California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new policy that will bar illegal immigrants convicted of serious or violent felonies from receiving taxpayer-funded legal aid in immigration cases.
The change, signed into law as part of Newsom’s 2025 budget, will take effect in 2026, marking the first revision to the state’s Equal Access Fund eligibility rules since the program was created in 1999.
“No taxpayer money in this budget shall support immigration-related legal services for noncitizens convicted of serious or violent felonies,” Newsom wrote in a signed note to the state Senate on February 7.
Activists Outraged
Left-wing activists quickly condemned the move. Over 70 organizations signed letters in June demanding that Newsom reverse the change.
Doan Nguyen, of the California State Bar, warned it could have a “chilling effect” on immigrants seeking legal help.
Bruno Huizar, from the California Immigrant Policy Center, called it a rollback of so-called progress.
Lorin Klein, from the Legal Aid Association of California, said the policy “just creates fear” and could drive illegal aliens further underground.
Their comments come amid growing criticism of ICE arrests and protests in places like Los Angeles, where violent riots recently erupted in response to immigration enforcement.
Billions Spent on Illegal Immigration
In 2024 alone, California’s Equal Access Fund spent over $8 million on immigration-related legal services, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
An additional $10 million in immigration aid — not available to felons — was distributed through a separate state program under the California Department of Social Services.
But FAIR notes these programs are just a drop in the bucket. In 2023, illegal immigration cost California taxpayers over $30 billion.
