(NewsNation) — Democratic lawmakers in California authorized $50 million in state funds to beef up the state’s defenses against incoming Republican President Donald Trump’s policies.
NewsNation partner The Hill reported state Senate Budget Committee Chair Scott Wiener (D) announced Monday he’s amending legislation to provide $25 million to support legal aid services for California residents at risk of deportation.
One of Trump’s campaign promises during the 2024 election was the “mass deportation” of undocumented immigrants.
The bill came out of a special legislative session that started last month in which lawmakers attempted to “Trump-proof” the state.
Another $25 million, The Hill wrote, was set aside by Democratic state Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel for the California Department of Justice. That way, the state has the legal funds to fight back against the federal government.
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“California faces two massive challenges,” Wiener said in a statement Monday, according to The Hill. The first, he said, is the spate of wildfires currently scorching thousands of acres in the Los Angeles area.
The second challenge, Wiener said, is “an incoming federal administration that has vowed to make it harder for Los Angeles to recover, by withholding disaster relief and deporting immigrant Angelenos who have been impacted by the fires and who are actively helping their neighbors.”
NewsNation reached out to Newsom’s office and Democratic Party leaders for comment.
Republican legislators in California criticized the move by their Democratic counterparts. They argue the special session should be focused on wildfire relief.
Newsom ultimately did add a budget line item for $2.5 billion in wildlife relief, in addition to the initial $50 million.
Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher said on Facebook he’s glad to see Newsom prioritizing relief for those affected by the fires.
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“I certainly hope he doesn’t play politics with this money by tying it to his slush fund for government lawyers and left-wing groups to fight President Trump,” Gallagher wrote. “This is a time for all of us to come together and take care of our fellow Californians who have lost everything.”
On X, Wiener wrote lawmakers don’t have to choose “between helping LA recover from wildfires & protecting CA from Trump.”
“Indeed, we must do both,” he wrote.
The bill still needs to go to the Assembly before making it to the governor’s desk.
NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.
