California Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Schools to Notify Parents When Immigration Enforcement Is On Campus

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Legislature on Tuesday passed a bill that would require schools to create formal plans for notifying parents and teachers when immigration enforcement agents are present on campus.

The measure would also require California State University campuses and community colleges to send alerts to students, faculty and staff when immigration enforcement is on campus, and formally requests that University of California campuses do the same. The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until Oct. 12 to sign it into law. If enacted, the legislation would remain in effect through 2031.

Democratic Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a sponsor of the bill, said lawmakers have for decades upheld a bipartisan norm keeping educational institutions free from immigration enforcement activities. "Students cannot learn unless they feel safe," he said on the Assembly floor.

The measure requires local educational agencies and school districts to develop notification plans that outline how parents and staff will be informed in the event immigration authorities are on campus. It similarly directs the California State University system and community colleges to adopt notification policies and calls on University of California campuses to issue alerts, though the UC component is framed as a request rather than a mandate.

Supporters of the bill said the requirements are intended to protect students and families from disruptions and fear associated with immigration enforcement actions at schools and campuses. The Legislature passed the bill as part of a package of measures lawmakers advanced Tuesday aimed at shielding residents from a federal immigration crackdown promoted by the Trump administration.

The bill’s passage came without publicly available roll-call details in the announcement, and state officials did not immediately provide responses from opponents. Some critics of similar measures in other states have argued that restrictions or notice requirements could impede law enforcement or complicate compliance with federal immigration authorities, but the Legislature framed this measure as focused on safety and communication.

If Gov. Newsom signs the bill, districts and campuses will need to draft and implement the required notification procedures while the law remains in effect through 2031, at which point the Legislature would need to act again to extend, revise or let the provisions expire. The proposal reflects continuing state-level efforts to define the boundaries of immigration enforcement on public education sites and to provide clearer guidance to communities about how schools should respond when federal agents appear on campus.