Democratic-Led California Assembly Pledges $50M to Continue Defying Trump's Immigration Crackdown

California's Democratic-controlled Assembly approved $50 million in funding to continue pushing back against President Donald Trump's immigration policies, setting aside resources for legal battles against the federal government and providing legal aid for immigrants facing deportation.

The legislative package, which now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom's signature, is the state's latest measure aimed at "Trump-proofing" California. It allocates $25 million to the state Department of Justice to litigate against federal policies and another $25 million for legal organizations assisting immigrants.

Assembly Democrats described the move as necessary to protect California residents from the impact of Trump's policies. "We do not trust President Donald Trump," Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said before the vote, saying the administration is "out of control" and poses a threat to constitutional rights. Rivas also challenged Republicans claiming that undocumented immigrants are a burden on the state, citing figures that proof otherwise, as Politico points out:

"Here in California there are 1.8 million undocumented people. People who pay about $8.5 billion in state and local taxes every single year. They raise families, and they contribute to our communities. These law-abiding immigrants, they are Californians — they are not criminals."

Local Republican lawmakers, in contrast, argued that the state should focus on other urgent matters, such as wildfire relief and the cost of living. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a Republican from San Diego, warned that the move could, for example, jeopardize federal aid:

"You are putting us on a collision course with the national administration. You are doubling down on policies that hurt Californians"

Republican opposition to the bills included proposed amendments to restrict the use of legal funds for immigrants with criminal records and to prohibit taxpayer money from defending public officials who refuse to comply with federal law. Both amendments failed.

Governor Newsom initially called for the special session in December, shortly after Trump's election victory, to prepare for anticipated policy shifts at the federal level. But when destructive wildfires broke out in January, Republican lawmakers argued the focus of the sessions on Trump was misplaced, leading to Newsom expanding them to include a bipartisan $2.5 billion wildfire relief package, which he signed into law.

"California Democrats have an uphill legal battle stopping President Trump or even slowing him down," said L.A.-based attorney and legal analyst Neama Rahmani to The Latin Times. "Some issues like immigration are exclusively controlled by the federal government, so there is little the states can do to slow down (or speed up) immigration enforcement."

Rahmani envisions California's legal fight against Trump involving federal courts:

"California's best chance of challenging President Trump is to argue that a federal law or executive order violates the Constitution, such as birthright citizenship or impoundment. The problem with any legal challenge is that even if it's successful, President Trump and the Republicans in Congress can withhold federal funding to pressure California to bend to their will"

During Trump's first term, California sued the federal government more than 120 times, spending approximately $42 million on legal battles, primarily related to immigration and environmental policies. The new funding signals that California is preparing for a similar legal strategy in Trump's second term.