Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) is an activist organization founded in 1983 that provides representation and other legal services for immigrants, tenants at risk of eviction, and workers alleging discrimination in the East Palo Alto region. ¹

Activities

According to its website, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) organizes and oversees three official programs: the Immigration Program, the Housing Program, and the Economic Advancement Program. ^{2 3}

The Immigration Program claims to “keep families together” by providing legal services and representation for refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants. The program also provides deportation defense, DACA renewal assistance, U-visa assistance, work authorization renewal support, and “humanitarian relief.” During fiscal year 2023, CLSEPA claimed to have roughly 1,196 clients who received immigration services and provided legal education to roughly 185 people through the program. It reported spending $2,038,713 on the program that year. ^{4 3}

Its Housing Program claims to support “safe, stable housing” for individuals in the East Palo Alto area by providing legal services and rental assistance to tenants at risk of eviction. It claims to work with pro bono attorneys to provide representation at weekly Unlawful Detainer Mandatory Settlement Conferences. It also partners with local community groups to provide tenant education to those facing eviction. The organization claims that during fiscal year 2023, it oversaw roughly 728 active housing cases and conducted outreach to roughly 589 individuals. It also reported spending $1,688,497 on the program that year. ^{5 3}

Its Economic Advancement Program claims to “remov[e] barriers to economic security and stability” for felons and others “looking to clean up their record.”  ³ According to its website, the program also provides assistance for workers whom it claims have experienced “wage theft, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation” as well as consumers they claim have experienced “abusive debt collection practices or unfair consumer-related practices.” ³ During fiscal year 2023, the group reported its program provided legal services for 382 related cases while providing education to roughly 420 people. It spent $717,431 on the program that year. ^{6 3}

CLSEPA is a member of the United Coalition for Immigration Services. ¹

CLSEPA has previously provided litigation and lobbying efforts against local and state governments to protect clients it represents, which has included undocumented migrants. ^{7 8}

Controversies

In April 2025, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin issued a ruling ordering the second Trump administration to restore federal funding for legal services provided to undocumented migrants within the United States. ^{9 10}

Martinez-Olgun was nominated by then-President Joe Biden in 2023 and would later be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. During her confirmation hearings, she disclosed for the record that she had previously worked for Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) between 2017 to 2018 as a managing director. She also disclosed that she had helped found the group’s Immigrants’ Rights Project that lobbied San Mateo County to provide legal representation services for undocumented migrants. ¹¹

In March 2025, CLSEPA was one of 11 federal subcontractors that sued the second Trump administration to restore federal funding for a $769 million contract providing legal services to undocumented migrants, which was the same lawsuit referenced by Martinez-Olguin in her court order against the administration. Critics claimed that the link was a conflict of interest and that she should have recused herself from the case. ⁹

Financials

In 2022, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto reported revenue of $5,026,737, expenses of $5,547,409, and net assets of $7,466,251. ¹²

That year, CLSEPA claimed to have spent $636,207 providing  rental assistance to tenants at risk of eviction and paid $16,295 in DACA application fees on behalf of clients. ¹³

In 2022, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto received $3,004,532 in government grants. ¹⁴

In 2022, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto gave Legal Aid Society San Mateo $31,200 for California Department of Social Services (CDSS) “subgrantee” purposes. ¹⁵

Leadership

As of 2022, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto’s executive director was Katrina Logan. ¹⁶ Its board chair was Susan Jang. ¹⁷

1. “About.” Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto. Accessed April 13, 2025. https://clsepa.org/about/.
2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Part III – Statement of Program Service Accomplishments.
3. “Services.” Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. Accessed April 13, 2025. https://clsepa.org/services/.
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Part III – Statement of Program Service Accomplishments. 4a.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Part III – Statement of Program Service Accomplishments. 4b.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Part III – Statement of Program Service Accomplishments. 4c.
7. Barnaby, Erin. “Nonprofits sue the Department of Health & Human Services to restore legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children.” Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, March 27, 2025. Accessed April 13, 2025.
8. “Newsroom.” Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. Accessed April 13, 2025. https://clsepa.org/newsroom/.
9. Ross, Chuck. “Federal Judge Orders Trump Admin To Resume Funding Left-Wing Immigration Groups—Including Her Former Employer.” Free Beacon, April 2, 2025. Accessed April 13, 2025. https://freebeacon.com/trump-administration/federal-judge-orders-trump-admin-to-resume-funding-left-wing-immigration-groups-including-her-former-employer/.
10. Romero, Laura. “Judge temporarily restores funding for legal aid for migrant children.” ABC News, April 2, 2025. Accessed April 13, 2025. https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-temporarily-restores-funding-legal-aid-migrant-children/story?id=120411377.
11.  “United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary – Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees.” Judiciary – U.S. Senate. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Martinez-Olguin%20SJQ%20Public%20Final.pdf.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Part I, lines 12, 18, 22.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Schedule I. Part III – Grants and Other Assistance to Domestic Individuals.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Part VIII – Statement of Revenue. 1e.
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Schedule I. Part II – Grants and Other Assistance to Domestic Organizations and Domestic Governments.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Schedule J. Part II – Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. 2022. Part VII – Compensation of Officers, Directors, Key Trustees, Key Employees, Highest Compensated Employees, and Independent Contractors.