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Tag: legislative

Newsom signs $50M ‘Trump-proofing’ legislative package

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the $50 million special legislative “Trump-proofing” package which he proposed for Democrats to pass following President Donald Trump’s election.

Newsom said the bill will “bolster funding for legal services programs that are vital to safeguarding the civil rights of California’s most vulnerable residents, including people with disabilities, youth who are homeless, victims of human trafficking and wage theft, people facing unlawful evictions, immigrants and more.

“None of the funding in this bill is intended to be used for immigration-related legal services for noncitizens convicted of serious or violent felonies,” he added in a signing statement.

IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME … TO FIGHT DONALD TRUMP?’: CA HOUSE SPEAKER DODGES FIERY QUESTIONING FROM REPORTER

President Donald Trump, right, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom walk to speak with reporters after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

The package, which was passed by the state Senate and Assembly, allocates $25 million to the California Department of Justice to support legal battles against Trump’s federal policies, including environmental regulations and illegal immigration. An additional $25 million is designated for legal aid groups to assist illegal immigrants facing potential deportation.

Newsom lobbed hundreds of lawsuits against the Trump administration during Trump’s first term.

While Newsom is gearing up for potential showdowns with the Trump administration, he has also been working with Trump to secure federal disaster relief for the Los Angeles wildfires. Trump visited California in late January to meet with Newsom, and Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., in early February for another round of discussions with the president.

“We’re working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need,” Newsom said in a statement on Wednesday. “Thank you President Trump for coming to our communities to see this first hand, and meeting with me today to continue our joint efforts to support people impacted.”

NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and President Donald Trump have clashed on various issues, including immigration. (Getty/AP)

Trump hit back at Newsom after he announced the special legislative session in November, saying on his Truth Social account, “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

February 8, 2025
Trump signs Laken Riley Act into law as first legislative victory in new administration

President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law Wednesday, marking the first piece of legislation to become law in his second administration.

The measure, which advanced through the House and Senate in January, directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer.

The law also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration.

CONGRESS SENDS LAKEN RILEY ACT TO TRUMP’S DESK AS FIRST BILL OF GOP’S WASHINGTON TAKEOVER

Jose Ibarra, left, was found guilty on 10 counts in the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, right. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

The law’s name honors a nursing student who was killed during a jog on the University of Georgia’s campus by an illegal immigrant. Jose Ibarra, who previously had been arrested but never detained by ICE, received a prison life sentence for killing 22-year-old Laken Riley.

The measure received support from all House Republicans and 48 Democrats, and all Senate Republicans and 12 Senate Democrats.

Meanwhile, critics of the measure claim that the law will pave the way for mass detention, including for those who’ve committed minor offenses like shoplifting.

Sarah Mehta, senior border policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement after the Senate voted to advance the measure ahead of a final vote, “This is an extreme and reactive bill that will authorize the largest expansion of mandatory detention we have seen in decades.”

LAKEN RILEY ACT PASSES HOUSE WITH 48 DEMS, ALL REPUBLICANS

President Donald Trump signs a second executive order during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of his second presidential term, Jan. 20, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

“While we are disappointed this bill will pass the Senate, it is notable that so many senators opposed it and recognized the need for actual immigration reform — not the chaos and cruelty this legislation will unleash,” Mehta said.

Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration during his campaign, and declared a national emergency at the southern border following his inauguration. He also immediately ordered the expulsion of migrants without the possibility of asylum.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cautioned foreign nationals considering entering the U.S. that they will be detained and kicked out of the country.

TIDAL WAVE OF BORDER SECURITY BILLS HIT HOUSE AS REPUBLICANS MOVE FAST ON DC TAKEOVER

On Jan. 28, 2025, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cautioned foreign nationals considering entering the U.S. that they will be detained and kicked out of the country. (Samuel Corum/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“So to foreign nationals who are thinking about trying to illegally enter the United States, think again,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at the White House press briefing. “Under this president, you will be detained and you will be deported. Every day, Americans are safer because of the violent criminals that President Trump’s administration is removing from our communities.”

Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

January 29, 2025
DeSantis faces GOP resistance to special legislative session on immigration that starts today

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A special legislative session called by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to take up a series of proposals to help implement President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown gets underway on Monday.

However, with pushback from top Republican lawmakers who call the session “premature,” it is unclear if any measures will be considered.

DeSantis wants lawmakers to pass bills that would support the president’s flurry of immigration and border executive orders, signed since last Monday’s inauguration, and Trump’s plans for mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

‘THANK YOU RON’ – TRUMP PRAISES DESANTIS IMMIGRATION PUSH IN FLORIDA

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, right, listens before President-elect Donald Trump talks at a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The governor wants to mandate that Florida’s counties and cities participate in the federal deportation program and wants the power to suspend officials who do not comply. He is also proposing to make it a state crime to enter the nation illegally, and he wants to mandate that people show identification and their immigration status before sending money back home.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVES QUICKLY ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

“We’ve got to make sure that we are working hand-in-hand with the Trump administration,” DeSantis emphasized last week in an interview on Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle.”

He added that the special legislative session would help “to facilitate the Trump administration’s mission.”

The Florida State Capitol Building, as seen in Tallahassee, Florida. (Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)

Eleven bills were filed on the eve of the special session by Florida lawmakers. Among them are measures to create a state immigration czar and to allow the governor to activate the national and state guards for immigration enforcement.

Under Florida’s constitution, if the governor calls for a special session, lawmakers are obligated to show up at the capitol in Tallahassee. However, the top Republicans in the state House and Senate say that while they support Trump’s immigration efforts, the special session is unnecessary with the regularly scheduled legislative session scheduled for early March.

“It’s not premature,” DeSantis told Fox News. “We’ve been waiting four years to have a partner in Washington, D.C., on this issue. We have a sense of urgency. We have to get the job done. No more dragging your feet.”

DeSantis, who waged a bitter and unsuccessful primary challenge against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was praised by the then-president-elect earlier this month.

“Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!” Trump wrote in a social media post after DeSantis announced the special session.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, speaks at a campaign stop in Hampton, New Hampshire, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

However, the pushback by GOP state lawmakers over the calling of the special session is a dramatic turn of events for DeSantis, who long enjoyed massive influence over the Florida legislature, especially after his nearly 20-point re-election in 2022.

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Following his unsuccessful 2024 White House bid, the lame duck governor does not appear to have the same clout over lawmakers that he once enjoyed.

Pushing back against opposition to his plans, DeSantis has warned that any lawmaker who stood in his way over the special session would pay a political price.

January 27, 2025