Protections extend to schools, healthcare facilities, and libraries, aiming to create safe spaces for immigrant communities and prevent targeting or discrimination.

The laws seek to prevent targeting and discrimination against immigrant students, ensuring they can learn without fear and safeguarding personal information from unauthorized access.

This legal landscape reflects ongoing political and legal battles between state and federal authorities over immigration policy and enforcement.

The U.S. legislative landscape on immigration is highly polarized, with over 100 bills passed this year, roughly evenly split between protections for and restrictions against immigrants.

California's comprehensive approach includes protecting various groups—students, patients, vendors—from immigration enforcement, emphasizing local control over immigration issues.

Several Democratic-led states, including California, Maryland, Nevada, and Rhode Island, have enacted laws to protect immigrants from federal enforcement, such as restricting access for immigration officials in public institutions and preventing inquiries into immigration status by healthcare providers and landlords.

California attempted to extend in-state tuition benefits to deported or voluntarily departed students, but Governor Newsom vetoed the measure over constitutional concerns, while other Democratic states have proposed expanding such benefits, though not all have been enacted.

In contrast, Republican-led states like Texas, Florida, and Arkansas have increased cooperation with ICE through federal agreements, expanding participation in the 287(g) program from 135 agreements in 21 states before Trump to over 1,000 in 40 states now.

These laws are part of a broader effort to shield students and healthcare patients from immigration enforcement actions, especially in response to policies from the Trump administration.

The legislative efforts underscore the deep divide between states on immigration enforcement, highlighting the challenge of balancing legal compliance with protecting immigrant communities.

Other Democratic states like New Mexico have proposed expanding in-state tuition benefits for immigrants, but such measures have not always been signed into law, reflecting ongoing policy debates.

California's stance as a Democratic-led state resisting federal immigration policies highlights its emphasis on local control and immigrant rights.