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Biweekly Policy Briefing Issue XXX: Nation on Notice

Hello again.

We value your feedback! It has been one year since the launch of the Catalyst Policy Briefing. Please take a minute to complete our (very) quick survey. Your responses will help guide and improve our publication throughout the year to come.

A national strike is underway, with organizers urging people to stop work, school, and shopping today and participate in protests on Saturday. The actions are an expression of outrage over immigration enforcement activities that have resulted in at least eight deaths this year and terrorized entire communities. Demands include that lawmakers cease funding ICE.

In this rapidly shifting environment, please note that this policy brief reflects news as of 6:00 a.m. this morning.

Here’s a look at what happened this week. Catch up on previous installments of this briefing here.

 

THE FACTS

Budgets
  • The Senate reached an agreement on a funding package late Thursday afternoon after lawmakers blocked a House-approved six-bill funding package earlier in the day amid fallout from the recent ICE killings in Minnesota. A vote on the package is expected today.
    • The stalled package included funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Pentagon.  
    • While the deal to pass five of the six spending bills and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks while they continue negotiating immigration policy and enforcement tactics has broad support in the Senate, it must also pass the House. House leaders have indicated the earliest vote would be Monday, making a partial government shutdown over the weekend likely.
    • Senate Democrats are pushing for tighter rules on warrants, as well as prohibitions on masks, body camera mandates, independent investigations of officer-involved incidents, and a code of conduct and accountability for federal law enforcement.
  • Meanwhile, ACA enrollment has dropped by more than 1 million people after key subsidies expired, a central issue in recent budget talks. Republicans say they will deliver their “best and final offer” on an ACA deal this week.  

Implications for funders:
The lapse of ACA subsidies and continuing budget uncertainty may lead to higher health care costs and reduced coverage access, particularly for low-income communities. Many community members are already experiencing rising health care costs, increasing strain on safety-net providers. The back-and-forth over potential shutdowns leaves people, businesses and service providers in a state of uncertainty that can make it difficult to operate.

 

Border & Immigration
  • New data analysis shows a 1,500% increase in immigration enforcement in San Diego and Imperial counties compared with last year. While the border region has not yet seen a large-scale surge of agents in our communities, arrest numbers have surpassed those in the much larger Los Angeles area, according to CalMatters.
  • San Diego, home to the nation’s second-largest Somali refugee population, has experienced a rise in threats that mirror the targeting of Somali communities in Minnesota and Maine. Reports of surveillance and harassment of child care providers and others have increased, fueling fear among families and driving a need for increased security measures.
  • Amid escalating tensions and violence in Minnesota, the administration’s border czar, Tom Homan, traveled to the state and held a briefing Thursday morning. Homan announced plans to draw down ICE’s presence in Minnesota but provided few details. He acknowledged criticism of ICE operations, saying that the federal operation could be “improved on.” Any drawdown is contingent on the state granting ICE access to undocumented immigrants held in state prisons and county jails. 
  • An internal ICE memo released last week asserted the agency’s authority to enter homes without a judicial warrant, contradicting long-standing interpretations of Fourth Amendment privacy protections. California and local governments are working to pass legislation aimed at limiting federal immigration agents’ powers should large-scale raids return to the West Coast. 
    • California Democrats are moving legislation that would make it easier for citizens to sue federal agents for civil rights violations, tax for-profit detention companies, prohibit local law enforcement officers from taking second jobs as federal agents, and prohibit arrests in courthouses.   
    • Other states are also preparing for potential enforcement surges with legislation. Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill allowing federal agents to be sued for civil rights violations, while Delaware is moving a bill to eliminate tax exemptions on jet fuel for planes carrying deportees without warrants or adequate due process. 
    • Locally, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance restricting federal law enforcement access to county facilities without a warrant. The Grossmont Union High School District also approved policies to protect students and staff if federal immigration agents appear on school campuses, aligning district practices with state guidance.
    • Several San Diego-area members of Congress are calling for the removal of Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, joining other local leaders in condemning the violence against protestors in Minnesota. San Diego congressional representatives are also urging Congress to pass Rep. Scott Peters’ Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, HR 5973, and its companion bill in the Senate. 
  • ICE also launched a mass deportation effort in Maine last week,  but Sen. Susan Collins announced Thursday that the agency has since withdrawn from the state.
  • New census data show U.S. population growth slowed between July 2024 and July 2025, driven in part by declining international migration. California was one of five states that experienced a population decline.

 

Implications for funders:

Contact us to participate in coordinated efforts among funders to support immigrant communities in the region. Immigration enforcement is escalating nationwide, and funders can prepare by learning from developments in other states and by ensuring that grantees and staff know their rights and have rapid response plans in place. Recent enforcement efforts in Minnesota and Maine have disproportionately targeted Somali communities. Given San Diego’s large Somali population, similar impacts are possible. Funders should anticipate increased demand for immigration legal services, language access, and basic needs support as families disengage from systems they previously relied on.

 

Local News
  • After federal threats to pull funding, Rady Children’s Hospital has stopped providing gender-affirming procedures and medication. The hospital will continue offering counseling and mental health services. Local LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and resource providers are helping families navigate alternative care options.
  • On Wednesday, a proposed tax on vacant second homes and short-term vacation rentals failed to advance out of the San Diego City Council’s Rules Committee. Some council members raised concerns that the proposal’s focus had shifted away from revenue generation toward returning homes to the market, potentially reducing transient occupancy tax revenue. Also failing in committee was a proposal to allow city voters to decide whether parking in Balboa Park should return to being free for residents.
  • The San Diego Unified School District board advanced two affordable housing proposals for staff and faculty, part of a broader goal to provide affordable housing to at least 10% of its workforce by 2030. The plans include roughly 1,500 units at the former Education Center site on Normal Street, along with a potential pool that could be used by San Diego High School students, a child care facility, and a dog park. 
  • Alliance Healthcare Foundation, BQuest Foundation, Prebys Foundation, and Jewish Family Service of San Diego announced a $12 million investment in affordable housing in southeast San Diego, with plans to expand the model to support up to 2,000 housing units.
  • Plans for a massive data center to be built in Imperial Valley are moving quickly through the county approval process despite resident concerns about impacts on water and electricity availability and cost. The facility would double the county’s energy use and require an estimated 750,000 gallons of water per day.

 

Implications for funders:

The loss of gender-affirming medical care is likely to increase demand for mental health services, care navigation, and out-of-region support for LGBTQ+ youth and families. Uneven progress on housing policy points to the value of investing in nonprofit developers, workforce housing models tied to public institutions, and coordination capacity to advance projects despite policy barriers. In Imperial Valley, the fast-tracked data center proposal underscores the need for funding community organizing, environmental justice advocacy, and independent analysis of water and energy impacts to amplify community voice and prevent further strain on already limited local resources.

 

 

Takeaways & Resources
  • Explore how to engage strategically during the budget cycle: Join Philanthropy California on February 19 for a timely funder conversation to learn more about the Governor’s proposed budget, key areas of concern and opportunity for the sector, and what is at stake for the state and communities.
  • Support Minnesota communities: Take a look at guidance and materials from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council of Foundations to prepare your community and find ways to support Minnesotans. 
  • Join the Catalyst Data Hub launch: The Hub goes live Feb. 5 at 11 a.m., offering funders and nonprofits a first-of-its-kind view of how funding flows in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Users can identify partners, benchmark performance, and explore the full landscape of giving through a tool designed to be both powerful and user-friendly.
  • Indicate your interest for Sacramento Day: Interested in attending April 7–8? Fill out the interest form to join this annual educational visit, which offers lawmakers’ briefings and on-site support for meetings with legislators.
  • Register for Foundations on the Hill: Join philanthropy colleagues from across the country in Washington, DC, on March 16-19 for learning sessions and meetings with legislators. Register online.
  • Make your voice heard: Join The California Wellness Foundation in signing on to a letter denouncing anti-immigration violence. 

 

Talk to you next week,

Megan Thomas
President & CEO
Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties