Hello again.

From Kristi Noem’s firing to rumors of Iranian drones to the house arrest of a local protestor, there has been no shortage of headlines in this news cycle. Read on as we cut through the noise to focus on what matters most for our philanthropic community.

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

 

THE FACTS

BUDGETS
    • The partial government shutdown continues, and its effects on air travel are beginning to be felt. TSA checkpoints at major hubs are seeing wait times of up to five hours. As spring break approaches and a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security remains unlikely, travel disruptions may worsen.
    • San Diego County has partnered with the San Diego Foundation to launch the Partnership to Protect San Diegans. The initiative will provide food assistance, housing stability, and health care support to residents whose benefits have been reduced or eliminated due to federal budget cuts.
    • The farm bill advanced out of the House Agriculture Committee last week without reversing cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. About 425,000 people in San Diego and Imperial Counties receive CalFresh, including 1 in 9 San Diego County residents, and 1 in 5 Imperial County residents
    • The May Revision of the state budget is approaching. Legislators have had time to review the budget the governor proposed in January and are beginning to submit requests and counterproposals, including disagreements over how to allocate a potential $1 billion in discretionary funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
BORDER & IMMIGRATION
  • The federal government has ordered the California Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel the driver’s licenses of nearly 13,000 immigrant truck drivers despite their legal status. The DMV mistakenly issued licenses with expiration dates extending beyond the drivers’ authorized stay in the United States. Rather than allowing the DMV to correct the error and issue revised licenses, a federal court ordered that the licenses be canceled. The affected licenses represent about 6% of trucking licenses in California.
  • After an Otay Mesa immigration detention facility blocked a public health inspection in February, San Diego County sued the Trump administration, seeking a court order requiring the facility to allow a full inspection.
  • The Supreme Court is expected to decide an interim docket case in the coming weeks regarding Syrian nationals’ participation in the Temporary Protected Status program. Meanwhile, the Trump administration faces a new lawsuit over its effort to remove TPS status from Somali nationals.
    • In December, a local nonprofit reported receiving 60 to 70 calls per day for legal advice and other support from members of the San Diego Somali community, which numbers about 15,000 people.
  • Federal judges ruled that more than 20 immigrants living legally in San Diego were unlawfully detained and arrested at Camp Pendleton over the past several months. Most were ride-share or delivery drivers, or had taken a wrong turn that led them onto the military base.
  • ICE arrests of children in San Diego and Imperial counties increased significantly in 2025, 250 compared with 27 in 2024. Children are being detained for an average of 117 days, compared with about 30 days before the current Trump administration.
  • Last week, volunteers accompanying immigrants to court appointments in downtown San Diego were cited by federal officers. Volunteers have accompanied immigrants to court for much of the year without changing their practices, but federal agents are now asking them to leave and detaining or citing those who refuse for allegedly violating loitering rules.


Implications for funders: Organizations across the region are engaging in proactive planning to prepare for a potential escalation in ICE activity. Contact us to participate in coordinated efforts among funders. Immigration enforcement is escalating nationwide, and funders can prepare by learning from developments in other states and ensuring that grantees and staff know their rights and have rapid response plans in place. Funders should anticipate increased demand for immigration legal services, language access, and basic needs support as families disengage from systems they previously relied on.

 

HOUSING
  • A bipartisan housing bill advanced in the Senate on Thursday. The legislation aims to address the nation’s housing affordability crisis. House Republicans remain divided over provisions involving requirements for corporations that own rental homes. Leadership has suggested sending the bill to conference to resolve differences before bringing it to a House vote.
  • San Diego’s proposed tax on empty second homes is headed to the ballot after passing the City Council last week. The measure will appear on the June ballot and would impose an annual tax of $8,000 on homes left unoccupied for more than half the year, along with a $4,000 surcharge for corporate-owned dwellings. The tax would gradually rise to $10,000, with the surcharge increasing to $5,000. 


Implications for funders: Continued policy activity at the federal and local levels reflects the growing urgency of housing affordability challenges. As new legislation and local ballot measures are considered, funders may have opportunities to support research, community engagement, and policy education around housing stability. Philanthropy can also help expand resources for renters, housing counseling, and homelessness prevention, as housing costs remain a major driver of financial insecurity for many households.



OTHER
  • The state of Alaska has sued several fundraising platforms, including GoFundMe, for creating donation pages for nonprofits without the organizations’ consent. The practice has caused confusion among donors and reduced the amount nonprofits receive due to platform fees.
    • California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a bipartisan demand for GoFundMe to prove by March 17 that it removed unauthorized webpages.​​​​​​
  • President Trump has called the elections bill, the SAVE America Act, his top priority and suggested he may refuse to sign other legislation until it reaches his desk. The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a valid photo ID when casting a ballot. The bill is expected to receive a Senate vote next week. However, with unified Democratic opposition, it is unlikely to secure the votes needed to pass, and congressional Republicans are not prioritizing the bill.
  • On Wednesday, the Supreme Court blocked a policy that barred teachers from informing parents if their children identified as transgender. The San Diego-based case was brought by parents in Escondido who argued that the state’s student privacy policy violated their freedom of religion and right to due process.



TAKEAWAYS & RESOURCES

  • Gain perspective on community response to ICE deployments: Join Philanthropy CA, GCIR, and Orange County Grantmakers on March 26 to learn how communities are responding and how philanthropy can strengthen nonprofit infrastructure and narrative strategies.
  • Learn how the changing federal policy and funding landscape is shaping funder behavior in our region in the 2025 Pulse of the Practice.
  • Registration is now open for Catalyst’s 50th anniversary event on Wednesday, May 6. Please join us to raise a glass, share a story, and celebrate five decades of doing the work together.
  • Explore California perspectives on health care issues in the 2026 California Health Policy Survey.

Join us for Sacramento Day, April 7–8. Register today to join this annual educational visit, which includes legislative briefings and support for meetings with lawmakers.

 

Talk to you soon,

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