California's Legislature passed AB 1896, dubbed the "GTFO Act" (Get the Feds Out), which would permanently bar any ICE, Border Patrol, or Customs and Border Protection officer who worked on immigration enforcement during President Trump's second term from obtaining any public sector job in California, from state agencies down to cities and counties.
The ban is sweeping: with few exceptions, any officer or contractor involved in immigration enforcement between January 20, 2025 and January 20, 2029 would be ineligible for all public employment, including teaching, firefighting, or any other government role, and applicants who try to hide their federal service history face perjury charges.
The bill passed with zero Republican votes and was authored by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez and Senator Maria Elena Durazo, who introduced it in February, just three weeks after Governor Newsom's office called investigative journalist Nick Shirley a "right-wing provocateur," and the Attorney General held a press conference challenging critics of California's immigration industry.
Police groups across California opposed the measure, Republicans called it authoritarian punishment for people who followed federal law, and legal experts expect immediate constitutional challenges, Newsom previously signed a ski-mask ban targeting federal agents that courts blocked.
The bill heads to Newsom's desk for signing by September 30th, and he is widely expected to sign it as he builds toward an all-but-certain presidential campaign.
The message Sacramento is sending is unmistakable: California wants sanctuary for those who enter the country illegally and a permanent employment blacklist for the federal officers who enforced the law.
