Supporting Immigrant Families
Collective Care in Action
Last summer, the first of several phases of H.R. 1 took effect as food access, healthcare, and economic assistance programs prepared for new eligibility requirements stretching an already taut social safety net even tighter as need for services rises. At the same time, heightened activity by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sparked fear in immigrant communities across the country.
Starting in early 2026, additional restrictions on healthcare access from H.R. 1 rolled out alongside continued—and increasingly violent— enforcement of new federal executive orders regarding immigration. While the effects of these policies are being felt nationwide, here in Santa Cruz County, frontline nonprofit organizations are seeing the impact on our local immigrant neighbors.
“The intentional chilling effect of H.R. 1 legislation and ICE raids are causing is not by mistake. It impacts every community’s overall access to and confidence in essential services, and when you start to erode that, it’s a dangerous situation that will cause generational harm,” says Community Bridges CEO Raymon Cancino.
Many concerned community members have reached out to the Community Foundation wanting to know the impact these policies are having locally and how they can help. For over forty years, the Community Foundation has worked in trusted partnership with local community-based organizations to respond to local needs; we reached out to get a current sense of the scope, the needs, and ways to support.
Legal Services
Community Action Board Santa Cruz County (CAB) has been providing legal services, advocacy, and education through its Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP) for decades.
Paz Padilla, Programs and Impact Director for CAB, says that the changes in federal immigration policy and its aggressive enforcement tactics are causing worry for clients engaging in the legal process while increasing demand. Now, standard green card renewals can trigger enforcement orders, adding uncertainty for the clients and more hurdles for SCCIP.
“That’s been changing the whole landscape,” Padilla says. “It brings fear because something that wasn’t an issue thirty years ago can now trigger a removal order. It’s like walking on eggshells."
Adriana Melgoza, Executive Director of Watsonville Law Center, which serves Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey counties, says that the recent enforcement activity has prompted people to reach out for legal services earlier, and has also seen rise in demand.
“Compared to last fall, more families are coming to us for preventative services—legal screenings, family preparedness planning, and know-your-rights education—rather than only after a detention or arrest has occurred. We’re also seeing increased concern from mixed-status families (those that have members with different immigration status) and longtime community members who previously felt relatively safe but no longer do.”
Food Insecurity
As food insecurity grows nationwide due to changes in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits eligibility, local safety net organizations are also seeing increased demand amongst heightened anxiety.
“There’s maybe a ten percent increase for the lunch program, but the pantry program has just exploded,” says Ashley Bridges, Executive Director of Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes (PVLF), which provides daily hot meals and groceries in Watsonville. “We're seeing a lot of new families, and families coming more regularly.
When new SNAP work requirements take effect on March 1, Bridges is expecting a possible rise in volunteers, which can bolster the organization’s capacity. Although there’s a lot of fear right now, she says that PVLF is seeing community members stepping up to help their neighbors with food and monetary donations. That influx of support has allowed PVLF to hold a special, mass food distribution in March.
“I see people every day whose reality is that their family member could be taken away. There’s a lot of fear and lack of trust in general, but we are one of those places where people know they can go five days a week or can send someone on their behalf, because families trust us and know they can count on us.”
Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB), the only food bank in the county, saw demand double during the SNAP benefits pause of late 2025 and it has remained at that level into 2026.
“SHFB community sites and partner agency sites continue to report strong attendance and consistent need across the 100 distribution sites,” says Adriana Mata, Chief Community Impact Officer.
Mata adds that the demand for their home delivery program has also doubled, with many residents staying away from distribution sites, and that the situation is affecting everyone in the community. SHFB is collaborating with other community-based organizations such as CAB to provide training and educational resources to volunteers.
Healthcare
Community healthcare providers in the area have historically been an important resource for immigrant families. Salud Para La Gente (Salud) has been providing low-cost services and building relationships with the Watsonville community for almost fifty years. The organization has seen an increase in demand at its multiple south county clinics, including new adult and pediatric intakes.
According to Dr. Devon Francis, Salud’s Chief Medical Officer, local families are turning to them not only for health care, but for guidance and stability. In advance of the new federal restrictions, they have strengthened Medi-Cal outreach and enrollment support. Salud has also integrated childcare safety planning into their care, helping families prepare emergency plans, identify trusted caregivers, and organize important documents before a crisis occurs.
"Patients’ reactions to the increased immigration enforcement activity have been mixed," Dr. Francis says. "Some patients have resumed their normal daily activities, and continue coming in for care, while others prefer to stay home. At the same time, the new reality is also spurring some residents to become more vocal advocates for their immigrant family members and neighbors."
"Salud is here for our community. We provide care regardless of insurance or immigration status, and our doors remain open. We are committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care to everyone.”
Affordable dental care is another pillar of community healthcare, and Dientes Community Dental Care is a key provider in the county. Sheree Storm, Chief Strategy Officer for Dientes, says the new eligibility requirements through H.R. 1, set to hit July 1, will eliminate routine dental care for people aged 19+ who are not eligible for federal full-scope Medicaid (in California, Medi-Cal). She says that as many as 9,000 people could be left behind, but that the true number is hard to pinpoint.
“Because we don't track the immigration status of our patients, there's no way for us to know who will be impacted. What we do know is that this change is not widely understood, so we're working with the Santa Cruz County Immigration Coalition and Salud Para La Gente to get that message out,” Storm says.
Education
Childcare and education have been a major concern for the community, with the possibility of parents being separated from their children during immigrations raids becoming a real threat to families.
Community Bridges runs an early childhood education program and is also the local provider of the federal Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program.
Community Bridges Marketing and Communications Director Tony Nuñez says that the demand for both programs has remained steady. But after the pause in SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown during late 2025, clients were left wondering if the WIC program was still operating and if they were still eligible. On top of that, the aggressive ICE enforcement operations in early 2026 in other parts of the country stopped many from reaching out for help, and made people question if the support was worth the risk.
“That confusion leads to fear of repercussions, that using these services will impact their chances of becoming a U.S. Citizen or even a permanent resident,” Nuñez says.
While its early education program has not seen a change in enrollment, Nuñez notes that young children are feeling anxiety over immigration.
He says, “Our teachers are reporting some children are even asking if President Trump doesn’t like them because their families are from Mexico.”
At the county level, educators are also grappling with the adverse effects of these policies on their students.
Santa Cruz County Office of Education’s (COE) Superintendent of Schools Dr. Faris Sabbah says that while our county has not seen large scale ICE activity, many students from immigrant families are feeling anxious.
“We know students are carrying different levels of anxiety and uncertainty, especially those from mixed-status families as well as LGBTQ+ students who are seeing themselves ostracized and targeted by actions of this federal government. We hear that from students directly as well as from families, educators, and community partners who work closely with these communities,” Sabbah says.
His office has also set protocols and policies in place, strengthened by new state laws, to prevent immigration enforcement on campus in almost all circumstances.
“Schools are places of safety. Every child has the right to a public education, regardless of immigration status. We do not collect information about immigration status. And we do not allow immigration enforcement on campus without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.”
The COE, CAB, Community Bridges, and other organizations are currently working together as the Santa Cruz County Immigration Coalition to share resources to prepare for heightened ICE activity in the region.
Economic Impact
The alarm around ongoing immigration enforcement has also affected the local immigrant economy, with families keeping a low profile and spending less, saving for the possibility of losing a breadwinner to sudden immigration detention.
Small, immigrant-owned businesses in the Pajaro Valley are feeling the sting of months of diminishing sales.
El Pájaro Community Development Corporation, which runs a commercial kitchen for small food vendors, has had clients reporting a steep drop in revenue.
“They saw decrease in sales starting in early 2025 and continuing through this current year. Some folks have expressed the loss of anywhere from 25 to 40 percent in sales,” said Carmen Herrera-Mansir, executive director of El Pájaro CDC. Local restaurants have reported up to a 60 percent decline in sales, she adds.
In an added complication, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that effective March 1, its 7(a) loan program will require 100 percent of ownership for applying businesses to be U.S. citizens residing in the country. In the past, the SBA allowed up to 5 percent of applying businesses’ ownership to be permanent U.S. residents, foreign nationals, or U.S citizens residing abroad. This change effectively freezes out green card holders who have permanent U.S. residency from access to one of the most popular federal small business loan programs.
The economic impact of the current political climate is also affecting one of the most vulnerable immigrant populations: day laborers.
LuzMaria Fuentes, Program Manager for CAB’s Day Worker Center (DWC) in Santa Cruz, says that in the last months, the demand for the center’s services has increased significantly. Although the winter months generally increase demand, Fuentes said they are seeing more first-time clients looking for work, but the number of employers hiring them has fallen.
“A lot of people are knocking on the doors to enroll, but unfortunately, we don't have the volume of job requests from the community to keep everyone that is seeking for employment working.”
The DWC continues to hold workshops for clients to gain more skills but also creates a place for them to find connection despite the current hardships. Fuentes says they are simply looking for the next job.
“They’re not asking for loose change,” says Fuentes. “They are asking to have a job in order to provide for their families.”
Trusted Messenger
“In times of need, our community turns to organizations that have shown up consistently through challenges and uncertainty. The trust that has been built over decades of service is now the anchor holding our community steady as we face turbulent days ahead,” says Susan True, CEO of the Community Foundation.
Paz Padilla urges the community to continue having confidence in our local network of organizations that help build that trust day after day.
“We want them to know that they can trust us. I think our organizations’ longevity reflects that we are here to advocate, to assist, and protect them as a community,” says Padilla.
What You Can Do
If you are looking to support our partner organizations as they respond to the current situation, please consider helping in the following ways:
Donate to the Community Foundation’s Supporting Immigrants in Santa Cruz County Fund, which grants funds to immigrant serving organizations.
You can also donate and support these organizations directly:
Immigration Legal Services
Food Insecurity
- Second Harvest Food Bank- Donate here to support staff capacity, infrastructure needs, and operational support for their distribution partners.
- Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes- Donate here or bring food (proteins needed) directly to their site. Volunteers are needed for their food distribution in late March. Sign up here.
Healthcare
Education
- Community Bridges- Donate here to support early childhood programs and food assistance
- County Office of Education- learn more about local policies to prevent immigration enforcement in schools
