State Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes (D–Colton) on January 6 introduced legislation that aims to prevent federal immigration agents from engaging in enforcement activity at in or around courthouses in California.
The intent of Senate Bill 873, Gómez Reyes said, was to prevent federal agents from disrupting court hearings and discouraging individuals from making regularly scheduled court appearances through what she termed “unannounced and indiscriminate arrests.” She said that after SB 873 undergoes adjustments during the legislative process and is passed into law and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, it “will provide legal assurances that Californians are safe from immigration agents in and around the grounds of a courthouse. The issue is clear cut. One of the core responsibilities of government is to protect people – not to inflict terror on them. California is not going to let the federal government make political targets out of people trying to be good stewards of the law. Discouraging people from coming to court makes our community less safe. I look forward to the robust discussions that will come from this measure, and ultimately, toward providing relief to impacted communities across the state.”
Senate Bill 873 seeks to stop agents with the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from disrupting court appearances and deterring community members from participating in legal proceedings, which supporters argue makes communities less safe.
According to Gómez Reyes’ office, SB 873 is “a response to aggressive federal immigration tactics that have used courthouses as sites for arrests, creating fear. If passed, the law will prohibit unannounced and indiscriminate immigration arrests at courthouses and on their grounds and ensure courthouses remain safe spaces for all participants and to build trust in the legal system.”
Among the bill’s supporters are the California Public Defenders Association. “Using courthouses as arrest sites turns access to justice into a trap,” said Kate Chatfield, Executive Director of the California Public Defenders Association. “It drives people away from courts, harms public safety, and erodes trust in the rule of law. This past year, we have seen people terrorized in and around courthouses by ICE arrests. We are pleased that Senator Reyes is championing legislation to protect California’s residents and California’s justice system.”