California’s Assembly, controlled by Democrats, approved $50 million on Monday to defend the state’s progressive policies from challenges by the Trump administration. The funding allocates $25 million for the state Department of Justice to fight federal legal battles and another $25 million for legal groups to assist immigrants at risk of deportation. The proposal passed along party lines and now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas criticized Trump’s administration as a threat to constitutional rights, while Republican leader James Gallagher dismissed the funding as a political maneuver that diverted attention from pressing state issues like wildfires and rising living costs. Newsom called the special session in November to address these issues, later expanding it to include fire-relief measures following destructive wildfires in January.
Though some Republicans viewed the funding for legal challenges as premature, given Trump’s return to office wasn’t yet certain, California had already spent significantly during Trump’s first term on legal battles. The state sued the Trump administration over 120 times, spending about $42 million on cases focused on immigration and environmental policies.
