VC billionaire Michael Moritz’s foundation gives $3.4M to S.F. immigrant defense

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The personal foundation of Michael Moritz, the venture capitalist billionaire who has been one of the most active donors in San Francisco politics, has given $3.4 million to the San Francisco Public Defender’s office to hire more immigrant defense attorneys in light of President Donald Trump’s recent crackdown.

The gift by the Crankstart Foundation, Moritz’ vehicle for philanthropy, would pay for three additional attorneys and a paralegal for the next four years. The public defender’s office applied for the funds and was awarded the gift on March 11. It’s set to be approved by the Board of Supervisors in the coming weeks.

The “immigrant defense unit” of the public defender’s office, which currently has six attorneys, is rare: It is one of a few across the country that provides free legal counsel for immigrants in deportation proceedings. It was started in 2017 in response to the anti-immigrant wave during Trump’s first term. 

Unlike defendants facing criminal charges, immigrants do not have a right to an attorney and, nationally, most face removal without one. But, with an attorney at their side, those facing deportation are about five times more likely to win their cases, studies show.

The immigration unit, said Jennifer Friedman, its acting manager, has seen a “huge increase” in those asking for counsel in recent weeks, and has a waiting list 50 names long. With the grant, the unit will be able to take 80 additional cases, she said.

“There’s something new every day, whether it’s the travel ban, detaining people at their checks-ins, cancelling their asylum cases and detaining people outside of court — whatever new nightmare strategy they come up with this week,” Friedman said. “The need is enormous, and the need is growing.”

The public defender’s office asked Mayor Daniel Lurie to increase funding for the immigrant defense unit in this budget cycle, but was rebuffed, added Angela Chan, assistant chief attorney at the office.

The office, Chan said, is “very grateful” for the gift from Moritz, and “could certainly use more support from the city, and also from the state.”

This is not Crankstart’s first foray into funding San Francisco’s city government. Including this most recent grant, Crankstart has donated at least $35,987,000 to city departments since 2021, entirely for immigrant defense, criminal justice reform, and after-school or summer school programs.

That includes a $6 million restorative justice grant to the district attorney’s office that was stopped midway through, after District Attorney Brooke Jenkins halted restorative justice work. 

Recently, Crankstart committed $10 million towards Lurie’s homelessness efforts. It has made at least $361 million in charitable giving in San Francisco since 2020, according to a review of tax records, and is the largest family foundation in San Francisco.

Crankstart did not put out a public statement announcing the grant, much of Moritz’s giving is done quietly. The foundation, when asked, wrote that it is “proud to support the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office in their vital mission to ensure every San Franciscan has access to quality legal representation. Due process is not a privilege — it’s a fundamental right.”

Moritz is the chairman of the San Francisco Standard and its main benefactor. He gave $10 million to start the paper, and continues to give it an undisclosed amount each year. The site put up a paywall this year, and it appears that Moritz continues to be its largest funder. 

Moritz was also the patron of the political pressure group TogetherSF, contributing or pledging at least $17 million. The group effectively folded after a disastrous showing in last year’s election. Its preferred mayoral candidate, Mark Farrell, came in fourth place, and its ballot measure to reform city government lost despite $9.5 million in backing. 

Moritz personally contributed $600,000 and $2.6 million to Farrell and the ballot measure, respectively, part of his $3.8 million in San Francisco campaign contributions since 2020.

TogetherSF has since been replaced by the “Blueprint for San Francisco,” and Moritz appears to have stepped away from the group.

The election behind him, he appeared alongside Lurie in the Mission in late May, announcing a gift from Crankstart to Lurie’s $3 million sidewalk-cleaning initiative.