SJR9 - Immigrants in California: mass immigration raids.

Senate Joint Resolution No. 9 CHAPTER 1 Relative to immigration raids. [ Filed with Secretary of State January 28, 2026. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SJR 9, Durazo. Immigrants in California: mass immigration raids. This measure would strongly condemn and denounce mass immigration raids that target immigrant workers and families in California and the engagement of the military in immigration enforcement operations and in response to community protests. This measure would affirm support for safeguarding the rights and safety of all Californians, regardless of immigration status, and support, among other things, the expansion of legal services and emergency response resources to protect workers, children, and families affected by immigration enforcement. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, California is home to more than 10 million immigrants, the nation’s largest by population and proportion, including over 2 million undocumented residents, who enrich our communities, strengthen our economy, and contribute to the cultural and social fabric of the Golden State; and WHEREAS, Immigrants are deeply rooted in our state’s communities, families, and workforce, with 45 percent of all children in California having at least one immigrant parent and over 50 percent of all California workers being immigrants or children of immigrants; and WHEREAS, Deporting a parent or family member has serious detrimental impacts on children, affecting 3.3 million mixed-status families in California; and WHEREAS, Latino and Asian families make up some of the largest undocumented groups, with a majority coming from Mexico, Central America, Asia, and South America; and WHEREAS, Deportations tear families apart by separating parents from their children, leaving lasting emotional scars by increasing psychological distress, physical health issues, social isolation, and setbacks in their educational future; and WHEREAS, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has targeted Home Depot stores, car washes, business vendors, construction sites, and garment factories in predominantly Latino communities; and WHEREAS, United States citizens, based on their skin color and appearance, have been unlawfully harassed, handcuffed, arrested, and deported; and WHEREAS, Since June 6, 2025, ICE, along with armed federal agents, conducted military-style immigration raids and arrests at work sites, homes, and public spaces, creating a climate of fear among immigrants dropping their children off at school, going to work, attending faith services, seeking medical or emergency services, or shopping for essential needs; and WHEREAS, Since June 6, 2025, more than 1,600 people have been arrested in the indiscriminate raids at work sites, homes, and public spaces across the County of Los Angeles and dozens more people have been arrested across the Counties of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura; and WHEREAS, While conducting immigration raids and arrests, ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents sealed off entire streets with the assistance of local law enforcement and the federalized National Guard troops, utilized unmarked armored vehicles, and conducted warrantless raids in a militarized and indiscriminate manner, sparking widespread panic, fear, and terror among immigrant workers, families, and communities; and WHEREAS, The recent immigration raids have been heavily militarized, included the unconstitutional detention and arrest of residents without due process, disproportionately affected communities of color, separated families, undermined public safety and trust in local governments, and deterred families from accessing health care, education, and emergency assistance; and WHEREAS, Members of Congress were denied access to conduct oversight visits at the federal “B-18” detention facility and the Adelanto ICE Processing Center to inspect the conditions of detention, despite their right to do so under federal law, and attorneys were repeatedly denied access to people who were arrested during the indiscriminate immigration raids and arrests; and WHEREAS, The unconstitutional immigration raids and arrests quickly prompted tens of thousands of community, labor, and faith protests at multiple locations, including the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and the City of Paramount, where immigration raids were ongoing; and WHEREAS, The protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, with demonstrators exercising their First Amendment rights to oppose the Trump Administration’s mass immigration raids and to stand in solidarity with immigrant families impacted by these federal actions; and WHEREAS, During the course of these protests, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California President David Huerta was injured, arrested, and detained after federal authorities alleged he was obstructing enforcement activities, while union representatives and community members assert he was wrongfully arrested while lawfully observing law enforcement; and WHEREAS, The immigration raids and arrests consist of potential violations of constitutional rights, including raids and arrests conducted without warrants and using racial profiling; and WHEREAS, Despite clear evidence that local authorities were fully capable of responding to these events, President Trump unilaterally deployed 4,000 California National Guard members and 700 Marines over the objection of California Governor Gavin Newsom, with President Trump’s stated intent to crush dissent and further intensify and militarize immigration raids and arrests; and WHEREAS, The federal escalation appears to be part of a deliberate strategy to provoke chaos, suppress and criminalize dissent, and terrorize immigrant communities across California and the nation; and WHEREAS, President Trump’s administration has signaled an intention to intensify nationwide immigration raids and arrests, creating an ongoing threat and danger to California families, workplaces, and neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, Multiple elected officials, religious groups, labor unions, and advocacy organizations have denounced the mass immigration raids and pledged to protect and support immigrant communities; and WHEREAS, Immigrants play a vital role in stimulating the economy as workers, business owners, taxpayers, and consumers. Their contributions boost national economic growth and lower the United States deficit; and WHEREAS, Immigrants help power the fourth largest economy in the world, sourcing one-half of a trillion dollars’ worth of products, which represents 5 percent of the state’s gross domestic product. Immigrants also make up nearly one-half of California’s agricultural workers, and fuel key industries like manufacturing, construction, and hospitality; and WHEREAS, California’s undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022 and play a vital role in stimulating the state’s economy; and WHEREAS, On June 12, 2025, President Trump announced that changes were coming and that “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, longtime workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” but on June 16, 2025, the United States Department of Homeland Security and ICE told staff that it must continue to conduct immigration raids at agricultural businesses, hotels, and restaurants, creating a whiplash of confusion that continues to wreak havoc on our economy, agricultural industry, and small businesses; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature hereby strongly condemns the mass immigration raids, targeting of immigrant workers and families, and the militarized federal response in California. The Legislature denounces President Trump’s deployment of military forces to suppress community protests and engage in immigration enforcement operations; and be it further Resolved, That California stands with immigrant families, workers, and community leaders, and will not tolerate the terrorizing of our neighborhoods under the guise of “enforcement”; and be it further Resolved, That California rejects the criminalization of peaceful protest and reaffirms the constitutional rights of all residents to organize, demonstrate, and demand justice without fear of violent retaliation; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature affirms its commitment to safeguarding the rights and safety of all Californians, regardless of immigration status, by upholding the fundamental principles of equal treatment, due process, and civil liberties under the law; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature supports the expansion of legal services and emergency response resources to protect workers, children, and families affected by immigration enforcement; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Secretary of State, to the Secretary of the Treasury, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.