San Diego County's program that provides legal representation to detained immigrants is on track to face a major funding shortfall — and county officials say the situation could get significantly worse.

A new report presented to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors warns that the Immigrant Legal Defense Program (ILDP) may run out of money as the number of people held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center continues to climb. The facility, located in the southern part of the county, has seen its average daily population increase by roughly 200% between the 2020–21 and 2024–25 fiscal years, according to ICE Integrated Decision Support data cited in the report.

The ILDP has scaled dramatically to meet that demand. When the program launched in April 2022, it averaged about 56 clients per month with 11 attorneys. Today, it's running about 1,200 clients per month — with 56 attorneys. Next fiscal year, projections show that number could reach 1,800 clients monthly, requiring 90-plus attorneys and far exceeding the program's current $5 million budget.

Under current funding, the county says it can support about 525 detained clients and 25 unaccompanied minors each month. Even suspending new client intake as early as July may not cover projected expenses. The report estimates a $7.6 million funding gap beyond the annual budget and carryover funds — and that could swell to over $17 million by 2027–28.

For East County residents, the stakes are local: Otay Mesa is the county's primary federal immigration detention facility, and many detainees have community ties across the region. Without legal representation, detained individuals — including those with long-established U.S. lives — may lose their cases by default.

The Board of Supervisors has directed county staff to explore philanthropic, state, and other funding sources. Potential changes in federal immigration law could either ease or worsen the program's trajectory, the report notes.