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Deep-blue California is facing a backlash from left-wing activists after the state moved to bar illegal immigrants with felony convictions from receiving taxpayer-funded legal assistance in immigration cases.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the change into law as part of his 2025 budget. In a note dated February 7, Newsom told the state Senate that public funds should not support “immigration-related legal services for noncitizens convicted of serious or violent felonies.” The change is set to take effect in 2026 and marks the first revision to eligibility for California’s Equal Access Fund since it was created in 1999, according to The Latin Times.
Over 70 advocacy groups opposed the measure in June, issuing public statements and sending letters urging Newsom and lawmakers to reverse the decision, CalMatters reported.
“This prohibition would have a devastating impact on low-income Californians seeking immigration legal assistance, likely stoking fear and creating a chilling effect on client communities in need of vital legal services,” said Doan Nguyen, director of the California State Bar’s Office of Access and Inclusion.
Bruno Huizar of the California Immigrant Policy Center criticized the move, saying it “rolls back” progress. “Now is not the time to add restrictions excluding people from access to life-changing services,” Huizar told CapRadio, adding that the policy comes “when federal agents have arrested over 1,600 people in Southern California, separating families, violating constitutional rights and terrorizing neighborhoods.”
His comments followed a wave of violent protests in Los Angeles opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Lorin Klein of the Legal Aid Association of California also voiced concern, stating the change “just creates fear in communities that are already afraid.” She added, “The more we scare people, the more they go underground and don’t seek help.”
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Equal Access Fund spent over $8 million on immigration-related legal services in 2024. An additional $10 million was allocated through a separate California Department of Social Services program, which does not cover felons.
Still, FAIR noted that these amounts are a fraction of the estimated $30 billion burden illegal immigration placed on California taxpayers in 2023.
