New California laws that help immigrant families this year

This page is a summary of new state laws and budget changes. It is general information, not legal advice. Each topic has its own DNLH page with the details, linked below.

We know the news can feel like one blow after another. Here is the other side of it: California's leaders have kept passing protections, year after year. Knowing what changed helps you use them.

When do new California laws start?

Most new laws start on January 1 of the year after the Governor signs them. That is the rule in the California Constitution for regular bills. So a bill signed in September 2026 usually starts on January 1, 2027.

There are exceptions. Urgency bills start the day they are signed. So do budget money and tax measures. Some laws also set their own later start date inside the bill. If a date matters to you, look up the bill by number on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov or ask a legal aid office.

One more thing to keep in mind: a new law is not the same as a law in force. Federal courts can block parts of a state law while a case goes on. That already happened to some 2025 laws, as you will see below.

What did California pass in 2025?

On September 20, 2025, the Governor signed a package of bills to protect immigrant families at school, at the doctor and in their neighborhoods. Others followed in October.

At school

• AB 49, the Safe Haven Schools Act. School staff may not let immigration officers into nonpublic areas of a school without a valid judicial warrant, judicial subpoena or court order. It also limits what schools may share about students and families without a judge's order.
• SB 98, the SAFE Act. K to 12 schools must have a plan to notify parents and staff when immigration enforcement is confirmed on campus. Plans were due by March 1, 2026. Colleges have their own notice rules under the same law.
• More: Can immigration agents come to my child's school?

At the doctor

• SB 81 took effect on September 20, 2025. Health providers that get public funding must mark nonpublic areas, like exam rooms. They may not let immigration agents into those areas without a valid judicial warrant or court order, unless another law requires it. The law also treats immigration status known to a provider as private medical information.
• More: Can ICE arrest me at a courthouse, hospital or church?

If a parent is detained

• AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, was signed on October 12, 2025, and took effect January 1, 2026. When a parent cannot be reached, schools and licensed child care must first follow the parent's emergency contact list. They should call child protective services only if care cannot be arranged that way. It also widened the caregiver form and created a new kind of joint guardianship.
• More: Make a family preparedness plan and How to fill out the Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit

Officers and masks

• SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act, requires most officers to show their agency and a name or badge number. A federal judge let it stand in February 2026. On October 14, 2026, the federal appeals court ordered a preliminary injunction that blocks enforcement against federal officers only; it still applies to state and local officers (Ninth Circuit opinion, No. 26-926).
• SB 627, the No Secret Police Act, limited face masks for officers. A federal judge blocked it for federal agents in February 2026.

For students and small business owners The state also signed AB 681 on October 13, 2025. It raises California DREAM Loan limits for graduate students to $20,500 a year and $118,500 in total. It signed SB 635 on October 7, 2025. It bars cities and counties from asking sidewalk vendors about immigration status, place of birth or criminal history, or requiring fingerprints, for a vending permit, and from sharing vendors' personal information without a subpoena or judicial warrant. The state also funds SEED (Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development), which pays for small grants, training and business help for immigrant entrepreneurs and people with limited English. Its latest round, SEED 3, offered up to $6,750,000; proposals closed February 26, 2026 (Employment Training Panel). Check the ETP page to see which groups were picked to offer SEED help. For permits, see Permits to sell food or goods in East Palo Alto.

What did the Governor sign in September 2026?

On September 29, 2026, the Governor signed 21 bills about immigration enforcement and detention. The state cannot change federal immigration law. These bills set rules for state property, state programs, detention centers and officers working in California. Here is what matters most for families. Most of these should start January 1, 2027.

Getting to court safely

• SB 873 protects people traveling to or from a courthouse for lawful reasons from civil arrest. Courthouses are where people go for custody, traffic, eviction and protective order cases. This bill aims to make those trips safer.

If someone in your home is detained

• AB 1655 protects CalWORKs cash aid in some cases when a child or household member is detained by federal immigration authorities. If your family gets CalWORKs and someone is detained, tell your county worker right away and ask how this applies to you.

Crime victims

• AB 1994, the Defending Immigrant Victims Act, adds protections for immigrant crime victims and others seeking help under state law. See Can I report a crime without being reported to ICE?

Holding officials accountable

• SB 747 lets people sue federal officials who violate their federal constitutional rights.
• AB 1627 bars ICE officers who committed serious misconduct on the job from becoming California peace officers or public employees.
• AB 1806 gives the state Attorney General a bigger role in immigration matters, including a plan to oversee private detention centers.

State buildings and vehicles

• AB 1807 limits use of state owned property for immigration staging, processing, detention or operations.
• AB 1650 requires rental vehicles used by law enforcement to arrest, detain or transport people to show a temporary decal naming the agency, with limited exceptions.

How force is used

• AB 2760 limits shock gloves and other wearable electroshock devices.
• SB 937 limits flash bang grenades and explosive breaching charges.
• SB 1004 is a new bill on law enforcement masks.
• AB 2318 is about law enforcement helping people get medical care.

Detention centers

• AB 1633 and SB 420 create a 25% tax on private detention centers and close a property tax break. The money goes to immigration related services.
• SB 423 opens more records about private detention centers to the public.
• SB 942, SB 957 and SB 1399 add health, safety and review rules for civil detention centers.
• AB 1801 and SB 1367 add public review and zoning steps before a new detention center can open.

Work

• AB 2495 (Stats. 2026, ch. 748) takes effect January 1, 2027. It adds Labor Code 1019(b): an employer may not use a worker's real or perceived immigration status in a way that would scare the worker out of using a right at work, even with no link to a complaint. Penalties run up to $10,000 per person for each violation. For your rights at work today, see What to do if your boss threatens to call immigration.

We read the Governor's summary of each bill. Before you rely on one for a legal case, have a lawyer read the bill itself.

What did the state budget change?

The budget brought hard news on health care. Here is what the Department of Health Care Services says today.

• Enrollment freeze. Since January 1, 2026, adults 19 and older without satisfactory immigration status cannot newly enroll in full scope Medi-Cal. Children under 19, pregnant people (and for one year after) and some former foster youth can still apply.
• If you already have full Medi-Cal, you can keep it if you renew on time. If it ends, you have three months to get it back. After that, the freeze applies to you.
• Fee for Service from January 1, 2027. Members the state lists with "unsatisfactory immigration status" (undocumented members, people with DACA and other PRUCOL statuses, and green card holders in the five year wait) move from health plans to Fee for Service. Coverage stays; bring your Medi-Cal BIC card to visits.
• Premiums from July 1, 2027. Most adults 19 to 59 in that group (21 to 59 for some statuses) will have to pay a monthly premium. The amount is not set yet. State law says it will be $30 to $50 a month per person, and the governor will set the exact amount in May 2027 (LAO, checked October 23, 2026). Adults 60 and older do not pay. More: Medi-Cal changes in 2027.
• Dental from July 1, 2027. Full dental ends for adults in that group. Emergency dental, like tooth pain, infections and pulling a tooth, stays.

These changes are hard. They are not the end of care. San Mateo County has its own low cost program for adults who do not qualify for Medi-Cal, and Santa Clara County has one too. See Medi-Cal for adults in 2026 for every date and local option.

What did not pass?

Some bills did not become law. Knowing this helps you avoid bad advice.

• AB 713 (campus jobs). This bill would have let undocumented students hold campus jobs at public colleges without federal work permits. The Governor vetoed it on September 20, 2026, and vetoed a similar bill, AB 2586, on September 22, 2024 (AB 713 bill history, AB 2586 bill history). For other ways to earn money in school, see What you can do after college without a work permit.
• AB 695 (deported students). It would have let some community college students keep in state tuition for online classes after leaving the U.S. The Governor vetoed it on October 3, 2025.

If someone tells you a law "just passed" that lets you work, get a license or fix your status, check it first. Scammers use new laws as bait. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

What do these laws not do?

Be clear eyed about the limits.

• They do not change federal immigration law. Only Congress and federal agencies do that. No state law gives anyone a green card, a work permit or protection from deportation.
• They do not stop federal agents. ICE and Border Patrol still enforce federal law in California. State laws set rules for state and local agencies, state property and the officers who work here.
• Courts can pause them. Parts of SB 627 and SB 805 were already paused for federal officers. New lawsuits are likely. Before you rely on one of these laws, ask a free legal aid group whether a court has paused it.

Your rights in an encounter with agents have not changed. See If immigration agents come.

How can I keep up with changes?

• Go to the source. Bills are on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Search by bill number, like "SB 873".
• Trust official pages over social media. The Governor, the Attorney General and the Department of Health Care Services post updates on their own sites.
• Ask a free legal aid office before you act on a new law in your own case. See Free legal help in the Bay Area.
• Speak up. New bills for next year start soon. See How to talk to your lawmakers about what your family needs.

Quick answers

Does a new California law protect me from deportation? No. State laws can protect your privacy, your safety at school or the doctor, and your access to state programs. They cannot change your immigration case. Talk to a lawyer or a DOJ accredited representative about your options.

Is there a new law that lets me work without papers? No. The campus jobs bill (AB 713) did not become law. Be careful with anyone who says otherwise.

I signed up for Medi-Cal in 2025. Will I lose it? Not if you renew on time. The freeze stops new sign ups for most undocumented adults, but current members can keep coverage. Watch your mail for renewal papers.

Can my city or county do more than the state? Yes, in many ways. See What your city and county can do to protect immigrant neighbors.

Who can help?

These are free or low cost public offices and nonprofits. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto: 650-326-6440, walk ins Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1861 Bay Road
• San Mateo County Rapid Response Hotline: (203) 666-4472, open 24 hours, for ICE contact or sightings
• San Mateo County Medi-Cal questions: 1-800-223-8383, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017

More options: Free legal help in the Bay Area.

Is there a summary I can print?

Laws change because people speak up. Every bill on this page started with a family, a teacher or a pastor who said "this is not right." You are part of that story.