Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved $50 million in funds for legal battles and immigration services against the Trump administration Friday evening, just days after meeting with President Donald Trump about helping the state with disaster relief.
Special session discussions regarding the ‘Trump-proof’ legislation began on Jan. 9, when California lawmakers introduced a bill to have that state’s Department of Justice provide the state with $25 million to fund litigation against the Trump administration and another $25 million set aside for legal groups to defend illegal immigrants facing deportation. The signed bill, known as Senate Bill X1 2, states that it “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 violent felonies,” the bill said.
Despite state GOP lawmakers adamantly opposing the legislation, Newsom initiated the special sessions following Trump’s win in November, saying, “the freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack.”
The approval, however, comes just days after Newsom visited the White House to meet with Trump and members of Congress on Wednesday, hoping to discuss disaster relief for victims of the wildfires that swept through Los Angeles County in January.
“As we approach one month since the devastating wildfires across Southern California, we continue to cut red tape to speed up recovery and cleanup efforts as well as ensure rebuilding efforts are swift,” a statement from Newsom reads.
“We’re working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need. Thank you President Trump for coming to our communities to see this first hand, and meeting with me today to continue our joint efforts,” Newsom said.
Both Newsom and Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass were heavily criticized for their leadership during the fires by fellow lawmakers. In one instance caught on camera, an emotional mother could be seen confronting the governor, begging him to answer how he will help residents affected by the fires.
While facing backlash from locals, Newsom called out Trump during a CNN interview, where he was seen in front of a burning home saying that Trump was attempting to “politicize” the disaster. This was after the president criticized the governor’s leadership on water management policies.
Trump later visited the areas on Jan. 24, getting into a heated public discussion with Bass as he defended Pacific Palisades residents who wanted to return to their homes. During a roundtable discussion, the president also doubled down on his disapproval of the state using the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying in a previous Fox interview that the agency “complicate[s] everything.”
With Trump’s mass deportation plans underway, border czar Tom Homan, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Attorney General Pam Bondi have all warned sanctuary cities, like Los Angeles, against stopping them from following through with their plans, with Bondi already ordering the Department of Justice to pull funding from sanctuary cities.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
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