By Angelica C. Gualpa
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-(D-Altadena, Arcadia, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Upland) and Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez (D-Burbank, Glendale, La Crescenta) are pushing legislation in their respective chambers to strengthen immigrant parents’ rights as they send their kids back to school this week in the face of continued immigration enforcement raids.
The lawmakers’ proposed legislation comes after the federal government’s renewed immigration raids appear to be in clear violation of a federal court ruling, which was upheld last week by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
“As the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I am committed to using my legislative authority to create greater protections for families sending their students back to school. I understand the deep fear families are feeling. For that reason, I have introduced SB 98, the SAFE Act, to alert school communities if immigration enforcement authorities show up on campus,” said Pérez.
“I am also authoring SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act, which will expand the scope of existing police impersonation laws by making it illegal to impersonate peace officers, including federal agents, and require all law enforcement operating in California to clearly display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number or both,” she added.
The measure also authorizes law enforcement to request identification from anyone claiming to be law enforcement, and bans bounty hunters from engaging in any form of immigration enforcement in California.
In the lower chamber, Rodriguez is working with trusted legal attorneys and children’s advocates on the Family Preparedness Plan Act (AB 495) to help families facing family separation make caregiving arrangements.
“The cruel and unlawful federal immigration enforcement actions are spreading fear through many communities like mine. Californians are scared to go to work, send their kids to school or make their medical appointments,” said Rodriguez.
The Family Preparedness Plan Act educates childcare providers to prepare for ice raids and strengthens legal tools for families to make caregiving arrangements and remain unified after separation due to detention, deportation, or hospitalization.
Under the measure, the Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit will now recognize trusted adults and extended family members, such as godparents, whom parents select to care for their children if they are unable to.
“Let me be clear, a caregiver’s authorization affidavit does not grant any level of legal custody, does not bypass child welfare protections, does not prevent authorities from investigating abuse or trafficking concerns, and does not supersede any parents’ rights. Any claim that the bill legalizes human trafficking and kidnapping is not only false, but harmful fearmongering that distracts from the actual goal of protecting vulnerable children in times of crisis,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez is partnering on writing the legislation with Sharon Cartagena, Directing Attorney, Child Youth & Family Advocacy, Public Counsel, the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA).
