For the last week, the founder of the San Francisco nonprofit organization Open Door Legal has been on a hunger strike, drawing attention to the mayor’s budget proposal.
Mayor Daniel Lurie’s proposal would essentially eliminate any funding for organizations like ODL, which provide legal services to many of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Aitana, an undocumented woman receiving help from ODL, said her case highlights what’s at stake if the city does cut funding.
She was provided a U visa, which is designated for crime victims so they can testify in court. Aitan was the victim of a robbery by six men.
She said one of the men put a gun to her head and another put a knife to her side. Some of the men, whom she helped identify, were eventually arrested by San Francisco police
Aitana said she plans to testify against them, but is now scared to go to court.
She said she is afraid because of recent incidents where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents appear at courthouses and detain people.
ICE agents have appeared at the San Francisco immigration court and detained people showing up for hearings. However, no reports have surfaced of ICE agents showing up at the city’s criminal courts.
Open Door Legal Founder Adrian Tirtanadi said the city should be supporting people like Aitana instead of cutting off funds from groups like his.
“It’s a good example of the kind of matters that the mayor’s office is asking us to drop, as of July 1. Which, I don’t think, is ethical,” he said.
Members of the city’s faith communities joined Tirtandi on the steps of San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday to announce their plans to join the hunger strike.
Tirtanadi said funding those who help the city’s most vulnerable with legal issues is not just the right thing to do, but will also save the city money in the long run.
“It reduces the cost of shelter, it reduces the costs to police, and it reduces the cost to the public health system,” he said.
The Mayor’s Office has not responded to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment.
According to Lurie, at the time, the original budget proposal is necessary to close the city’s $800 million budget shortfall.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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