Alhambra police car parking their patrol vehicle between a citizen and ICE (File Photo – Screenshot)
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) has introduced Senate Bill 1105, the Protect California Rights Act, aimed at preventing local law enforcement agencies from being commandeered by federal authorities for actions that violate state law or infringe on Californians’ rights.
By news Desk
The legislation would require state and local law enforcement agencies to uphold existing California laws during federal operations. It would prohibit local agencies from assisting federal agents in operations involving racial or identity profiling, criminalization of speech, or the use of unauthorized military weapons against residents.
“Today, we are witnessing a federal administration that is attempting to intimidate legal observers, silence critics, and weaponize local law enforcement against the very communities they are sworn to protect,” Pérez said in a statement. “That is not who we are as Californians. SB 1105, the Protect California Rights Act, is about drawing a clear boundary. It is about saying California’s police officers will not be used as tools to carry out racial profiling and constitutional rights violations.”
According to Pérez, the federal administration has indicated it will use federal task forces to direct local and state police to implement policies involving racial profiling and criminalization of speech. She said such efforts divert limited public safety resources from ongoing investigations. At the federal level, nearly a quarter of FBI agents have reportedly been reassigned to immigration enforcement, along with 80% of special agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The bill comes amid concerns about federal immigration enforcement practices in California. Supporters point to incidents in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents allegedly conducted “roving patrols” that stopped and detained individuals based on race. In Orange County, ICE officers reportedly fired “less-lethal” projectiles into a crowd protesting the murder of Renee Good, resulting in at least two people being shot in the head and left permanently blind.
Backers of SB 1105 also cite instances of coordination between federal and local law enforcement. In Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department was used by ICE to establish a perimeter around a factory while federal agents conducted a raid and arrested protesters, including SEIU California and SEIU-USWW President David Huerta. In Santa Ana, California Highway Patrol officers stopped a resident who was tracking Border Patrol agents, accusing her of stalking before citing her for not having a front license plate. Video from the incident showed federal agents entering a CHP parking lot, raising concerns about interagency coordination.
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), a co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation is needed to protect community trust in local police departments.
“The Protect California Rights Act clarifies that law enforcement agencies must uphold state laws during federal operations ensuring that communities can rely on their local leaders to protect them if the federal government mobilizes against them,” Salas said.
David Trujillo, executive director of ACLU California Action and a co-sponsor of SB 1105, said the measure would prevent local agencies from being compelled to assist in federal actions that undermine constitutional protections.
“It is time to close the door on the Trump administration’s use of local law enforcement to profile community members exercising their right to hold the government accountable,” Trujillo said. “Our limited resources are needed to address the real challenges facing our state, not to silence Californians and fuel a deportation force.”
SB 1105 is co-authored by Sens. Lena Gonzalez and Scott Wiener, and Assemblymembers Sade Elhawary, Mike Fong, and Mark González. The bill will begin the legislative process this spring and is scheduled to be heard in a Senate policy committee.
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