“We are not North Korea.” Newsom signed a bill to limit immigration raids at schools and exposed federal agents
In response to the Trump administration’s radical immigration attacks that inspired Southern California, Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills Saturday to protect immigrants in other areas targeted by schools, hospitals and federal agents.
He also signed a bill that prohibits federal agents from wearing masks, making California the first state to do so. Speaking at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in Los Angeles, Newsom said President Trump turned the country into a “dystopian science fiction movie” in which masked agents drove people without legal status into unmarked cars.
“We are not North Korea,” Newsom said.
Newsom constituted a legislation to oppose what he called Trump and Stephen Miller’s “secret police” and White House adviser Stephen Miller, who drove a surge in immigration enforcement in Democratic-led cities.
SB 98, written by Senator Sasha Renne Perez (D-Alhambra), will require school administrators to notify families and students if federal agents conduct immigration operations on K-12 or university campuses.
Parliament Bill 49, drafted by Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates), raised by the General Assembly, would prohibit immigration agents from non-public areas of the school without a judicial arrest warrant or court order. It will also ban the school district from providing information about students, their families, teachers and school employees without an arrest warrant.
Senator Jesse Alegne (D-Berkeley) Senate Bill 81 would prohibit health care officials from disclosing patients’ immigration status or place of birth, or visiting non-public spaces in hospitals and clinics – immigration authorities have not undergone a search warrant or court order.
Sens. Senate bill 627 of Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley) targeted masked federal immigration officials who began detaining immigrants at home and washing their cars earlier this year.
Wiener said the presence of anonymous, masked officers marked a shift toward authoritarianism and eroded trust between law enforcement and citizens. The law applies to local and federal officials, but it will exempt state police officers such as California Highway Patrol personnel from reasons why Weiner has not made public explanations.
Trump’s immigration leaders believe it is necessary to protect the identity and safety of immigration officials. The Department of Homeland Security on Monday called on Newsom to veto Wiener’s legislation, which is almost certainly questioned by the federal government.
“Senator Scott Wiener’s legislation prohibits our federal law enforcement from wearing masks and his words, comparing them to the ‘secret police’ (comparing them to the Gestapo) – is mean.”
The billed package has caused friction between state and federal officials. Newsom’s office wrote on X a few hours before signing the bill: “Kristi Noem will have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America.”
Bill Essayli, an attorney acting in Los Angeles, fired at X, accusing the governor of threatening Noem.
“We have zero tolerance for direct or implicit threats to government officials,” Essayli wrote in his response, adding that he asked the U.S. Secret Service to conduct a “full threat assessment.”
The supreme provisions of the U.S. Constitution state that federal law takes precedence over state law, leading some legal experts to question whether California can enforce legislation against federal immigration officials.
On X, Essayli said California has no jurisdiction over the federal government, adding that he directed federal agencies not to change their operations.
“If Newsom wants to regulate our agents, he must go through Congress,” he wrote.
Representatives from the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately answer questions about how to enforce the mask law. Department officials for the Los Angeles County Sheriff said they will consult agency attorneys to “evaluate” the new law.
California has not prevented federal officials from arresting immigrants based on its appearance, language and location. The appeals court suspended the attack, which California officials said was a clear example of a racial profile, but the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the decision and allowed the detention center to be restored.
During a press conference on Saturday, Newsom pointed to the arrests last month, when immigration officials appeared in Little Tokyo when the governor announced a campaign to host a new congressional area. Newsom said masked agents showed up to intimidate those attending the event, but they also arrested an undocumented man who happened to be delivering strawberries nearby.
“That’s Trump’s America,” Newsom said.
Other states are also looking at similar measures to uncover federal agents. According to news reports, Connecticut banned law enforcement officers from wearing masks in state courts on Tuesday unless it is medically necessary.
Newsom also signed Senate Bill 805 on Saturday, a measure by Perez that targets immigration officials who are in plainclothes but do not identify with themselves.
The law requires law enforcement officers to display their agency and badge numbers or names in plainclothes, and are exempted.
“Ensuring clear identification of officials while providing wise exceptions help protect the public and law enforcement.
