California is suing to preserve victims’ services for undocumented immigrants
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NO VICTIMS’ SERVICES FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
California is pushing back on federal mandates that victims’ services nonprofits exclude undocumented immigrants.
Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday his office would be suing the Trump administration over new requirements that federal grant money not be used on “legal services” for undocumented immigrants who are victims of crime. Bonta said it endangers $94 million of current funding and hundreds of millions of future dollars.
“When a survivor seeks safety and support, we don’t ask their immigration status. We ask, how can we help you feel safe? What do you need to begin healing?” said the House of Ruth’s Pat Bell, who spoke at a virtual news conference with Bonta.
Bell said her Southern California domestic violence outreach agency treats every person who comes to them equally: providing legal representation, assistance with restraining orders, court accompaniment and referrals as needed.
“Everyone deserves to receive the same services, and for us to be kind of forced into a position where we have to screen makes it extremely challenging for us.”
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that to receive Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants, states would have to agree to support and assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement activities. Bonta’s office challenged that in the courts in August.
The ongoing saga is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to stop the flow of federal funding to so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions,” areas where local law enforcement officers don’t assist federal immigration agents.
The federal DOJ couldn’t respond to a request for comment due to the government shutdown.
CAPTIVE AUDIENCE LAW BLOCKED DURING LEGAL CHALLENGE
A federal judge has halted enforcement of a law preventing “captive audience” meetings, or mandatory workplace meetings where employers share political, religious or anti-union messaging.
The ruling stops the law from being enforced while a larger legal challenge plays out in California’s Eastern District Court.
The California Chamber of Commerce challenged the law, SB 399, last December, arguing it suppresses employers’ free speech rights. That was after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law, saying it continued California’s “rich history of standing up for worker’s rights.” It went into effect in January 2025.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta said that while “the Court recognizes the State’s interests in protecting employees in these circumstances, the Court concludes SB 399 is a content-based regulation of speech that cannot withstand strict scrutiny.”
“We are pleased the court agreed with the key issues in this case,” CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera said in a statement. “SB 399 sought to wrongly limit the speech of employers across California while also exposing companies of all sizes to new legal liabilities if their leaders communicate important political and legal updates that impact the workplace.”
Calabretta also agreed with the Chamber that the federal National Labor Relations Act made SB 399 unnecessary, and the National Labor Relations Board has the authority to prohibit those meetings.
The Board is currently furloughed during the government shutdown.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Democrats have shut down the government. Department of Justice websites are not currently regularly updated.”
— The “media inquiries” page of the U.S. Department of Justice programs website
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