Hi John,
This year was a critical year for enacting statewide policies that uplift and protect all Californians, regardless of their immigration status. The attacks on immigrant communities from the federal Administration this year, from rhetoric to policy, made our advocacy efforts all the more vital.
In 2025, Immigrants Rising proudly co-sponsored AB 667 (Solache), AB 713 (Solache), and the budget request for SEED 3.0. We also supported several other key bills like SB 635 (Durazo), AB 49 (Muatsuchi), SB 98 (Pérez), AB 681 (Elhawary), AB 1098 (Fong), SB 638 (Padilla), SB 323 (Pérez), and AB 695 (Fong) that protect and expand opportunities for immigrants to pursue their dreams through economic mobility and higher education. To the Economic Mobility for All Coalition, our many partners, allies, community members, and storytellers who testified and advocated alongside us in these efforts, thank you. Let’s continue to uplift the needs and lived experiences of immigrants across the state to ensure their full inclusion in our education and economic systems.
We invite you to continue reading for a more detailed summary of our 2025 state legislative and budget engagement efforts and to learn how you can join us in 2026 on our mission to ensure opportunity for undocumented immigrants.
|
|
Economic Mobility:
- The 2025 State Budget Act includes $7.5 million for a third round of the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Program! This is a critical budget win toward a program that supports individuals with limited English proficiency and immigrant social entrepreneurs in launching businesses that address social challenges or community needs.
- AB 667 (Solache) - a bill that expands language access in professional licensing exams, was passed by the Assembly and Senate committees with strong support. It was made into a two-year bill and may be acted upon in 2026.
- SB 635 (Durazo), which limits federal immigration agencies’ access to personal information collected during the street vendor permit process, was signed into law.
|
|
Higher Education:
- AB 713 (Solache), a bill ensuring undocumented students have equal access to campus employment opportunities in California public colleges and universities, was made into a two-year bill that may be acted upon in 2026.
- AB 49 (Muratsuchi), which aims to protect students by prohibiting immigration enforcement officers from entering California school campuses without proper identification and a valid judicial warrant or court order, was signed into law.
- SB 98 (Pérez), which requires K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to notify students and campus staff of immigration enforcement authorities’ presence on campus, was signed into law.
- AB 681 (Elhawary), which increases the amount graduate students can borrow through the California DREAM Loan Program, was signed into law.
- AB 1098 (Fong), which establishes the California Education Interagency Council as a statewide coordinating entity to create a streamlined education-to-workforce pipeline for Californians, was signed into law.
- SB 638 (Padilla), which outlines the new California Education Interagency Council’s (established by AB 1098) responsibilities, including developing recommendations that reduce barriers to accessing career technical education, college and career pathways, and workforce development opportunities for underserved populations, was signed into law.
- SB 323 (Pérez) was made into a two-year bill to continue its progress in 2026. This bill aims to permanently make the California Dream Act Application an alternative pathway to state and institutional financial aid for students who encounter technical issues or privacy concerns with the FAFSA.
- AB 695 (Fong) was vetoed by the Governor. This bill would have allowed California community college students with AB 540 status to continue being exempt from nonresident tuition if they enrolled in a community college online education program within three years of leaving the U.S., either voluntarily or involuntarily due to immigration enforcement actions.
|
|
Looking Ahead:
It is undeniable that this year was difficult for California and all immigrant communities. That is why celebrating successful enactment of new laws and budget investments like many of the ones listed above is so important. California is leading the way in keeping our promise to be a place of social and economic opportunity. Immigrants Rising will not be deterred from advocating for policies that empower undocumented people to achieve their educational and career goals. We look forward to working with impacted community members, partners, and policymakers to make sure that this year’s enacted policies and budget investments are equitably implemented, as well as advance the remaining policy priorities that have an opportunity to be acted upon in 2026.
We invite you to join us in our advocacy efforts by engaging in the following opportunities:
|
|
|
|
|
