Newsom Signs 20+ Bills to Rein In Federal Immigration Enforcement, Including the 'No Kings Act'

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 29 signed more than 20 bills intended to increase California's oversight of federal immigration enforcement and strengthen protections for immigrant families across the state.

What the Package Does

The legislative package responds to concerns about aggressive federal immigration tactics and seeks to boost transparency, accountability and local protections where federal action touches California communities.

"These past two years, Donald Trump has brought fear. He's brought anxiety, disruption, and stress to our immigrant communities," Newsom said. "California is taking action to strengthen transparency, accountability, and oversight around immigration enforcement in our state. This is about stepping up where the federal government has failed our communities. We will continue protecting our people, upholding the rule of law, and making clear that if the federal government operates in California, we will hold them accountable."

Key Laws in the Package

Senate Bill 747 (No Kings Act): Authored by State Senator Scott Wiener, this law creates a civil cause of action that allows individuals to sue government officials, including federal officers, when they believe their constitutional rights have been violated. Senator Wiener said the law is intended to close a legal loophole he says has shielded federal agents from accountability.

Assembly Bill 1633: Authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, AB 1633 targets private, for-profit detention facilities that house people under federal immigration contracts. The measure allows the state to impose a 25% tax on private detention operators, with revenue directed to immigration-related services and support.

Assembly Bill 1806: This bill gives the California Attorney General authority to investigate any fatal shooting of an unarmed civilian by a federal immigration agent in the state.

Other bills in the package restrict federal agents' use of state-owned property for staging or detention operations and ban battery-powered gloves capable of delivering brief electric shocks.

Context and Reactions

The package comes amid public outcry over incidents involving federal immigration officers. Officials say an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and injured a man in North Austin on Sept. 20; the wounded man was identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, of Venezuela. That incident drew protests and statements from elected officials.

Immigrant advocacy groups praised the new laws. Masih Fouladi, executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, said the measures demonstrate that "no one is above the law" and called attention to the role of private profits in the detention system.

What the Governor Rejected

Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1896, which would have barred people who previously participated in immigration enforcement activities from being hired by state, county or local public agencies in California. In his veto message, Newsom acknowledged the public desire to hold federal agents accountable but argued the bill "went too far," saying it could discourage qualified and empathetic people from public service and that existing hiring standards already allow for evaluation of misconduct.

The new laws mark a significant expansion of California's efforts to regulate how federal immigration enforcement operates within the state. Reporting by Noe Padilla, USA TODAY.