California Draws the Line, Passes Legislation to Push Back on Reckless ICE Raids and Safeguard Constitutional Rights

Companion Bills Would Require an Independent Investigation by the California Attorney General into Deadly Shootings by Immigration Agents, Prohibit State Resources from Being Used to Support ICE Raids

For immediate release:
Xavieria Terry
Communications Director
Xavieria.Terry@asm.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, the California State Legislature passed legislation designed to safeguard constitutional rights and protect Californians from reckless federal immigration enforcement actions. Authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D - Encino), Assembly Bill (AB) 1806 and AB 1807 were developed in response to ICE raids in Los Angeles, the deadly violence in Minneapolis, and continued threats from reckless federal immigration enforcement actions across the country. 

“California cannot stand idly by as the Trump Administration targets our communities and tramples our constitutional rights,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D - Encino). “We must exercise our power and authority to defend our immigrant neighbors, push back against federal overreach, and protect our constitutional rights. The violence and chaos from the Trump Administration’s reckless and failed immigration policies must be stopped. California has a moral and a legal obligation to protect its residents and uphold the rule of law.”

AB 1806: Requiring Independent Investigations for Immigration-Related Shootings

AB 1806 would require the California Attorney General to conduct an independent, transparent, and thorough investigation into any fatal shooting of an unarmed civilian by an immigration officer, closing an accountability gap that has left families across the country without answers.

That gap has grown more urgent by the day. Since the immigration enforcement surge began in 2025, agents have opened fire on civilians at an unprecedented rate. Studies have identified multiple incidents in which immigration agents fired at or into civilian vehicles, resulting in four deaths. At least five of the people shot were U.S. citizens.

Two cases drew national attention: Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, was fatally shot by a CBP officer just weeks later. In both cases, the U.S. Department of Justice declined to investigate, and state and local officials say they were blocked from accessing evidence and crime scenes by federal officials. 

The pattern has reached California as well. In Northridge, Keith Porter Jr. was shot and killed by an off-duty immigration officer. In case after case, the same agency investigating itself has amounted to no investigation at all, while the Trump Administration has told agents they operate with “federal immunity.” 

AB 1806 closes this gap by extending a framework California trusts. It builds on AB 1506 (2020), which requires an independent investigation of deadly police shootings, and extends it to fatal shootings of unarmed civilians by immigration agents. Under AB 1806, the California Attorney General must conduct an independent, transparent and thorough investigation into every shooting of an unarmed civilian. If charges are warranted, the Attorney General must prosecute, and the findings must be made public in a written report.

“As the author of the landmark legislation that created independent investigations into police shootings (AB 1506, 2020), I applaud the actions of Assemblymember Gabriel to expand this law to include actions by immigration officers," said Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty.

AB 1807: Preventing ICE Agents from Using State Resources for Immigration Enforcement

Since June 2025, federal immigration agents have repeatedly used California’s own property to launch raids that have terrorized California communities. Immigrants and U.S. citizens alike have been detained in public spaces, at workplaces, and near their homes, often in front of their own children.

AB 1807, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale), prohibits state-owned property, including parking lots, vacant lots, and garages, from being used to stage, process, detain, or otherwise support federal immigration enforcement operations.  It requires state agencies to identify vulnerable properties, post signage, limit access, and develop enforcement procedures to keep unauthorized federal activity off state land.

At  its core, AB 1807 draws a boundary so that public property is used to serve California residents, not terrorize them.

“What we are seeing throughout our nation is a result of an administration that has normalized fear, intimidation, and use of force in our communities. That is why I’m proud to stand alongside Assemblymember Gabriel to ensure federal agents do not continue to terrorize immigrant communities and American citizens in our state,” said Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D - Palmdale), Joint Author of AB 1807 and Chair Elect of the California Legislative Latino Caucus.

A Broad and Growing Coalition

AB 1806 and AB 1807 are sponsored by the California Immigrant Policy Center and backed by one of the largest coalitions to move through the Capitol this year, which includes more than 100 organizations spanning labor, immigrant rights, legal aid, civil rights, and faith communities. Supporters include SEIU California, the California Immigrant Policy Center, the California Democratic Party, the Latino Community Foundation, and local governments from across California.

“No person should die at the hands of any government official or in government custody. The passage of AB 1806 and AB 1807 sends a strong message: California will ensure our state resources are used to protect the safety and rights of all Californians — not to facilitate dangerous immigration raids, detentions and deportations,” said Shiu-Ming Cheer, Deputy Director at the California Immigrant Policy Center.

What’s Next

The legislation now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, where he will have until September 30 to decide whether to veto the bill or sign it into law.