Newsom Signs Bills to Rein In Trump Immigration Efforts

Key Points:

• Governor Gavin Newsom signed 21 bills aimed at increasing oversight of federal immigration detention in California, targeting enforcement tactics used under the Trump administration amid rising immigration arrests nationwide.
• The new laws include restrictions on law enforcement use of electroshock gloves, masks, and flash-bang grenades, as well as provisions allowing individuals to sue federal officials in state court for rights violations and requiring transparency around ICE facility 911 calls.
• One key bill, SB 942, establishes a bill of rights for people in civil custody, setting minimum standards for medical care, food, sanitation, and legal access, with enforcement powers granted to the state attorney general.
• Additional legislation imposes a 25% tax on private companies operating immigration detention centers to fund immigration services, while other bills seek to restrict construction of new detention facilities and enhance state inspections.
• Some measures, such as barring private detention contractors from receiving state grants and capping commissary markups, were not signed by Newsom, and legal challenges from the federal government are anticipated against several of the new state laws.