Protecting Immigrant Rights

Embracing California’s diversity and its commitment to value and protect our immigrant communities, defending the rights, dignity and humanity of all who call California home.

Adriana Sanchez-Ochoa

Chief Deputy Director adriana.sanchez-ochoa@nextgenpolicy.org

Arturo Juarez

Policy Advisor arturo.juarez@nextgenpolicy.org

Johanna Vega Garcia

Policy Fellow johanna.vegagarcia@nextgenpolicy.org

Current Immigration Advocacy

AB 1807 (Gabriel & Carrillo) – No State-Owned Property Used for Immigration Enforcement Activities, 2026.

The bill would prohibit state-owned property from being used for immigration enforcement purposes. Additionally, this bill would direct the Department of General Services (DGS) to identify state-owned property previously used for the purposes of immigration enforcement and require state agencies to post signage and physical barriers at those properties to restrict immigration enforcement activities.

AB 1537 (Bryan, Carrillo, Ortega) – Peace Officers and Secondary Employment, 2026.

This bill will prohibit California peace officers from being employed by, being an independent contractor for, or volunteering their time with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or any immigration enforcement entity. This bill will also require peace officers to report any existing secondary employment relating to immigration enforcement to their employing law enforcement agency and make these records public for purposes of the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

SB 995 (Pérez, Rubio) – Health Inspections of Involuntary Residential Facilities, 2026.

This bill would allow the State Department of Public Health to inspect (including unnoticed inspections) an involuntary residential facility, as defined, for the purposes of ensuring sanitary, hygienic, and safe conditions. This bill would also make operators of such facilities provide access to these facilities for inspection as well as maintain records to demonstrate compliance and correct any violations. The department would report any violations to the Attorney General.

We support additional funding in the 2026-2027 state budget – $50 million

To expand the state’s immigrant legal defense network of community-based programs, immigration attorneys, accredited representatives, and other non-profit organizations.

Past Work in Immigration

SB 1132 (Durazo) – Private detention facilities and Local Health Officers, signed into law, 2024.

Ensured county health officials have the ability to enter private detention facilities for routine public health and safety inspections, in order to safeguard the health and well being of detained individuals, and to ensure that these private facilities adhere to proper public health orders and guidelines.

AB 280 (Holden) – The California Mandela Act, died on inactive file, 2023.

This visionary bill would have set in statute a definition of what constitutes solitary confinement across all detention facilities, outlined safe and effective limits on its usage, and provided humane alternatives to the established practice of solitary confinement when individuals needed to be housed individually. Though unable to secure the Governor’s signature, this highly ambitious effort set the precedent for what’s possible, and NGP and California Mandela Campaign partners look forward to working with the next Governor to secure comprehensive reform.

AB 263 (Arambula) – The Health Oversight and Leadership in Detention, signed into law, 2021.

Cemented into statute the requirement for all private detention facilities to adhere to state and local health regulations, and crucially, empowered public health officials to issue health enforcement orders against these facilities.

AB 1096 (L. Rivas) – Replacing “Alien” in California Law, signed into law, 2021.

Updated California law by replacing the outdated term “alien” with more suitable terms, depending on the context, when referring to individuals who are not citizens of the United States.

AB 2043 (R. Rivas) – Agricultural Employee COVID-19 Health and Safety Act, signed into law, 2020.

Funded a health and safety educational outreach campaign targeted at farmworkers and codified certain agricultural worksite health and safety guidance protocols established by Cal-OSHA.

AB 2788 (Gloria) – Public Utilities and Cooperation with Immigration Authorities, signed into law, 2020.

Required ICE or other federal authorities to obtain a court-ordered subpoena or judicial warrant prior to accessing a customer’s utility data.

AB 3228 (Bonta) – Private Detention Facilities, signed into law, 2020.

Ensures that private, for-profit detention facilities operated under uniform health and safety protocols and adhered to state healthcare guidelines for all individuals in their custody, regardless of immigration status.

Immigrant Justice: Strengthening Our Defense and Building Our Power Convening

NextGen Policy, the Sierra Health Foundation, the State Bar of California, and the California Immigrant Policy Center hosted a convening to coordinate a response to federal immigration enforcement actions in California. Together, with 45 attendees representing foundations, nonprofit organizations, and allied institutions, we worked to identify practical, action-oriented strategies to strengthen both the quality and availability of legal services for immigrant communities across California