In Sacramento, California, Governor Gavin Newsom approved legislation on Friday that designates $50 million to safeguard the state’s policies from potential challenges posed by the Trump administration and to provide support for immigrants in light of the president’s immigration enforcement initiatives.
The allocation includes $25 million for the California Department of Justice to engage in legal battles against the federal government and an additional $25 million, partially earmarked for legal organizations to assist immigrants confronting the threat of deportation. Throughout Trump’s initial term in office, California clashed with the administration on issues such as environmental regulations, water management, and immigrant protections, resulting in the state instigating or participating in over 100 legal challenges against the federal government. With the onset of Trump’s second term, these contentious matters are resurfacing.
Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas emphasized the necessity of such measures by stating earlier in the week, “The people of California face threats from an administration that disregards the Constitution and believes it is unconstrained by limitations to its authority. Therefore, we are introducing legislation that will provide the resources needed to shield Californians from this pressing jeopardy.”
The move comes a day after the Democratic governor returned from Washington, where he met with Trump and members of Congress to try to secure federal disaster aid for the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires that ripped through neighborhoods in January, killing more than two dozen people.
Newsom signed a $2.5 billion package for fire relief into law last month to help fund the state’s disaster response including evacuations, sheltering survivors and removing household hazardous waste. His administration has said they expect the federal government to reimburse the state.
Republican lawmakers have criticized the funding for lawsuits, saying the focus on Trump is distracting as the Los Angeles area recovers from the fires.
“This slush fund isn’t about solving any real problems — it’s a political stunt designed to distract from the urgent issues our state faces and it won’t bode well for fire victims,” Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said in a statement earlier this week.
Critics have also said the legislation doesn’t ensure that funding wouldn’t be used to defend immigrants without legal status who have been convicted of serious felonies.
After signing the funding into law, Newsom said the money wasn’t intended to be used for that purpose, and he encouraged lawmakers to pass subsequent legislation if clarifying that is needed. He said in a statement that the funding will assist legal groups in “safeguarding the civil rights of California’s most vulnerable residents.”
Newsom announced the plan to safeguard the state’s policies days after Trump’s election in November. He convened the Legislature in a special session to pass the bills.
The state is used to taking the federal government to court over Trump actions.
California sued the Republican president’s administration more than 120 times during his first term, according to the attorney general’s office. The state spent about $42 million overall on legal battles against the federal government, ranging from around $2 million to nearly $13 million a year.
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Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @ sophieadanna
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