• Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) reiterated her stance backing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Dec. 29. “More than 13,000 Dreamers have lost their DACA status since September and are now vulnerable to deportation,” she wrote on her social media accounts. “Congress must prioritize the Dream Act in January.” In September 2017, President Donald Trump announced he would end the program. Nationally, nearly 800,000 migrants are recipients of DACA while California has 379,000 residents eligible for DACA, according to the Migration Policy Institute. On Jan. 2, the president took to Twitter to accuse his political opponents of doing nothing to help save the program. “Democrats are doing nothing for DACA—just interested in politics,” he wrote. “DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start ‘falling in love’ with Republicans, and their president! We are about results.” On Dec. 20, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) gave remarks on the House floor in Washington calling for immediate action in protecting Dreamers. “Over 10,000 have lost status since the president’s announcement, well over 10,000,” she said. “So we can’t wait till March to do this, because it had consequences known to us but unforeseen by the White House and by the president.” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) joined Harris on Dec. 29 calling for action for DACA recipients. “One-hundred and twenty two Dreamers lose their protection from deportation every day,” she wrote. “Passing the Dream Act must be a top priority when Congress returns next week. These young people should not live in fear.”
• Of the 900 bills passed by state lawmakers and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017, a vast majority took effect on Jan. 1 of this year. One of the laws going into effect makes California a sanctuary state, which means police can no longer ask people about their immigration status or participate in federal enforcement actions. Another law that went into effect to start the new year prohibits immigration officials from accessing workplace or employee records. Likewise, landlords are now barred from disclosing tenants’ citizenship while university officials are also banned from cooperating with immigration officers. An additional bill will now bar law enforcement officials from detaining a crime victim or witness suspected of an immigration violation or from turning them over to immigration authorities without a warrant. Other laws of note that took effect Jan. 1 include the legalized sale of adult-use recreational marijuana, a state minimum wage increase, and a ban on employers from asking prospective employees what their past salaries were. On the criminal justice side, repeat drug offenders will no longer automatically have three additional years added to their sentences. Four bills penned by State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) took effect as well on Jan. 1. The New Parent Leave Act will provide 12 weeks of job-protected maternity and paternity leave for California parents who work for companies with 20 to 49 employees. The Coastal Oil Well Clean Up and Remediation Act directs the California State Lands Commission to monitor and plug “orphaned” oil wells in state waters when the company that operated the well no longer exists. Campus Domestic Violence Counselor Confidentiality guarantees confidentiality in communication between domestic violence victims and their campus counselors. Jackson’s Senate Bill 36 enacts reforms to the State Bar of California, including seperating speciality law groups to form their own nonprofit corporations, and the bar’s board members will now be appointed by the State Supreme Court.
This article appears in Jan 4-11, 2018.
