Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed legislation on Friday allocating $50 million to assist the state in defending immigrants against the president’s plans for mass deportations and defending its policies against challenges from the Trump administration.
One statute allots $25 million to the state Department of Justice to pursue lawsuits against the federal government, while another measure partially funds $25 million for legal organizations to protect deported immigrants. California filed or joined more than 100 lawsuits against the government during Trump’s first term, arguing with him about issues such as water management, immigration rights, and climate laws. In the early months of Trump’s second administration, the same conflicts are resurfacing.
In a statement earlier this week, Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas warned that Californians are being threatened by an out-of-control administration that disregards the Constitution and believes that its power has no boundaries. For this reason, we are introducing legislation that will provide funding to protect Californians from this pressing danger.
The Democratic governor made the decision a day after returning from Washington, where he met with Trump and congressional representatives in an attempt to obtain federal disaster help for the deadly wildfires that tore through neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area in January, killing over two dozen people.
In order to help finance the state’s catastrophe response, which includes evacuations, sheltering survivors, and the removal of hazardous material from homes, Newsom signed a $2.5 billion fire relief package into law last month. According to his administration, they anticipate receiving reimbursement from the federal government.
As the Los Angeles region heals from the fires, Republican senators have questioned the funding for litigation, claiming that the attention being drawn to Trump is distracting.
The goal of this slush money is not to address any pressing issues. In a statement earlier this week, Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said it’s a political ploy to divert attention from the pressing problems facing our state and it won’t help fire victims.
The proposal, according to critics, does not guarantee that funds will not be utilized to defend undocumented immigrants convicted of major felonies.
Newsom stated after signing the cash into law that it was not meant for that use and urged lawmakers to enact further legislation if clarification was required. The funds would help legal organizations protect the civil rights of California’s most disadvantaged citizens, he said in a statement.
Days after Trump’s election in November, Newsom made public the strategy to protect the state’s policies. To pass the laws, he called a special session of the Legislature.
Due to Trump’s acts, the state is accustomed to suing the federal government.
According to the attorney general’s office, California filed more than 120 lawsuits against the Republican president’s government during his first term. The total amount of money the state spent on lawsuits against the federal government ranged from around $2 million to almost $13 million year, or about $42 million.
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Austin is a member of the Statehouse News Initiative’s Associated Press/Report for America corps. A nonprofit national service initiative called Report for America places reporters in local newsrooms to explore topics that aren’t often covered. Austin may be followed on X: @sophieadanna
