SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Monday, California’s Democratic-majority Assembly approved a proposal to allocate up to $50 million aimed at safeguarding the state’s progressive initiatives against potential threats posed by the Trump administration.
The legislation designates $25 million for the state Department of Justice to engage in legal challenges against the federal government. In addition, another $25 million is earmarked for legal organizations that provide assistance to immigrants confronting deportation. This package gained traction through party-line votes following a previous delay in voting last week, and it is now set to be delivered to Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom for his approval.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas expressed deep concerns regarding Trump, labeling his administration as “out of control” and posing risks to constitutional freedoms. In contrast, Republican leader James Gallagher criticized the initiative as a partisan maneuver, suggesting it diverted attention from pressing issues like wildfires and the escalating cost of living in California. Gallagher emphasized that discussions should focus on affordability rather than preparing for a confrontation with Trump.
During a recent hearing regarding the funding, Democratic Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur focused on the need for California’s government to proactively protect its citizens, noting, “whatever happens at the federal level — and we don’t know what that’s going to be to a great extent yet — that our government is actually looking out for the rights of California families.”
In November, Newsom convened a special session of the legislature to expedite the passage of these proposals, arguing that the state’s freedoms were under threat from the Republican president’s return to power and that California would not remain passive during this period.
However, following the outbreak of severe wildfires around Los Angeles in January, Newsom broadened the special session’s agenda to include fire relief funding, prompted by Republican lawmakers who claimed the emphasis on Trump was misplaced amid ongoing disasters.
The governor managed to secure bipartisan support for fire proposals within the legislature, leading to the enactment of a $2.5 billion budget aimed at disaster response, which encompasses evacuations, survivor aid, and hazardous waste removal. Furthermore, the legislation allocated $4 million for local authorities to expedite rebuilding processes, along with $1 million to aid school districts in reconstructing their facilities.
On January 24, Newsom greeted Trump warmly during a visit to Los Angeles to assess the damage from the wildfires. The state relies on federal assistance for recovery, although Trump has hinted that such aid could be withheld unless California alters its water regulations—a notion that has been addressed by Republican representatives from the state.
Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli, representing part of Southern California’s Inland Empire, remarked during a recent committee session that proceeding with funding for lawsuits seemed “incredibly tone-deaf,” stressing the need to prioritize wildfire recovery and prevention efforts at this critical time.
Opponents of the funding have labeled it as premature, as the proposals were introduced prior to Trump returning to office. Notably, during his first term, the legislature allocated approximately $6.5 million annually for the Department of Justice to contend with federal actions, yet over four years, the state expended significantly more to address legal confrontations with the Trump administration.
California engaged in over 120 lawsuits against Trump during his first presidency, according to reports from the attorney general’s office, expending around $42 million in total on these legal challenges, which primarily targeted immigration and environmental regulations.
Assemblymember Mia Bonta, who represents Oakland, along with other Democratic lawmakers, asserted that the newly proposed funding is essential for supporting families living in fear due to Trump’s mass deportation strategies. An estimated 1.8 million undocumented immigrants resided in California in 2022, as indicated by research from the Pew Research Center.
