CSU spends $42M in taxpayer funds on free legal services, ‘deportation defense’ for illegal immigrants

The California State University system (CSU) has spent $42 million in taxpayer dollars to provide free legal services to illegal immigrant students, their families, and staff over the past five years.

All 23 campuses within the university system have immigration attorneys and paralegals who offer free representation for deportation defense, DACA renewals, naturalization applications, and more through in-person and virtual appointments.

Services are available to students, their immediate family members, staff, faculty, and alumni who graduated within two years. 

According to the CSU website, “nearly 21,000 individuals” had received legal aid through the initiative as of December 2023. 

[RELATED: UMich spent $100k on illegal immigrant scholarships, triggering federal probe]

Launched in 2018, the services are funded through the state’s General Fund and managed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). This means the services are funded with state taxpayer dollars appropriated through the state budget. 

The CDSS supports this project by awarding grants to nonprofits that assist illegal immigrants. One such nonprofit is the Central American Resource Center of California (CARECEN), which seeks to “win legal status for immigrants” and promotes “social and economic justice.”

In addition to free legal services, CSU also provides access to funding for illegal immigrant students through its DREAM resource centers. 

CSU’s DREAM Centers advertise “help identifying financial sources” to cover DACA fees and “$725 fee assistance” for the naturalization process. 

[RELATED: Over 35 colleges enforce ‘Sanctuary Campus’ policies, refuse to cooperate with ICE]

As of 2024, CSU reported nearly 10,000 illegal immigrant students, the highest number in any university system in the country. California’s broader public higher education system, which includes the CSU system, University of California system and community colleges, enrolls over 100,000 illegal immigrant students.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2025-2026 state budget includes another $17.6 million for immigration legal services at public colleges and universities.

Campus Reform has contacted the parties in this article for comment. This article will be updated accordingly. 

Follow the author of this article on X and Instagram: @RealEmilySturge