California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will veto a bill that would prevent California prison officials from communicating with federal immigration officials.
Assembly Bill 15, introduced by Asm. Mike Gipson (D–Carson), would expand California’s sanctuary state law to prohibit the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The backstory: California lawmakers passed Senate Bill 54 in 2017. Known as the California Values Act, SB 54 effectively made California a sanctuary state by regulating the communication between law enforcement and ICE.
- Law enforcement is prohibited from providing ICE with the release date of an inmate from local jail.
Driving the news: AB 15 would effectively expand the California Values Act to include the CDCR.
- CDCR officers would be barred from detaining people on hold requests made by ICE, providing ICE with release date information or facilitating or assisting with any transfer request for inmates eligible for release.
- Further, AB 15 would repeal existing law that requires the CDCR to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security. AB 15 would also bar the CDCR from identifying inmates who are subject to deportation.
The big picture: According to multiple reports, Newsom’s office said the governor would veto AB 15 if it comes to his desk for approval.
Flashback: In 2023, Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1306, which was nearly identical to AB 15.
- “I believe current law strikes the right balance on limiting interaction to support community trust and cooperation between law enforcement and local communities,” Newsom wrote at the time in the veto.
