IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE CENTER CHOSEN AS A 2025 CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER GREGG HART
Santa Barbara, CA, May 21, 2025 – The Immigrant Legal Defense Center is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2025 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, 37th Assembly District.
With this honor, Assemblymember Hart recognizes the important work the Immigrant Legal Defense Center performs on the Central Coast providing critical, pro bono legal services to immigrants facing deportation—ensuring that no one stands alone in immigration court. Through tireless advocacy, direct representation, and civil rights education, Immigrant Legal Defense Center promotes equal access to justice and helps individuals and families navigate an often-intimidating legal system with dignity. Learn more at SBImmigrantDefense.org.
“The Immigrant Legal Defense Center is a vital part of our community’s support network,” said Assemblymember Hart. “Their commitment to justice, fairness, and dignity for all reflects the very best of what nonprofit service can be. I’m proud to honor Immigrant Legal Defense Center for their exceptional work and unwavering advocacy on behalf of immigrant families.”
“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from Assemblymember Hart,” said Julissa Peña, Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Center. “At the Immigrant Legal Defense Center, we believe that every family deserves safety, every child deserves stability, and every person deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of where they were born. This work is not possible without the trust of the communities we serve and the support of leaders like Assemblymember Hart who stand with us in the fight for justice. This recognition strengthens our resolve to keep showing up, to keep defending, and to keep believing in a future where fairness and compassion lead the way.”
Now in its tenth year, the California Nonprofit of the Year initiative provides the opportunity for each California state legislator to recognize a nonprofit organization doing outstanding work in their district. The program culminates with a celebratory luncheon at the Capitol on California Nonprofits Day, which this year is May 21. The program is sponsored by the CalNonprofits in partnership with the state Senate and Assembly Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector.
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