Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Sunday that would have directed the University of California, California State University and state community colleges to hire undocumented students for campus jobs — his second veto of legislation aimed at expanding aid to those who are not living in California legally.
The action crushed the hopes of tens of thousands of students who were brought illegally to the United States as children and have not been able to obtain work permits to help finance their educations or qualify for research and teaching jobs critical to their academic programs. An estimated 55,000 undocumented students in those straits attend California public colleges and universities; the state is home to a fifth of the nation’s undocumented college students.
Despite California’s “proud history” of expanding educational opportunities for undocumented students, Newsom said he was vetoing Assembly Bill 2586 because of legal risks to state employees who could be deemed in violation of federal laws against hiring undocumented people.
The Sunday veto avoids legal and political risks as it crushes the hopes of immigrant rights activists who have suffered a string of defeats this year.
The Democratic governor in his veto message said immigrant students’ access to higher education opportunities is “important for local communities and California’s economy,” but he warned of legal risks.
“Given the gravity of the potential consequences of this bill, which include potential criminal and civil liability for state employees, it is critical that the courts address the legality of such a policy and the novel legal theory behind this legislation before proceeding,” Newsom wrote in his veto message.
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