Elected officials at the state and local levels have joined immigrant advocacy organisations in calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign legislation that would prohibit state law enforcement officers from working with federal immigration authorities.
AB 1537 was introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, whose district spans communities from South Los Angeles through to Mar Vista, at the start of the year. Under the proposed legislation, California police officers, sheriffs, and other law enforcement personnel would be prohibited from holding secondary employment that involves the arrest, detention, transport, or deportation of individuals. The legislation has cleared both chambers and now awaits the governor's signature, with a deadline of 30 September for Newsom to either approve or reject it.
At a City Hall gathering on Wednesday, José Madera, director of the Pasadena Job Center, referenced several incidents involving federal immigration enforcement personnel in recent months across cities including Minneapolis, Houston, and Austin. Bruno Huizar, supervising policy manager at the California Immigrant Policy Center, urged Governor Newsom to sign AB 1537 into law, arguing that federal immigration agents were causing harm to residents and families and that local law enforcement should not be involved in those operations.
Council member Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose parents had been undocumented, expressed that witnessing immigrant parents travel to work and attend religious services while anxious about family separation was distressing to him. He later stated in an emailed response that public servants bear a responsibility to the communities they represent rather than assisting federal immigration enforcement efforts that divide households.
The legislation, referred to by its supporters as "No side jobs for ICE," would additionally require that officers disclose any secondary employment offers connected to immigration enforcement to their supervisors. Shiu-Ming Cheer, a licensed attorney at the California Immigration Policy Center, noted that any conditional offer from an immigration enforcement body received by a law enforcement officer would become part of that individual's employment file. "That will be subject to a public records act request," Cheer said, adding that the measure was intended to provide transparency around how many officers receive offers to join ICE or Border Patrol.
The Peace Officers Research Association of California, which represents officers statewide, has voiced opposition to the bill, contending that such policies do not enhance public safety. The Los Angeles Police Protective League had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.
The legislation forms part of a broader push to restrict municipal police agencies from participating in federal immigration enforcement operations. A measure passed by the Los Angeles City Council in March prohibits municipal workers from taking on secondary employment with federal immigration enforcement bodies. The Santa Ana City Council has also passed a measure barring municipal workers from taking on secondary employment tied to federal immigration enforcement.
