State Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer made the decision to remove a controversial immigration bill from the committee agenda this week. This move provides temporary relief for Democrats, who are now able to avoid taking a stance on a highly contentious political issue during a presidential election year.
The legislation aims to assist undocumented immigrants with serious or violent felony convictions in avoiding deportation through the provision of state-funded legal services. This particular provision faced significant backlash, leaving Jones-Sawyer with limited time to fully prepare his argument.
During an interview on Tuesday, the lawmaker admitted that it was uncertain whether he had enough votes for the proposal. He hinted that he would not reintroduce it until he was certain of its success.
“I’ll tally up my votes and assess my support,” he declared. “I won’t squander anyone’s time.”
California lawmakers have always been proud of their support for undocumented immigrants. They have consistently opposed the policies of the Trump administration since the 2016 election. Even in the face of a significant budget deficit, they recently extended health care coverage to undocumented immigrants of all ages.
But in recent months, the topics of immigration enforcement and crime have become highly controversial. The influx of people crossing into the U.S. has put a strain on border cities and blue states. This has caused Democrats, including big-city mayors and President Joe Biden, to face intense scrutiny and feel pressured to adopt a more conservative stance.
Supporters of the recent campaign to recall Governor Gavin Newsom have emphasized California’s expenditures on healthcare for undocumented immigrants as a key rallying point. They are focused on raising funds and gathering signatures to advance their movement for a ballot initiative.
Biden attempted to tackle a potential weakness in his campaign by negotiating a bipartisan agreement in Congress to enhance border security. However, this plan faced widespread opposition from Republicans, and even some Democrats like California Senator Alex Padilla criticized it for its failure to include a pathway to residency for individuals brought to the U.S. as children. When asked if he would resort to executive action, Biden expressed optimism that Congress would take action.
The Biden administration discreetly opposed the University of California’s proposal to hire undocumented students for campus jobs, citing concerns about potential conflicts with federal law during an election year. As a result, UC has decided to pause the implementation of this plan.
The California legal assistance bill is considered unlikely to pass, but it has the potential to draw more attention to Newsom and the Democrats. Some Democrats declined to comment on the legislation, indicating that it is a sensitive topic.
The California Immigrant Policy Center, the Central American Resource Center, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and the Vera Institute of Justice contend that denying legal aid to undocumented immigrants based on their criminal records unfairly penalizes them for offenses for which they have already completed their sentences.
Assembly member Jones-Sawyer expressed his intention to potentially reintroduce the proposal for a hearing. He mentioned that he was seeking support from someone who would empathize with the bill. Assembly Judiciary Chair Ash Kalra offered his support for the legislation, should Jones-Sawyer decide to move it forward. (Jones-Sawyer withdrew it from Tuesday’s agenda unexpectedly due to his mother’s emergency surgery.)
The Los Angeles lawmaker has centered his political career on progressive criminal justice policies, effectively safeguarding the preservation of liberal accomplishments from the past decade. As his tenure in the Legislature draws to an end this year, he recently experienced a significant setback in his campaign for Los Angeles City Council, finishing last by a considerable margin. Despite receiving support from criminal justice groups and labor organizers, his bid ultimately fell short.
Republicans had seized upon the bill and created a stir on social media prior to Tuesday’s hearing. Their efforts attracted the attention of conservative X accounts and even Elon Musk, who took to sharing a post about the bill and questioning, “When is enough enough?”
Jones-Sawyer emphasized the importance of presenting a compelling case for the legislation. He acknowledged that Republicans have often been more effective at conveying their message and highlighted the need for Democrats to do the same.
