Newsom Vetoes Bill on Colleges Hiring Undocumented Students

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed legislation that would’ve generally allowed students to work at public colleges and universities without federal employment authorization.

“Two years ago, I vetoed a nearly identical bill and, unfortunately, my concerns about its unintended consequences have only grown,” wrote Newsom, a Democrat, in his veto message. “The current federal government has shown it is quick to wreak destruction for political spectacle—attacking California’s public higher education institutions and terrorizing immigrant communities, including students, with reckless disregard for consequences and a desire for chaos.”

CalMatters reported earlier on the veto.

If it became law, Assembly Bill 713 would’ve required the state’s university and community college systems to treat a ban in federal law on hiring undocumented noncitizens “as inapplicable because that provision does not apply to any branch of state government.” But this didn’t persuade Newsom.

“Given the gravity of this bill’s consequences—including potential criminal and civil liability for state employees—the federal courts must resolve the legality of the novel legal theory behind this legislation before we proceed,” Newsom wrote. “Seeking declaratory relief in federal court would provide such clarity.”

The bill passed the Democratic-controlled California Legislature late last month, with final votes of 30 to 10 in the Senate and 58 to 13 in the State Assembly. Staff from the office of Democratic Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr., who introduced the bill, said in a statement that he was disappointed by the veto.

“All students deserve an equal opportunity to provide for themselves and contribute to the campus they call home,” he said. “The Legislature has sent this bill to the Governor’s desk twice and this latest was all the more urgent given the federal immigration nightmare our communities and students are facing. There is no safer place for our undocumented students to work than on campus.”