Newsom signed a large package of bills aimed at immigration enforcement in California, including a ban on shock gloves, a 25% tax on private detention centers, and a new way for Californians to sue federal agents.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed 21 bills into law Tuesday targeting various aspects of immigration enforcement in California, including detention-center conditions, the use of certain equipment by law enforcement, development of new detention facilities, and the ability to hold federal agents accountable for alleged civil rights violations, as the Chronicle reports.
“Trump has put his political interests above the health, safety and livelihood of American families,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is taking action to strengthen transparency, accountability, and oversight around immigration enforcement in our state. This is about stepping up where the federal government has failed our communities.”
Among the measures is a 25% tax on the gross receipts of private companies operating immigration detention centers in California. According to Politico, the tax was created through AB 1633, with the money going toward immigration-related services. It’s expected to generate an estimated $177 million per year.
Another new law, AB 2760, bans all law enforcement officers in California from using electric shock gloves, including federal immigration agents. It reportedly takes effect next year and will remain in place through 2030. The law also requires the California Department of Justice to study the safety of shock devices and report its findings by 2029.
The Chronicle reports that other bills signed Tuesday restrict the use of masks (again) and flash-bang grenades by law enforcement, require greater disclosure of 911 calls and emergency records from privately operated immigration detention facilities, and establish minimum standards for people held in civil detention, including requirements involving medical care, food, water, sanitation, privacy, and access to legal counsel. Another measure requires public hearings and a 180-day waiting period before local governments can approve new immigration detention facilities.
The legislation also includes Senator Scott Wiener’s SB 747, known as the “No Kings Act,” which took effect immediately when Newsom signed it. The law reportedly enables Californians to sue federal agents for alleged violations of their constitutional rights, including excessive force, unlawful searches, and discrimination based on race, national origin, or political identity.
“ICE and Border Patrol have terrorized California communities with impunity,” said Wiener in a statement. “That ends today.”
Within hours of the signing, three California residents amended existing lawsuits against federal immigration agents to bring claims under the new law, as the Chronicle separately reported. Cary Lopez, who was nine months pregnant when ICE agents detained her in Hawthorne in June 2025, alleges that agents pinned her abdomen against a truck and held her in chains for about eight hours.
The other two plaintiffs, Javier Ramirez and Angel Piña, also allege that ICE agents used excessive force during their arrests.
The new laws will likely face legal challenges from the federal government, particularly because of the legal principle that federal law generally takes precedence over state law when agents are in the act of carrying out their duties. The Ninth Circuit previously affirmed this in striking down California's law banning ICE agents from wearing masks.
Related: That California Ban on Masked ICE Agents Just Got Struck Down
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