California to Give Illegal Immigrants Jobs in State Government

Democrats in the California State Legislature are proposing to pass the so-called “Opportunity for All Act” (CA Assembly Bill 2586) that will direct the University of California system - which is the largest agency of the state government - to begin hiring illegal immigrants for taxpayer-funded state jobs. 

Assembly Bill 2586 provides state government jobs at taxpayers’ expense for illegal immigrants. Specifically, it mandates that illegal immigrants with no U.S. work authorization should be given access to apply for and take jobs provided through taxpayer-funded universities run by the state government. 

California Democrats have fast-tracked passage of AB 2586. It passed the Assembly by a 59-4 vote and now heads to the State Senate.

Carl DeMaio, chairman of Reform California and a candidate for State Assembly, criticized the bill for incentivizing illegal immigration.

“By passing a law to mandate that illegal immigrants be hired for taxpayer-funded jobs in state government, California Democrats are not only making our border crisis worse, they are openly violating federal employment laws that prohibit the hiring of illegal immigrants!" said DeMaio.

"This outrageous proposal should be rejected immediately! Not only is it offensive to force taxpayers to fund government jobs for illegal immigrants, it opens these illegal immigrants - and state government managers who hire them - to the risk of federal prosecution for violating federal employment laws,” he continued.

Last year, the UC Board of Regents considered implementing this proposal on its own, but rejected it after state government lawyers warned the proposal would violate federal law and open both illegal immigrants and managers who hire them to federal prosecution.

Given the serious legal risk created by the proposed law, the University of California has come out in opposition to AB 2586. The UC attorneys say the bill “does not protect our undocumented students or employees from prosecution” or protect the universities from federal consequences.

DeMaio says he is running for State Assembly to help fight bad bills like AB 2586 and work to secure the border. His plan includes a proposal he calls the "California Secure Borders Initiative," which would do the following:

• Deploy the CA state guard to the border
• Repeal the Sanctuary State Law
• Immediately revoke recently-approved state and local funding for several state welfare programs for illegal immigrants – including taxpayer-funded health insurance and legal defense programs.
  

DeMaio’s proposal targets new discretionary welfare programs that California Democrats have created in the last 10 years at a cost of billions to California taxpayers – such as free taxpayer-funded health insurance programs that went into effect January 1, 2024 and a program to give free lawyers to illegal immigrants fighting deportation. DeMaio also is calling for San Diego County to suspend a “welfare navigator program” for illegal immigrants it recently created at a cost of $6 million in local taxpayer funds.

“By funding overly-generous welfare programs for illegal immigrants and opening state government jobs, California Democrats are helping human traffickers and cartels exploit migrants by providing an enticing reward that incentivizes more illegal immigration,” DeMaio noted.

“We need to stop helping human traffickers by giving these goodies away,” DeMaio concluded.

DeMaio says he looks forward to championing his California Secure Border Initiative in the Assembly and fighting to defeat bills like AB 2586. You can support DeMaio's campaign today by volunteering or contributing to the fight below.