AB 26

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law, held unenforceable as preempted by federal law in the case of League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson (1997) 997 F.Supp. 1244, prohibits any city, county, or other legally authorized local governmental entity from preventing or limiting the cooperation of any law enforcement agency with federal authorities regarding persons arrested and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, as specified. This bill would prohibit public officials and agencies from adopting a policy that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws or that restricts the sharing of a person's immigration status, as specified. The bill would allow any person to bring an action against an entity to enforce these provisions. Existing law generally regulates employment, including, but not limited to, the wages, hours, and working conditions of employees. This bill would prohibit an employer from knowingly or intentionally employing an unauthorized alien, as specified. The bill would establish a process for persons to file complaints of violations of these provisions with the Attorney General or a district attorney. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to make a false and frivolous complaint alleging a violation of these provisions by an employer. The bill would provide for the investigation of these complaints and specify consequences, including the suspension of certain licenses, for employers that violate these provisions. The bill would require every employer to verify the employment eligibility of employees through the federal E-Verify program and require employers to participate in the federal E-Verify program in order to be eligible for economic development incentives, as specified. Because this bill would impose new duties on local governments and district attorneys, it would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, held unenforceable as preempted by federal law in the case of League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson (1997) 977 F.Supp. 1244, requires every law enforcement agency, with respect to any person who is arrested and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, to, among other things, attempt to verify the legal status of such person and notify the Attorney General and federal authorities of any apparent illegal status. Existing law makes it a felony, punishable in the state prison for 5 years and a fine of $25,000, for any person to use false documents to conceal his or her true citizenship or resident alien status. This bill would make it a misdemeanor for a person to be present on any public or private land while at the same time the person is in violation of specified federal immigration laws. The bill would make it a felony to be in violation of this provision if the person is in possession of specified drugs, weapons, or property, as specified. The bill would make it a felony for a person to intentionally engage in the smuggling of a human being for profit or commercial purposes, as specified, and would provide differing penalties depending on the circumstances of the offense. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for an occupant of a motor vehicle to attempt to hire persons for work if the motor vehicle blocks or impedes the normal movement of traffic. The bill would also make it a misdemeanor to enter a motor vehicle in order to be hired by an occupant if the motor vehicle blocks or impedes the normal movement of traffic. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for a person who is unlawfully present in the United States and who is an unauthorized alien, as defined, to knowingly apply for or solicit work or perform work as an employee or independent contractor. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to transport or move or attempt to transport or move an alien when the person knows, or recklessly disregards the fact, that the alien is in the United States unlawfully, as specified. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to conceal, harbor, or shield or attempt to conceal, harbor, or shield an alien from detection if the person knows, or recklessly disregards the fact, that the alien is in the United States unlawfully, as specified. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to encourage or induce an alien to come to, or reside in, this state if the person knows, or recklessly disregards the fact, that the alien would be entering or residing in this state unlawfully. The bill would make a violation of these provisions a felony if the violation involves 10 or more illegal aliens. Because this bill would create various new crimes, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require a peace officer to cause the removal and either immobilization or impoundment of a vehicle if the peace officer determines that a person is driving the vehicle while the person is engaged in certain acts involving an alien unlawfully in the United States, as specified. The bill would establish the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission Fund to be funded as specified, and administered by the Department of Justice to be used, upon appropriation, for gang and immigration enforcement and for county jail reimbursements relating to illegal immigration. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.