Sacramento, California - Today, State Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia presented on behalf of the 21 members of the Latino Legislative Caucus a request for the state legislature to invest $40 million in the ONE California Immigration Services funding program.

“Last year, the legislature and the Governor invested $15 million to provide grants to qualifying nonprofits and legal service organizations as part of the 2015-16 State Budget. The goal of this historic step was to provide education, outreach and application assistance to lawful permanent residents eligible for citizenship and to undocumented immigrants eligible for deportation relief,” said Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia. “This year, the Latino Legislative Caucus alongside the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus are asking for $40 million to help our prospective immigrant communities.”

The ONE California program provides state assistance for immigrants to apply for citizenship or a lawfully present status. This is the next step for our Golden State to maintain leadership on immigrant integration. Under the ONE California proposal, $40 million would be appropriated to develop a community-driven model to assist eligible immigrants applying for citizenship or deferred action. By leveraging partnerships of qualified non-profits with strong ties to immigrant communities, we can ensure that millions of Californians are set up to succeed.