California Democrats have reached a $50 million agreement to shore up state and local legal defenses against the incoming Trump administration just a week ahead of the president-elect’s inauguration. Half the money would go to fending off any mass deportation plan the new president might enact early in his administration.
The move — the first of its kind in the nation that positions California to lead a second term resistance against Donald Trump — comes as Republicans bash state Democratic leaders for focusing on a the highly partisan issue even as the southern part of the state suffers from historically devastating fires.
The deal includes $25 million Newsom had proposed for the state Department of Justice to fight the federal government in court shortly after Trump’s reelection in November — plus $25 million more proposed by state Senate leaders to defend immigrants against deportation, detention and wage theft. The $25 million proposed by the Senate would fund grants for legal nonprofits and immigration support centers.