- “The Assembly’s passage of SJR 9 sends a clear, unified message that California will not stand idly by while federal immigration raids terrorize our communities.” – Senator María Elena Durazo
By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO – The California Legislature has condemned the Trump administration’s immigration raids and use of military forces in Los Angeles, coinciding with a federal court ruling that declared the deployments unlawful under the Posse Comitatus Act.
On Tuesday, the California Assembly approved Senate Joint Resolution 9 in a 59-11 party-line vote, following a 29-6 vote in the Senate earlier this summer. The resolution, authored by Senator María Elena Durazo (D–Los Angeles), denounces what lawmakers described as “mass immigration raids” and rejects the deployment of National Guard and Marines to support federal enforcement operations.
“Today marks a pivotal moment in California’s unwavering commitment to protecting immigrant families and workers,” Durazo said. “The Assembly’s passage of SJR 9 sends a clear, unified message that California will not stand idly by while federal immigration raids terrorize our communities.”
Durazo credited Assembly Majority Whip Mark González for presenting the resolution to lawmakers. González said on the Assembly floor, “SJR 9 is our call to justice.” He continued, “This President’s racist agenda to target people who look like me cannot and will not stand. We will not remain silent while entire communities are terrorized, sealed off by armored trucks and patrolled by agents with rifles.”
Durazo said the Assembly’s action came at the same time a federal court sided against the Trump administration, striking down the use of troops in Los Angeles as illegal. “The militarization of immigration enforcement is not only morally wrong but legally unjustifiable,” she said.
The joint resolution strongly condemns the raids that began on June 6, 2025, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), supported by Customs and Border Protection agents, launched coordinated sweeps across Southern California. According to the text, more than 330 people were arrested in Los Angeles County, with dozens more taken into custody in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties.
The raids involved heavily militarized tactics, including armored vehicles, sealed-off streets, and the participation of local law enforcement and the California National Guard. The Legislature noted reports of warrantless searches and arrests conducted without due process, as well as accusations of racial profiling. The resolution states that these operations created “widespread panic, fear, and terror among immigrant workers, families, and communities.”
California is home to more than 10 million immigrants, including over 2 million undocumented residents. The resolution emphasizes that 45 percent of California children have at least one immigrant parent, and more than 50 percent of the workforce or their children are immigrants. Lawmakers cited evidence that deportations destabilize families, particularly the 3.3 million mixed-status families in the state.
The raids provoked immediate backlash. Tens of thousands of people participated in demonstrations at locations including the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles and in the City of Paramount. According to the resolution, most protests were peaceful, though federal authorities arrested SEIU California President David Huerta, claiming he obstructed enforcement activities. Union leaders and community members said Huerta was wrongfully detained while observing law enforcement.
The Legislature also condemned the administration’s refusal to allow members of Congress and attorneys to access detention facilities, including the federal “B-18” site and the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Lawmakers said this refusal violated federal oversight laws and denied due process to people taken into custody.
Despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, former President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 4,000 California National Guard members and 700 Marines to assist in raids and protests. According to the Legislature, the move was intended to “crush dissent and further intensify and militarize immigration raids and arrests.”
The resolution states that the escalation was part of a broader strategy “to provoke chaos, suppress and criminalize dissent, and terrorize immigrant communities across California and the nation.”
Durazo said the Legislature’s action reaffirmed California’s role as a bulwark against federal overreach. “I call on the Trump Administration to immediately end these destructive raids that are tearing families apart and terrorizing entire communities,” she said.
The measure also emphasizes the economic importance of immigrants to the state. According to the text, California’s immigrant population contributes $8.5 billion in state and local taxes annually, makes up nearly half of the state’s agricultural workforce, and helps fuel industries such as manufacturing, construction, and hospitality. The Legislature pointed out that immigration raids have disrupted businesses, particularly in agriculture, hotels, and restaurants, undermining the economy.
Lawmakers said California will expand legal services, strengthen emergency response resources, and uphold constitutional rights for all residents regardless of immigration status. The resolution pledges to “safeguard the rights and safety of all Californians, regardless of immigration status, by upholding the fundamental principles of equal treatment, due process, and civil liberties under the law.”
Durazo expressed gratitude to organizations including the California Immigrant Policy Center, the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-LA), and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) for helping organize more than 100 advocacy groups in support of the measure.
“California will continue to fight for the rights and dignity of all residents,” Durazo said. “We will expand legal services, strengthen emergency response resources, and ensure that every family in our state can live without fear.”
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