CA legislation seeks to limit immigration detentions

From CalMatters Local News Contributor Kayla Michalovich:

California Democrats passed a package of bills in 2025 to push back against President Donald Trump’s immigration measures, and more are being prepared early this year.

On Tuesday Sen. Eloise Gomez ReyesSan Bernardino Democrat introduced legislation to prevent federal immigration agents from making “unannounced and indiscriminate” arrests in courthouses that have become a battleground for the Trump administration implements its aggressive deportation tactics.

• Gomez Reyesin a statement: “The issue is clear. One of the primary responsibilities of government is to protect people — not terrorize them. California will not allow the federal government to make political targets of people who are trying to be good law enforcement officers. Discouraging people from coming to court makes our community less safe.”

The proposed law comes nearly two weeks after a federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of Justice end civil arrests in Northern California immigration courtsruling that its deportation policies failed to address the “chilling effects, safety risks and impact on hearing attendance.”

More accounts: Other lawmakers introduced new measures this week, including:

• Political violence: Prompted by the separate murders of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Minnesota Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, a bill by Rep. Laurie Davisan Oceanside Republican, would add political affiliation to the list of characteristics necessary to classify a crime as a hate crime.

• Data Privacy: Supported by Consumer Reports and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a bill by Rep Chris Ward will ban data brokers selling sensitive user information including immigration status, sexual orientation and genetic information. The proposal is based on two another data protection bills from San Diego Democrats currently before the Legislature.

• Solar energy: Motion by the Democratic senator. Scott Wiener of San Francisco will cut red tape for Californians looking to install plug-in solar energy systems — smaller, more portable systems that residents can position on their balconiespatios or other places.

It is a coalition of legislators planning a series of accounts this legislative session to fundamentally overhaul the way California deals with dangerous drivers.

Action comes in response to License to killa CalMatters investigation that revealed how the state of California routinely allowed dangerous drivers with horrific histories to continue to drive and kill.

deputy Nick Schultz of Burbank, a Democrat who chairs the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee, proposed legislation Monday that would increase penalties for repeated drunken driving.

He said the bill was intended to be the “tip of the spear” in a larger movement.

• Schultzin an interview: “California was behind the eight, frankly, compared to a lot of other states in the country. We have to do a better job.”

Details of other road safety bills are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Read the latest from CalMatters reporters Lauren Hepler and Robert Lewis push for new laws. And read them in full License to kill project.

From CalMatters Director of Membership Sonja Quick:

We are startup free and personalized weekly newsletter called My legislator to help hold your Sacramento legislators accountable in a powerful new way.

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Starting Jan. 1, all California residents have access to a tool that allows them to opt out of brokers using their data. Created by the California Privacy Protection Agency, the platform provides privacy instructions to every registered broker at once. Read our step-by-step guide on how to use this tool by Colin Letcher and Miles Hilton of CalMatters.