Newsom vetoes bills to block federal immigration agents from state employment

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Set us as preferred SACRAMENTO — Days after signing a package of bills to rebuff aspects of federal immigration enforcement in California, Gov.Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills from Los Angeles lawmakers that targeted public employment for federal agents.One of the bills, backed by Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), would have blocked agents and contractors who worked to enforce federal immigration laws from state and local jobs in California, including for law enforcement agencies.

It was called the “Get the Feds Out” or “GTFO” Act.Newsom said the bill goes “a step too far.”“It is a mistake to discourage empathetic and qualified Americans from working in the federal government, or choosing to leave long-standing employment with the federal government because they find the current administration’s policies and tactics reprehensible,” the governor wrote in a veto letter to the Legislature made public on Wednesday.The governor added that hiring for public employment already includes personal conduct evaluations.

He emphasized the “horrific tactics” used by immigration agents during President Trump’s second term but said it is the responsibility of Congress to hold the administration and individual agents accountable.Newsom signed a similar bill that prevents federal agents from becoming police in California if their federal badge was revoked for misconduct.While he expressed disappointment in the veto, Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles), the author of Assembly Bill 1896, applauded Newsom for signing “a strong package of legislation that will protect Californians and stand up for our immigrant communities.”“From the beginning, the GTFO Act was about a simple principle: We should never use public dollars to reward conduct that has caused fear, terror, and pain in our communities.I am prou...