California Governor Signs Bills Shielding Immigrants from Federal Enforcement
LOS ANGELES, CA – September 20, 2025 – Governorโข newsom signed fiveโข bills intoโ law Saturday aimed at bolstering protections for immigrants in California, in what he โฃdescribed as a direct response to increased immigration enforcement under the Trump Administration. The legislation seeks to safeguard vulnerable populations within โschoolsโข and healthcareโฃ facilities, impacting the state’s nearly 11 million foreign-born residents.
The new laws include:
* โ AB 49: Prohibits immigration enforcement officersโ from entering school sites without a judicial warrant.
* SB 81: Prohibits immigrationโฃ enforcement officers from entering โnon-public patient areas of health or careโ facilities without a warrant.
* SB 98: Requires schools and higher education institutions to notifyโฃ communities when federal immigration enforcement is on campusโข and bansโ officers from entering โขcertain areas โฃwithout a warrant.
* SB โฃ627: Bans federal and localโค law enforcement officers from โwearing masks โwhile performing their duties, with some exceptions.
* SB 805: Requiresโ law enforcement officers to identify themselvesโ and provide contact information upon โขrequest while on duty.
“I am very proudโฃ of California pushing back on the authoritarianism of this administration,” Governorโข Newsom stated during the bill signing โceremony.
concerns over increased enforcement were evident at a weekly food giveaway at chollas View United Methodist Church in San Diego, where approximately 250 peopel line โup each Saturday.The church serves a large haitian, โขAsian, and Mexican immigrant population.
“Usually we see almost 250 peopleโข line up here looking for food. We think (the large group) is going to attract ICE and (agents) will come and harassโ people, but we haven’t had that yet,” said Mordi Iheme, a church trustee who co-organizes the event with his wife. Iheme and his wife immigrated from Nigeria.
Even legal citizens expressed anxieties. One man, aโค U.S.-born Puerto Rican from โขChicago with a valid passport, shared his experiences with NBC 7, requesting anonymityโ due to ongoing threats from federal immigration agents. “I’ve seen people hassled by these agents called ICE. โThey have even hassled my own kind. I’ve got a passport and everything,” he said.
Adriana Vasquez, a โคmother of three, was among those seeking assistance at the Chollasโ View church on โขSaturday, receiving diapers and food.