Anaheim Looks To Donated Disney Funds To Fund Its Immigrant Aid Program
Despite Disney’s best efforts to stay out of the political spotlight lately, a $15 million donation that they made to the City of Anaheim as part of the DisneylandForward development agreement has thrust them back into it.
As federal immigration operations continue to intensify, the city of Anaheim has increasingly looked for ways to support its illegal immigrant population.
Disney
Last month, the city launched the Anaheim Contigo, which provides information on immigration enforcement raids and links undocumented individuals to critical resources.
The City Did Not Fund the New Program
Despite announcing the new initiative, Anaheim did so without any funding. Now, the Anaheim City Council is meeting to discuss allocating $250,000 to support the fund.
Photo: Wikipedia
“When we announced Anaheim Contigo, we [did so] without financial support, which was lost on me at the time,” Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh said. “It’s a façade of unity with the community if we’re not willing to put a dime towards helping our residents.”
Since its launch, Anaheim Contigo has raised $35,000 through external contributions. So far, the fund has given $3,000 to grand awardees for rent and utility payments.
Photo: OC independent
To be eligible, applicants must provide proof of residency and meet low-income standards. According to the LA Times, city officials do not inquire about immigration status.
Anaheim Turns To Its Disney Donation
As previously noted, Anaheim is considering the affordable housing donation made by Disney as a potential source of funding for Anaheim Contigo.
With the city already running at a deficit, however, some council members have concerns about Anaheim’s ability to contribute to the budget.
“We used borrowed money, reserves and one-time money to maintain current service levels,” said Anaheim Councilmember Natalie Meeks. “Are we cutting a police officer? Are we cutting library hours? Are we reducing other community services to make this happen?”
Photo: Spectrum news
Amid the debate, Anaheim Councilmember Natalie Rubalcava suggested tapping into the Disney funds.
“They’re going to give [to the Anaheim Contigo fund], even if they don’t want to,” Rubalcava remarked.
The Legal Parameters Remain Unclear
At this time, it is unclear if the city council even has the legal authority to direct the Disney donation to the Anaheim Contigo program.
A proposal to direct city staff to examine the legality of such a move, however, has been passed.
Photos: Voice of OC
At the time of the writing, Disney has not commented on the issue.
