California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill package Saturday, Sept. 20 including protections for the state’s undocumented student populace from President Donald Trump’s administration’s self-described “deportation operation.”
Senate Bill 98 was among the five pieces of legislation signed by the governor on Sept. 20. The bill requires state-funded schools and colleges, such as Sacramento State, to adopt a policy of informing students and staff when presence of immigration enforcement such as the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is confirmed to be on school grounds.
SB 98 comes into effect immediately as an emergency statute, unlike other bills that will take effect next year. While the effects of SB 98 are technically immediate, California schools and colleges have until no later than March 1, 2026 to adopt these policies into their comprehensive safety plans.
When the presence of ICE is confirmed on school property, both students and faculty will be notified. The bill provides a broad definition of ‘immigration enforcement’ encompassing any activity that could reasonably be taken by ICE on campus.
RELATED: What to do if ICE comes to Sac State
This action by the governor comes nine months following the Trump Administration’s rescinding of a Biden-era policy that protected certain locations – such as schools – from immigration enforcement.
“The CSU is implementing the necessary guidance and processes in order for each campus to comply with the law to support our students and campus communities,” Amy Bentley-Smith, director for Media Relations and Public Affairs for the CSU Chancellor’s Office, said in a statement to The State Hornet.
As many as 2.3 million undocumented persons live in the state of California, the largest undocumented population center in the country according to Pew Research Center. The Campaign for College Opportunity says that 87,000 undocumented are enrolled in state colleges and universities.
Estimates given last fall by Sac State’s Dreamer Resource Coordinator Kim Gomez ballpark the total number of undocumented students on campus between 500 and 600 students.
RELATED: How undocumented immigrants can receive financial assistance in California
“Public safety depends on trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve – but Trump and Miller have shattered that trust and spread fear across America,” Newsom said. “California is putting an end to it and making sure schools and hospitals remain what they should be: places of care, not chaos.”
The current chair of the California State Student Association, Aaron Villarreal, made a statement supporting SB 98, in which he stated that as many as 10,000 undocumented students are enrolled in the CSU system.
“As a current student at Sacramento State, I have witnessed classmates, colleagues and friends struggle with anxiety and the fear of immigration enforcement roaming around campus. This anxiety is not unique to Sacramento State but is shared across all 22 campuses,” Villarreal said in a press release by State Sen. Renée Pérez. “We are proud to co-sponsor this bill to ensure our schools remain safe spaces for all students, regardless of their immigration status, reaffirming that every undocumented student in California deserves to learn and succeed without fear.”
The State Hornet has reached out to Sac State administration for comment, but were directed to the statements by Bentley-Smith from the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
