 

Curl did not say what had been causing the delay but said that staff did not have expertise in the policy area. Gabino Arredondo, a program manager with the city, told Richmond Confidential that a request for proposal was sent out twice and was unsuccessful.  

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security, which houses the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, touted the removal and self-deportation of more than 2 million people since Trump began his second term.  

Because the police department does not participate in ICE operations, the city does not have an official number of how many of its residents have been detained or deported. But local officials have been alerted to a number of cases in the last several months, including El Sobrante resident Harjit Kaur.  

On Oct. 1, ICE detained and arrested two residents in the North and East neighborhood, according to local officials and a GoFundMe set up for the affected families. 

East Bay Covenant received $323,118 to offer legal services and defense over the next two years. Catholic Charities, also offering legal services and outreach, received $394,225 for a one-year term. The Multicultural Institute received $130,000 for one year. 

Curl told the council she anticipated that it would later consider a staff recommendation on what to do with the remaining funds. She said staff also wanted to make changes to the program to “better support the needs of our residents.” 

City no longer ‘high-risk,’ state auditor says 

Richmond is no longer considered a “high-risk” city by the California State Auditor, Curl announced at the meeting.  

The California State Auditor removed the city from its “high-risk” list of local governments after it made “significant progress” in addressing risk areas identified in a previous report, according to a report released last week.  

“Through strategic actions over the past three years, the City has built a solid financial foundation — one that positions us for a future full of opportunity and growth,” Curl said in a statement about the “fiscal turnaround.” 

The report, a follow-up to a November 2022 report that gave the city the “high-risk” designation, found that it made strides to either fully or partially address problems with long-term financial stability, poorly funded retirement benefits, mismanagement of the Housing Authority, and adherence to contracting policies.

The city has seen revenues exceed expenditures since the 2021-22 year, built reserves, implemented debt management, and increased oversight of the Housing Authority as part of its path to remove the designation.

“This has been an exceptionally difficult nearly three years. I’m really pleased that we completed this significant milestone and are able to get off the state audit list,” said Curl.