Contra Costa is a welcoming county for refugees, immigrants, and all community members.

Our County department is closely monitoring changes from the federal administration, and we will update this page as accurate information affecting our programs becomes available.

A green and white flier that reads the following text: EHSD IS HERE TO SERVE YOU! Contra Costa is a Welcoming County for Refugees, Immigrants, and All Members of Our Community. APPLY FOR BENEFITS We encourage community members to apply for and receive benefits for which they and their family members may be eligible. Anybody can apply. MANY RESOURCES IN PLACE Not everyone is eligible for all programs, but many resources are in place to support, protect and empower individuals and families on their paths to self-sufficiency. CHILDREN MAY BE ELIGIBLE Program eligibility is based on the citizenship or immigration status of the child, not just the parent. U.S. citizen children and qualified immigrant children may be eligible for many programs such as CalFresh and CalWORKs cash benefits. Children and young adults up to age 26 may be eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal coverage.

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Refugee & Immigrant Programs

Public Charge

On September 8, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a new Final Rule on Public Charge, to become effective December 23, 2022. It formally reverses the prior Administration’s rule and restores the decades-long, historical understanding of a “public charge.” This means that supplemental health benefits such as Medicaid (Medi-Cal) and nutritional assistance such as SNAP (CalFresh) for which immigrants may qualify will not be considered as part of the public charge inadmissibility determination. The new rule also clarifies that DHS will not consider in public charge determinations benefits received by family members other than the applicant.

Joint Statement From CalHH Leaders on New Public Charge Rule

Latest on Public Charge Immigration Legal Resource Center 

DACA

On August 24, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a new Final Rule, meant to fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. The DACA policy was instituted in 2012 through a DHS Memorandum. Formalizing it in a Final Rule is intended to put the policy in a stronger position  with respect to future changes or legal actions.  The new rule will become effective October 31, 2022. For more information click the link below: 

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Final Rule Summary

Resources

If you need legal guidance related to immigration, we encourage you to seek guidance from a reputable immigration service provider or an attorney. Below is a partial list** of resources that may be helpful.

211/Contra Costa Database, CC Crisis Center
Crisis-Center.org

Alliance to End Abuse
ContraCostaAlliance.org

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
www.apilegaloutreach.org

Bay Area Legal Aid
www.baylegal.org

Catholic Charities
www.cceb.org

California Department of Social Services (CDSS)
www.cdss.ca.gov

Centro Legal de la Raza
centrolegal.org

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
Chiral.org

First 5 California
First5california.com

Immigrant Legal Resource Center
www.ilrc.org

Immigration Advocates
www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/

Keep Your Benefits
Keepyourbenefits.org 

Tus Beneficios Públicos
http://tusbeneficiospublicos.org

Protecting Immigrant Families
https://pifcoalition.org/ 

Stand Together Contra Costa
www.standtogethercontracosta.org

** Inclusion of an organization does not imply endorsement of its services, nor does exclusion reflect on any agency’s contribution to the community. 

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