California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 21 bills into law Tuesday, including the “No Kings Act,” which makes it easier to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents operating in the state.
The legislation package also imposes a 25-percent tax on private detention centers, bans law enforcement from using electric shock gloves, requires disclosure of 911 and emergency response records, creates a “detainees’ bill of rights,” bans flash-bang devices, and prohibits former ICE officers from being hired by state law enforcement agencies.
“Trump has put his political interests above the health, safety and livelihood of American families,” Newsom said in a statement reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. “California is taking action to strengthen transparency, accountability, and oversight around immigration enforcement in our state. This is about stepping up where the federal government has failed our communities.”
“We will continue protecting our people, upholding the rule of law, and making clear that if the federal government operates in California, we will hold them accountable,” he added.
State Senator Scott Wiener, who sponsored the bill, framed it as ending a shield for federal agents.
“ICE and Border Patrol have terrorized California communities with impunity. That ends today.”
Wiener argued the measure closes a legal loophole. “When federal agents act lawlessly, they should be held accountable the same as any other lawbreaker. But for too long, a loophole in the law has shielded them from accountability. The No Kings Act provides long overdue accountability to end the impunity powering ICE and Border Patrol’s terror campaign,” he said.
Legal observers note that portions of the package attempting to reach into federal law enforcement conduct may not survive court challenges, since states have limited authority to regulate federal agents carrying out federal duties.
The move comes as ICE enforcement activity in the state has climbed sharply. The Chronicle reported in August that ICE had arrested nearly 50,000 migrants across California, including about 6,800 in Southern California and roughly 11,500 in Los Angeles.
California has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over its mass deportation push, a policy the administration says it was elected to carry out.
