California Democrats have new plans for confronting ICE: Taxes, lawsuits and location bans

January 29, 2026 By Cayla Mihalovich and Maya C. Miller 2 Comments

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California Democratic senators advanced a measure Tuesday that would make it easier for people to sue federal agents over civil rights violations, a bill shaped by fears of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices.

The bill from Sens. Scott Wiener and Aisha Wahab, both Bay Area Democrats, took on additional significance after federal agents gunned down Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and ICU nurse, in Minnesota last weekend. Senators discussed the measure on the floor for more than 90 minutes before voting along party lines, 30 to 10, to send it to the Assembly.

“It’s a sad statement on where we are in this country that this has to be a partisan issue,” Wiener said just before the vote on his bill, which is also known as the “No Kings Act”. “Red, blue, everyone has constitutional rights. And everyone should have the ability to hold people accountable when they violate those rights.”

It’s among several bills lawmakers are moving forward in the new year to confront an escalation of aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and to protect immigrant communities. They include bills that would tax for-profit detention companies, prohibit law enforcement officers from moonlighting as federal agents and attempt to curb courthouse arrests.

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Those efforts follow a slate of legislation signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year to resist the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign in California, including a first-in-the nation measure to prohibit officers from wearing masks and others that limit their access to schools and hospitals. 

While some of those laws are facing legal challenges, the new batch of proposals offer “practical solutions that are squarely within the state’s control,” said Shiu-Ming Cheer, deputy director at California Immigrant Policy Center.

Here’s a look at some of the key bills lawmakers are considering:

No moonlighting as a federal agent

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat from Culver City, authored a bill that would prohibit law enforcement from taking a side job as a federal immigration agent. 

Click here to read the full article at CalMatters

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Lawsuits against ICE agents would be allowed under proposed California law

January 16, 2026 By Dakota Smith 1 Comment
  • Proposed legislation would allow Californians to sue federal immigration agents over constitutional violations such as excessive force and unlawful searches.
  • The Senate committee advanced the bill after a Minnesota woman’s fatal shooting by a Department of Homeland Security agent and the alleged improper detention of a California Army veteran.
  • Law enforcement representatives expressed concerns that the bill could have unintended consequences for California’s state and local police officers, not just federal agents.

SACRAMENTO — A week after a Minnesota woman was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, California legislators moved forward a bill that would make it easier for people to sue federal agents if they believe their constitutional rights were violated.

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A Senate committee passed Senate Bill 747 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), which would provide Californians with a stronger ability to take legal action against federal law enforcement agents over excessive use of force, unlawful home searches, interfering with a right to protest and other violations.

California law already allows such suits against state and local law enforcement officials.

Successful civil suits against federal officers over constitutional rights are less common.

Wiener, appearing before Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, said his bill has taken on new urgency in the wake of the death of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota, the 37-year-old mother of three who was shot while driving on a snowy Minneapolis street.

Good was shot by an agent in self-defense, said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who alleged that Good tried to use her car as a weapon to run over the immigration officer.

Good’s death outraged Democratic leaders across the country, who accuse federal officers of flouting laws in their efforts to deport thousands of undocumented immigrants. In New York, legislators are proposing legislation similar to the one proposed by Wiener that would allow state-level civil actions against federal officers.

George Retes Jr., a U.S. citizen and Army veteran who was kept in federal custody for three days in July, described his ordeal at Tuesday’s committee hearing, and how immigration officers swarmed him during a raid in Camarillo.

Retes, a contracted security guard at the farm that was raided, said he was brought to Port Hueneme Naval Base. Officials swabbed his cheek to obtain DNA, and then moved him to Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. He was not allowed to make a phone call or see an attorney, he said.

Click here to read the full article in the LA Times

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California Politics 360: U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli explains why federal officers will ignore state’s mask ban

September 30, 2025 By Ashley Zavala 2 Comments

Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, joined California Politics 360 this week to respond to claims California’s Democratic leaders have made to support their push to ban most officers from wearing masks during law enforcement operations.

Essayli sent a memo to federal law enforcement officials Friday, directing them to ignore the law when it takes effect in 2026.

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On California Politics 360, Essayli signaled the federal government won’t take any further action related to the new California law while stating he would not be surprised if Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration over it.

“That’s about all he’s good at doing, wasting California taxpayer dollars,” Essayli said.

Democrats have said the new state law is needed to hold officers accountable for their actions and ensure people know for sure they are interacting with law enforcement.

Click here to read the full article in KCRA

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New California law banning officers, agents from covering their faces sparks enforcement debate

September 22, 2025 By Peyton Headlee 2 Comments

California has enacted a law prohibiting most law enforcement officers from covering their faces while on duty, sparking debate over its enforcement on federal agents.

California has become the first state to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while on duty.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed what sponsors have called the “No Secret Police Act” into law on Saturday.

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The law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026, makes exceptions for the use of motorcycle or other safety helmets, sunglasses, or other standard law enforcement gear not designed with the purpose of hiding anyone’s identity. The California Highway Patrol is also exempt.

Officers who violate the law could face charges or lose their qualified immunity.

The bill was a direct response to recent immigration raids in California, where federal agents wore masks while making arrests.

“ICE. Unmask. What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? You’re going to go out and you’re going to do enforcement. Provide an ID,” Newsom said Saturday at a news conference in Los Angeles.

Right now, it’s not clear how or if state can enforce the ban on federal agents.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X Saturday saying California has no jurisdiction over the federal government.

“I’ve directed our federal agencies that the law signed today has no effect on our operations. Our agents will continue to protect their identities,” he said in a post to X.

As for local jurisdictions, Sgt. Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said lawmakers are creating a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

“This will have no consequence to quite literally anybody. They have no jurisdiction over federal authorities. When is the last time you walked outside and saw a patrolman in a mask? It doesn’t happen,” he said. “It’s absolutely stupid and useless. This doesn’t affect anybody it’s intended to effect.”

Click here to read the full article in KCRA

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What does having 11 tattoos convey to ICE?

September 21, 2025 By James V. Lacy Leave a Comment

Could it include “reasonable suspicion?”

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The recent Supreme Court decision, written by Justice Kavanaugh, sending back a lower Federal court decision that had enjoined ICE agents in Los Angeles from simply asking a person under “reasonable suspicion” if they are a citizen, has caused a lot of grief on the Left. The Left thinks just asking the question violates the Constitution. Pompous Illinois Governor Pritzker has gone bonkers on the “constitutional crisis” of just asking the question. But when the question is asked of a suspected illegal migrant, such as a person whom ICE may be informed is an illegal migrant, or who is acting in public in a manner that common sense supports an illegal migrant might act, and then after the question is asked, they attempt to evade and run away from the questioner, the ensuing pursuit (after the Supreme Court decision) is now pretty clearly going to be a legal one, as is the arrest, if the person is indeed an illegal migrant, when the dust settles on the case law.

Kavanaugh explained that “reasonable suspicion” is not “probable cause.” You thus can’t just constitutionally arrest anyone on the street by the way they look or act, common sense notwithstanding, without “probable cause.” Doing that would indeed, 100%, violate the Constitution. But illegal migration is a big problem for America, and especially Los Angeles, where 2 million of 20 million residents are illegals, according to court-recognized statistics. The migrant population has indeed strained the social welfare system, clogging space in hospital emergency rooms and taxpayer-funded maternity wards, and while advocacy groups argue otherwise, there is no doubt that in light of income disparities between the ranks of citizens compared to the cohort of noncitizens, that the high level of illegal immigrants present in the Los Angeles area also contribute to a higher crime rate than if Federal law was actually being enforced.

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Anaheim becomes second OC city wanting to join federal immigration raids lawsuit

July 25, 2025 By Michael Slaten 1 Comment

Anaheim wants to join a federal lawsuit challenging alleged unconstitutional immigration stops and raids after widespread immigration enforcement that began in June saw many detained throughout the city.

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The City Council, in closed session on Tuesday night, July 22, approved seeking to join the lawsuit. Anaheim would be the second city in Orange County to take part after Santa Ana’s leaders last week approved joining the class action lawsuit.

“We are standing with our community with this action,” said Mayor Ashleigh Aitken in a statement. “Indiscriminate and inhumane immigration enforcement has left residents in fear, businesses without customers and our community and economy shaken. Anaheim has met this moment with aid for families, access to legal resources and critical information for our community.”

“This is our next step — we are asking the courts to weigh in and address the hurtful impacts we have seen and the damage brought to real people across Anaheim.”

A judge would need to approve Anaheim’s request to join the lawsuit.

Anaheim has not seen major enforcement action since July 9, according to a news release from the city.

Five workers in Los Angeles County, along with four organizations, filed the lawsuit in early July. It challenges the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies’ “policies and practices” when conducting immigration raids, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, one of the plaintiffs.

The judge overseeing the case on July 11 issued a temporary restraining order that prohibits immigration agents from stopping people without reasonable suspicion or a warrant.

Federal agents, according to the ACLU, have been conducting “roving patrols” and stopping people without any specific information. The temporary restraining order does not prevent agents from approaching people with their consent or when they have specific information indicating that the person is violating federal law.

Day laborer pickup locations, including Home Depot stores, have become central sites of immigration enforcement, along with car washes, according to the lawsuit. Immigration enforcement officers have detained day laborers at Home Depots in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.

“As often happens when agencies adopt a pattern and practice of racial profiling, among those most vulnerable have been individuals whose work makes them a visible target in public spaces,” according to the lawsuit.

Gov. Gavin Newsom then said the order would put a temporary stop to immigration officials “violating people’s rights and racial profiling.”

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement, denied that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers racially profile.

“Any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE,” McLaughlin said. “These type of smears are designed to demonize and villainize our brave ICE law enforcement.”

Click here to read the full article in the OC Register

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Michael Smolens: GOP lawmakers, veterans push back on immigration enforcement excess

July 15, 2025 By Michael Smolens 2 Comments

State GOP leader Brian Jones, Assemblymember Laurie Davies and others ask Trump to refocus on criminal immigrants, not everyday workers

Just as President Donald Trump is putting record funding for deportations in the pipeline, his sweeping immigration raids are drawing resistance in unexpected quarters.

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Six California state Republican legislators sent a letter to Trump June 27 asking him to refocus his immigration enforcement efforts on dangerous criminals and not ordinary workers. They further urged the president to broadly reform the immigration system to provide noncriminal immigrants who have been longtime residents with “a pathway toward legal status.”

Among those signing the letter were Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones of Santee and Assemblymember Laurie Davies, who represents part of north coastal San Diego County.

“The recent ICE workplace raids on farms, at construction sites, and in restaurants and hotels, have led to unintended consequences that are harming the communities we represent and the businesses that employ our constituents,” the Republicans wrote. “We have heard from employers in our districts that recent ICE raids are not only targeting undocumented workers, but also creating widespread fear among other employees, including those with legal immigration status.”

The Republicans have expressed concern that the loss of workers will cause economic damage to their districts. Unspoken is the political concern that this could cause the GOP to lose ground in the Legislature and Congress in next year’s elections.

Meanwhile, members of two veterans groups have volunteered to attend immigration hearings for Afghans who worked with U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.

“This isn’t political,” Kyleanne Hunter, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said at a June 30 news conference, according to KPBS. “This is personal. For many of us, these are people that we served with.”

IAVA and #AfghanEvac, co-founded by San Diegan Shawn Van Diver, partnered on the Battle Buddies initiative after the June arrest of Sayed Naser, a former Afghan interpreter for the U.S., after his San Diego asylum hearing.

That courthouse incident generated national headlines and added fuel to the growing outrage over Trump administration plans to deny refugee or other legal status to many Afghans, including those who aided U.S. troops in Afghanistan and believed they would have safe harbor in the United States.

Catholic leaders in San Diego previously had given similar courthouse support to immigrants who faced hearings.

Amid pressure from business interests and other Republicans, Trump told Fox News he is considering some changes that might protect longtime agricultural and hotel workers from deportation.

“We’re working on it right now; we’re going to work it so that some kind of temporary pass where people pay taxes, where the farmer can have a little control as opposed to you walk in and take everybody away,” Trump said.

But the White House is moving ahead with massive immigration enforcement and deportation plans.

Congress allocated $45 billion to lock up immigrants over the next four years — more than the government spent on detention during the Obama, Biden and first Trump administrations combined, according to The Washington Post.

In all, the sweeping domestic spending bill signed by Trump last week directs $170 billion toward border and immigration enforcement, which includes money for continued construction of the wall at the border with Mexico, technology and surveillance, and other immigration-related security measures.

Click here to read the full article in the San Diego Union Tribune

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Immigration raid at cannabis farm in Ventura County sparks chaotic protest

July 13, 2025 By Jeanette Marantos and Melissa Gomez 2 Comments

The crowd outside Glass House Farms in Camarillo in the wake of Thursday’s chaotic immigration sweep was a strange mix.

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There were vocal protesters hurling insults and sometimes water bottles at federal agents, and there were anxious friends and family of those who work at Glass House, a huge cannabis operation. Then there were curious bystanders like Mike Elliott, a Camarillo resident who voted for President Trump and stopped to see what was happening, saying he wanted to bear witness. Also on hand was Oxnard native Christina Muñoz, who said she brought her 2-year-old son, 5-month-old daughter and her mom in hopes of getting a glimpse of her husband, a member of the National Guard whom she hadn’t seen in 30 days.

Federal agents raided two Glass House Farms sites on Thursday, said Maria Navarro, an Oxnard policy advocate for the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE). The organization was alerted at 10:20 a.m. that sweeps were happening at both California locations of the company, in Carpinteria and Camarillo.

She hurried to the Camarillo site, where she came upon a tense scene, with protesters gathering and family members of workers trying to pick up their loved ones. But federal agents had already closed off access to the worksite. More and more people arrived, and Navarro said activists were trying to prevent trucks full of detainees from leaving.

‘Piled on by multiple agents all at once’

At the east entrance to the Camarillo facility, amid lush fields of blooming bush beans, the action started about 10 a.m. when federal agents entered the facility. Protesters and worried family began arriving soon afterward, and by 2:30 p.m., a line of about 30 agents, including National Guard members, was barricading nearby Laguna Road.

Click here to read the full article in the LA Times

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Immigration arrests in San Francisco region up 77% since Trump took office

July 7, 2025 By Caelyn Pender 2 Comments
These four charts show how ICE activity has changed in Trump’s second term

Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests have shot up 77% in Northern California since the last year-plus of Joe Biden’s administration, according to recently released data from ICE.

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The sharp rise in immigration enforcement comes amid the Trump administration’s push to deport millions of immigrants lacking permanent legal status. The effort has even strained the ability of sanctuary communities, such as Santa Clara County, to resist ICE arrests in their area.

From January through May of this year, there have been an average of 334 monthly arrests in the San Francisco Area of Responsibility. That area includes arrests in all of Northern California from the Central Valley to the Oregon border, as well as enforcement in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan, according to ICE.

In the last 15 months of the Biden administration, monthly arrests in the same area averaged 189.

The San Francisco spike is slightly less dramatic than the spike in enforcement nationwide, where monthly arrests averaged 9,300 from September 2023 through December 2024, and have grown 90% to 17,800 monthly arrests since January 2025.

The data was acquired by the Deportation Data Project, a group of academics and lawyers aiming to make immigration data public through Freedom of Information Act requests. Arrest data goes from September 2023 through June 10, 2025.

Officials from ICE did not respond to a request for comment from the Bay Area News Group.

The spike in arrests is not unprecedented, said Caitlin Patler, an associate professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley – in 2017, she noted, there was a “very dramatic” spike in arrests at the beginning of Trump’s first term. But it is unusual and has sparked fear among immigrant communities as waiting lists for legal assistance grow and calls of potential ICE sightings to rapid response hotlines surge, according to local immigrant assistance nonprofits.

The biggest changes to immigration enforcement nationally since January, Patler said, include revoking policies that blocked immigration enforcement from entering certain protected sites such as schools and churches, as well as increased collaboration with local law enforcement and partnerships with other federal agencies.

Click here to read the full article in the Mercury News

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Can California Democrats require ICE agents to unmask and show IDs?

July 5, 2025 By Linh Tat 2 Comments
The debate heats up amid concerns that federal agents aren’t being held accountable or that people are impersonating law enforcement

Lawmakers — at both the state and federal levels — have put forth proposals in recent weeks to largely prohibit federal agents conducting immigration enforcement actions from wearing masks to shield their identity and ensure that their clothes include identifying information, such as their name, badge number or agency.

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These bills come amid growing concerns — from communities in Los Angeles and Orange counties to those in the Inland Empire — that a number of supposed agents in plain clothes are arresting undocumented immigrants, sowing uncertainty among both detainees and witnesses who can’t tell if the individuals are legitimate law enforcement officers.

And without identification, supporters of these bills say, the agents can’t be held accountable for any inappropriate actions.

Federal officials, meanwhile, say masks worn by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other members of federal law enforcement are for their protection.

At the end of the day, one big question is whether regulations related to mask wearing and identification will even pass legal muster.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, said lawmakers would have a stronger case to make if their bills target law enforcement at all levels — be it local, state or federal — as opposed to just singling out federal agents.

If the bills only applied to federal agents, Chemerinsky said, “it’s likely unconstitutional because the state can’t target the federal government for regulation. But if it applies to all police in the state, then I think there’s no argument that it’s constitutional.”

What have state legislators proposed?

In the California Legislature, there is a bill to ban all law enforcement from covering their faces while conducting operations in California. SB 627 was introduced by state Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín, two Bay Area Democrats, as well as Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Pasadena Democrat.

Click here to read the full article in the Press Enterprise

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