California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday rejected a blueprint to provide unemployment benefits to undocumented immigrants, vetoing a politically sensitive measure used by conservatives weeks before the presidential election.
It was the third bill aimed at supporting non-citizens that Newsom has vetoed in as many weeks, as immigration remains a top election issue. The latest veto comes as the Democratic governor continues to campaign for fellow California Vice President Kamala Harris, who is facing attacks from former President Donald Trump on progressive policies in her home state.
In his veto message, Newsom argued that the bill “sets impractical timelines, has operational problems and requires funding that was not included in the budget.” Turning to the federal level, the governor stated that Congress “must not abdicate its responsibility to advance solutions that provide an earned path to citizenship for long-standing residents who have made significant contributions and seek the opportunity to work and live without constant fear and uncertainty.”
“California has taken important steps to advance the inclusivity and equality of undocumented workers and mixed-status families, who contribute significantly to California’s economy and local communities – all while bottling fear and uncertainty resulting from decades years of congressional inaction and cruel and false anti-immigration narratives. ,” Newsom wrote.
Newsom added that “we can have a fair immigration system that works for families, American workers and employers, and also have a secure border.”
Two weeks ago, Newsom cited funding issues when he rejected a proposal that would have made some undocumented immigrants eligible for state-sponsored home loans. He also rejected a bill that would require public universities to hire undocumented students without work permits, warning of legal risks.
The unemployment benefits measure would not have automatically put undocumented immigrants into unemployment. Instead, the state Department of Workforce Development would have had to create a plan for a permanent program that would provide cash assistance to those workers who are barred from receiving unemployment insurance under state law.
Newsom vetoed a similar bill in 2022 that would have created a pilot program, also citing funding. His finance department had opposed an earlier version of this year’s measure.
A coalition of more than 120 immigrant and worker rights organizations had pushed for the program to be implemented in an original version of the measure, but the proposal was reduced to a study bill after funding was not included in the budget for the second year in a row .
Under the original version of the bill, the state’s estimated 1.1 million undocumented workers would be eligible for $300 per week in cash payments for the periods they were unemployed through 2025, provided they meet certain qualification requirements to fulfil.
Research from UC Merced’s Community and Labor Center has found that undocumented workers contribute billions of dollars in state and tax revenues annually. Advocates argue it is unfair that they are not receiving benefits from the crucial safety net they invest in.
California has helped undocumented immigrants who found themselves out of work in the past, but only during emergencies — the state provided Covid-19 relief in 2020 and assistance to undocumented families affected by winter storms in 2022 and 2023.
