California Attorney General Xavier Becerra - Press Releases

Attorney General Bonta, County of Santa Clara Secure Early Win in Lawsuit to Block Illegal Construction of ICE Facility Near Gilroy

Office of the Attorney General — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 16:54:47 +0000

September 12, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the County of Santa Clara late yesterday secured a preliminary injunction blocking the illegal construction of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County near Gilroy, California. In June 2026, Attorney General Bonta and the County of Santa Clara filed a lawsuit challenging the construction of this facility, which the federal government pursued without required environmental review or consultation with state and local governments. ICE subsequently agreed to pause construction until September 9, 2026. Yesterday’s order by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California continues to halt construction and asks the parties to meet and confer and submit a proposed order by September 30, 2026 on the scope of the injunction.

"No one is above the law — not even the federal government," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "The Trump Administration tried to rush construction of this facility in secret, ignoring environmental safeguards and shutting out the communities that would bear the consequences. This ruling sends a clear message: California will hold the federal government accountable and protect our communities, our environment, and the rule of law.”

“We’re hopeful the court’s ruling sends a clear message that this is the wrong process and the wrong place for this facility,” said County Counsel Tony LoPresti. “The federal government’s legal violations concealed fundamental flaws with this project — you can’t plop a facility like this onto sensitive land that lacks basic infrastructure to support the detention of individuals. We’re proud to stand with Attorney General Bonta in fighting this battle, and we’re honored to support an immigrant community that has been under constant assault by an Administration that is all too willing to proceed without regard for the law.”

BACKGROUND

In January 2025, the federal government leased a 24.5-acre parcel of unincorporated land near Gilroy, California from a private developer for use by ICE as a likely Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) holding facility. From there, the federal government moved to build out the site rapidly and without transparency — bypassing required environmental review and failing to consult with state or local governments at any point. The construction of the facility threatens to cause the release of hazardous materials and disrupt the ecosystem, habitat, and agricultural value of land that the county and the state have protected for exclusively agricultural uses since the 1960s. The project is also likely to have severe impacts on vital infrastructure, overwhelming a septic system designed for much smaller use.

Attorney General Bonta and the County of Santa Clara filed a lawsuit and a motion for a preliminary injunction in June 2026, arguing that the development of this facility violates the National Environmental Policy Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and California’s Williamson Act. Yesterday’s decision on the motion for a preliminary injunction finds Attorney General Bonta and the County of Santa Clara are likely to succeed in the litigation and halts construction of the facility pending further instruction by the court.

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Federal Accountability

Federal Accountability:

Immigration

Attorney General Bonta Secures Settlement to Protect AmeriCorps

Office of the Attorney General — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 22:39:53 +0000

September 10, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

Settlement ensures funding will flow without interruption for FY26-27

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, co-leading a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two governors, announced a settlement that stops the Trump Administration from again attempting to dismantle AmeriCorps without warning. AmeriCorps is an independent federal agency tasked with engaging Americans in meaningful community-based service that directly addresses the country’s educational, public safety, and environmental needs. Organizations rely on support from AmeriCorps to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide. The settlement resolves a multistate lawsuit brought in response to the Trump Administration’s repeated attempts to gut AmeriCorps. Previously, as a result of the lawsuit, the Trump Administration was forced to reinstate nearly $400 million in terminated AmeriCorps programs and agreed to release over $184 million in funds to service programs in California and across the country. This settlement ensures these protections continue through Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-2027.

“AmeriCorps volunteers represent the best of who we are as a country,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s settlement ensures AmeriCorps volunteers and the communities they serve have certainty that these vital volunteer programs will continue without disruption in the upcoming service year, extending the relief we previously secured in court. I’m proud to have worked with states across the nation in protecting this vital service program.”

As part of the settlement, the Trump Administration commits to obligate all FY 2026-2027 congressionally allocated AmeriCorps funds by September 30, 2026. The Trump Administration further stipulates that AmeriCorps has no intention of engaging in mass layoffs or program terminations for FY 2026-2027, and is required to notify the coalition with at least 30 days’ notice if it intends to undertake any mass terminations of AmeriCorps staff or volunteer programs to give the coalition the opportunity to challenge any such actions.

The settlement pauses the litigation through February 1, 2027, at which point the coalition will voluntarily dismiss the case without prejudice, provided AmeriCorps has complied with its commitments. Should the coalition determine that AmeriCorps has not complied, it may move the court to lift the stay and resume litigation. The coalition also retains the right to challenge other unlawful conduct by AmeriCorps, whether through an amended complaint during the stay or a new action during or after the stay.

Attorney General Bonta and the coalition filed its lawsuit in April 2025, after the Trump Administration moved to eliminate nearly 90% of AmeriCorps’ workforce, cancel its contracts, and close $400 million worth of AmeriCorps-supported programs. In June 2025, a federal court granted the coalition’s motion for a preliminary injunction requiring the administration to reinstate programs that had been unlawfully canceled. Then in August 2025, following a further motion for a preliminary injunction by the coalition, the federal Office of Management and Budget agreed to release more than $184 million in AmeriCorps funding it had withheld.

Attorney General Bonta is joined by the attorneys general of Maryland, Colorado, Delaware, Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, in filing the settlement.

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Federal Funding

Attorney General Bonta Secures Another Win as First Circuit Rejects Trump Administration’s Latest Attempt to Disrupt Mail Voting

Office of the Attorney General — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 17:23:32 +0000

September 10, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — Co-leading a coalition of 24 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania, California Attorney General Rob Bonta today secured another victory for voters after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the Trump Administration’s request to stay, or pause, a recent federal court order blocking drastic, unprecedented, and unlawful changes to mail voting adopted by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The changes, which were mandated by President Trump’s second elections-related Executive Order, would require state and local election officials to redesign and reprint ballot envelopes, enroll millions of voters in a new and untested USPS system, and meet burdensome requirements that would allow USPS to refuse to deliver mail ballots that do not comply. Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted the coalition’s request for a preliminary injunction, after previously granting a temporary restraining order. The preliminary injunction blocks the USPS changes through the fast-approaching November midterm elections. The Trump Administration appealed the decision and asked the First Circuit to let the changes take effect. Today, the First Circuit denied that request.

“The First Circuit has once again rejected the Trump Administration’s latest attempt to disrupt mail voting,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The changes at issue could disenfranchise millions of voters, especially given how little time there is to implement them. As a reminder, President Trump has repeatedly voted by mail himself — he doesn’t get to decide that mail voting is good enough for him, but not for other Americans.”

“The rule of law continues to slap down Trump’s dangerous and un-American attacks on our democracy,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “California will never stop fighting for democracy and people’s ability to exercise their constitutional right to vote.”

“This decision was the right one. Attacks on mail voting have the potential to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, violate citizens’ constitutional right to vote, and undercut our democracy,” said Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. “California and its leaders will continue to protect voters' rights and their ability to participate in free and fair elections.”

The First Circuit’s decision comes as serious concerns grow about USPS’s ability to implement the changes on a short timeline. A recent whistleblower report warned of “potentially catastrophic problems” and characterized the Trump Administration’s efforts as “sloppy and rushed.” In response, the coalition filed the whistleblower report with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and cited it in its opposition brief to the government’s request to stay the case before the First Circuit. In a recent court filing, USPS also admitted that the technology to implement the rule is not even available. In addition, election officials across the nation, including chief election officials from states that are not part of the coalition, such as Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah, have argued that the USPS rule cannot be responsibly implemented for the November midterm elections.

The coalition’s legal challenge to the USPS changes began on August 26, with the filing of a lawsuit co-led by Attorney General Bonta, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. They were joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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Special Agents

Attorney General Bonta Opposes Trump Administration Interference on Climate Assessment, Supports Scientists

Office of the Attorney General — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:54:41 +0000

September 10, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s (USGCRP) proposal to amend the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). The NCA is a scientific document that provides an overview of the most current climate science and explores adaptation and mitigation strategies across a wide range of topics. USGCRP's flawed proposal seeks to retroactively modify the 2023 NCA5 to limit the interpretation and use by federal agencies of findings in the NCA5 that are based on certain worst-case, high emissions scenarios. If implemented, this proposal would put politics over peer-reviewed scientific findings to further the Trump Administration’s abandonment of the fight to protect the American public from the worst climate impacts. The comment letter explains that these changes are arbitrary and capricious and are therefore unlawful if ultimately adopted and relied on by federal agencies.

“The science doesn’t lie. Climate change is harming public health and causing devastating and ever-worsening disasters,” said Attorney General Bonta. “To restrict federal agencies from acknowledging or planning for these impacts is playing politics with people’s lives, and that’s exactly what President Trump is doing. This proposal will restrict federal agencies from relying on the NCA5’s worst-case projections, while at the same time the Trump Administration is doing everything it can to make those projections a reality. I will continue to support rigorous scientific findings backed by a peer review process, not wishful thinking or outright denialism, and I encourage the USGCRP to do the same by rescinding their proposal.”

Federal law requires the USGCRP to prepare a National Climate Assessment (NCA) every four years. The most recent NCA, NCA5, was released in November 2023, under the Biden Administration. The Trump Administration has previously taken various steps to undermine NCA5, including canceling key contracts, dismissing scientists, gutting the USGCRP, and removing the NCAs from federal websites. This latest proposal continues to undermine NCA5 by attempting to downplay the gravity of climate change.

On August 25, 2026, the USGCRP published a notice of its proposal to amend the NCA5 to limit federal agencies’ ability to utilize certain NCA5 results that depend on scenarios that outline a future where annual greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and a transition to renewables and other climate-mitigating policies does not occur. Along with representing a politically motivated attack on climate science, the proposed amendment also fails basic federal information quality requirements that apply NCAs. It fails to identify who prepared and reviewed it and has characteristics of a document developed using artificial intelligence, raising serious concerns about its reliability. It does not appear to have undergone peer review or to have been prepared with the involvement of the National Academies of Science. Engineering, and Medicine. The proposed amendment also improperly constrains public review and input, imposes a word limit on comments, provides a mere 15-day comment period on amendments to the 2,000 page NCA5, and asserts that comments will not receive a response. In sum, this proposed amendment is not a serious attempt to reflect changes in scientific understanding, but rather a rushed and politically motivated attempt to downplay the threat represented by climate change and hinder federal planning to address it.

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Environment

Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuits Challenging Trump Administration’s Attempt to Weaken Endangered Species Act Protections

Office of the Attorney General — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:23:25 +0000

September 9, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing two lawsuits against the Trump Administration, one against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and one against the FWS and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively, the Services) over recent revisions to key regulations implementing the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The rules significantly weaken safeguards for our nation’s most vulnerable species by drastically reducing protections for listed fish and wildlife species’ habitat; establishing an unlawful process for excluding areas from critical habitat designations; and curtailing the ESA’s protections for newly listed threatened fish, wildlife, and plant species. Two of these regulatory rollbacks would reinstate the same unlawful ESA regulations adopted under the first Trump Administration, which were challenged in court before being reversed by the Biden Administration. In today’s lawsuits, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the rules violate the ESA, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

“Caring for our wildlife and our environment is part of caring for our future, yet President Trump seems to care only for himself and his industry friends. The Trump Administration has continuously sought to put our ecosystems in danger, which is why we continue to take them to court,” said Attorney General Bonta. “For over half a century, the ESA has stood as a bipartisan example of what it means to protect an irreplaceable part of our planet, but these new rules attempt to destroy longstanding and integral regulatory protections and open the door to further species decline and possible extinctions. Today, we are taking action to protect our environment and all those with whom we share the planet.”

BACKGROUND

The ESA is one of the nation’s landmark environmental protection statutes and is vitally important for protecting hundreds of critically imperiled species and their habitats. For over 50 years, the ESA has protected thousands of iconic and threatened species, including the bald eagle, grizzly bear, and humpback whale. It is also responsible for many success stories within California, most notably the survival and recovery of the California condor and brown pelican. Enacted under the Nixon Administration in 1973, the ESA is intended — as the Supreme Court has described it — “to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.” The Trump Administration’s new rules would dramatically weaken current ESA protections and significantly reduce federal ESA enforcement, putting these imperiled species and their habitats at risk of extinction.

As a result of the three rules, known as the Harm Rule, the Habitat Exclusion Rule, and the 4(d) Rule, the Trump Administration has seriously undermined various protections for endangered and threatened species. Specifically, the Harm Rule alters the definition of the “harm” that the ESA prohibits, drastically weakening the ESA’s ability to protect against destruction of listed species’ breeding and feeding grounds, pollution or draining of critical water sources, or degradation of habitats, even if those actions lead to the death or injury of these species. The Habitat Exclusion Rule allows — and in some cases requires — the FWS to exclude areas from critical habitat designations based on third party costs and regulatory burdens and other non-biological considerations, thus limiting the FWS’s ability to protect and recover imperiled species by reducing the extent of critical habitat that is protected. The 4(d) Rule repeals longstanding automatic regulatory protections for newly listed threatened species, instead relying on the FWS to adopt species-specific regulations with no requirement or timeframe for doing so, leaving threatened species vulnerable to further declines. The 4(d) Rule also requires FWS to consider economic impacts prior to promulgating such species-specific rules.

In today's lawsuits, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the multistate coalition argues that the court should vacate and set aside the Trump Administration’s rules, which significantly weaken protections for our nation’s most imperiled species, because they:

Are contrary to law under the APA and ESA, as the rules ignore the plain language, purposes, structure, and legislative history of the ESA; numerous binding judicial precedents interpreting the ESA; and the law’s overall precautionary approach to protecting imperiled species and habitats.
Are arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion under the APA because the Services do not provide a reasoned explanation for the changes.
Violate the APA and NEPA because the Services failed to consider and disclose the significant environmental effects of the rules prior to promulgating them.

Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led the lawsuits alongside Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. They are joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

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Environment

Attorney General Bonta Announces Arrest of Visalia Man, Seizure of Narcotics and Firearm Cache

Office of the Attorney General — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:25:35 +0000

September 9, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

VISALIA – California Attorney General Bonta today announced the arrest of a Visalia man, following a multi-agency operation that uncovered a cache of firearms, ammunition, and narcotics at his residence. The suspect, who is legally prohibited from owning firearms, was found to be in possession of weapons and passports stolen from a recently deceased neighbor, and was also in violation of a criminal protective order related to an ongoing child abuse investigation.

"When individuals bypass the law to possess and attempt to sell illegal firearms, they place our entire community at risk," said Attorney General Bonta. "Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our special agents, the Visalia Police Department, and vigilant tips from community members, we have recovered illicit firearms from the streets and safely removed a child from a dangerous environment. The California Department of Justice remains committed to disrupting gun violence and holding prohibited individuals accountable."

On August 28, 2026, the Tulare County Agencies Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Team (TARGET) task force members, alongside the Visalia Police Department Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB), executed the warrant at the suspect’s residence after it was reported he was trying to illegally sell firearms. The operation resulted in the seizure of a rifle, a shotgun, a revolver, ammunition, two U.S. passports belonging to the deceased neighbor, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested and booked into the Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial Detention Facility. He is facing criminal charges of being in possession of firearms and ammunition while prohibited from possessing them, criminal storage of a firearm, child endangerment, and violation of a court order.

The TARGET team is made up of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Visalia Police Department, Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. DOJ’s Bureau of Firearms (BOF) serves the people of California through education, regulation, and enforcement actions regarding the manufacture, sale, ownership, safety training, and transfer of firearms and ammunition. BOF staff are leaders in providing firearms expertise and information to law enforcement, legislators, and the general public in a comprehensive program to ensure legitimate and responsible firearm possession and use by California residents. BOF is looking to hire additional special agents and more information on assessments for relevant job openings can be found on DOJ's website at oag.ca.gov/careers/exams.

Here is a photo of the seizure.

The charges described in this release are only allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Attorney General Bonta Continues Fight to Protect Affordable Care Act Coverage

Office of the Attorney General — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:16:06 +0000

September 9, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — Co-leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an amicus brief in City of Columbus v. Kennedy, a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in support of a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland blocking key provisions of an unlawful final rule proposed by the Trump Administration in March 2025 and issued in June 2025. The rule would make it harder for consumers to enroll in and maintain health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), increase healthcare costs, and leave more people uninsured.

“While the Trump Administration takes actions that make healthcare less affordable and accessible, California will keep fighting to protect the Affordable Care Act and the coverage it provides,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As we make clear in our amicus brief, the fallout from this rule would extend well beyond individual consumers, leaving states and communities nationwide to shoulder significant costs.”

In the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that allowing the rule to take effect would:

Impose significant compliance costs on states.
Reduce funding for state health insurance exchanges as fewer people enroll in coverage. States collect a fee for each plan sold through these exchanges.
Drive up uncompensated care costs as the uninsured population grows.
Cause immediate and substantial harms that would extend beyond the parties in the case to affect states across the country.

The plaintiffs in City of Columbus v. Kennedy secured a major victory in June 2026, when the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled in their favor and blocked key provisions of the rule. California secured a separate major victory in August 2026, when the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down a provision that would have excluded certain types of gender-affirming care from qualifying as essential health benefits under the ACA.

The amicus brief was co-led by Attorney General Bonta and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. Joining them were the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, and the Governor of Pennsylvania.

Here is a copy of the brief.

Attorney General Bonta Secures Full Victory in Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration’s Attack on Fair Housing Protections

Office of the Attorney General — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:11:09 +0000

September 8, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — Co-leading a coalition of 16 attorneys general, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the coalition has secured relief from unlawful conditions the Trump Administration attempted to place on Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) funding. Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the FHAP provides funding to state and local agencies that enforce fair housing laws. In California, the program supports the California Civil Rights Department’s work to protect Californians from housing discrimination.

In March 2026, the coalition filed a lawsuit challenging unlawful conditions in HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 FHAP Funding Guidance, which could have limited state and local agencies’ ability to enforce their fair housing laws, including by restricting reimbursement for certain fair housing complaints and threatening agencies that enforce protections beyond those in federal law. Now, the Trump Administration has conceded to the coalition’s challenge, agreeing to dismiss the lawsuit after confirming that HUD would not seek to impose, implement, or enforce the challenged conditions in the future and that the FY 2025 Guidance is no longer in effect. A letter from HUD also confirms the conditions will not apply to FY 2026 FHAP funding and that HUD does not plan to include them in future guidance.

"The Trump Administration backed down from this attack on fair housing protections," said Attorney General Bonta. "States across the country received their 2025 funding without these unlawful conditions, and HUD has confirmed those conditions will not return in 2026 or future years. We will keep fighting to ensure every community has the tools it needs to protect people from discrimination."

Attorney General Bonta and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led the March 2026 lawsuit. Joining them were the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

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Housing

Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief in Support of Due Process Rights of Immigrant Detainees

Office of the Attorney General — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:24:20 +0000

September 8, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the due process rights of immigrant detainees who are subject to prolonged confinement without a bond hearing. In Genalo v. GM, the respondent is a legal permanent resident who was detained for 21 months, without a bond hearing, pending resolution of his immigration court proceedings. GM has argued that his prolonged detention, without any individualized assessment, violates his Fifth Amendment right to due process, and the Second Circuit agreed. In today’s brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition urge the Supreme Court to uphold the due process rights of individuals like GM and ensure that noncitizen residents who do not pose a danger to society or risk of flight are not subject to unreasonably prolonged civil immigration detention while they defend themselves in removal proceedings.

“California is home to more than 10 million immigrants who are hardworking contributors to our communities and our economy,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The senseless detention — for months on end — of many of these immigrants when they could be released on bond is cruel and unconstitutional. My team has seen firsthand the unacceptable conditions at these facilities. I urge the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the due process rights of these individuals and put an end to the unnecessary and prolonged mass detention of these individuals while they await the outcome of their cases.”

In today’s brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition urge the Supreme Court to uphold the Second Circuit’s decision, which found that individuals who are deprived of their liberty for unreasonably prolonged periods must be afforded an individualized bond hearing to determine whether continued detention is justified — and that, in such circumstances, the government must demonstrate the need for continued detention by clear and convincing evidence. The coalition highlights:

Based on Attorneys Generals' consistent experience across many forms of state-law civil detention and pretrial detention, the government must ordinarily prove the need for such detention, particularly when it is unreasonably prolonged. This consistent state practice is a strong indicator of what is workable and satisfies due process.
When prolonged detention pending removal proceedings is not necessary to protect the public or ensure a noncitizen’s appearance at future proceedings, such detention unnecessarily and irreparably harms noncitizens, their families, their communities, and their states, which are deprived of their many personal and financial contributions.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to standing up for California’s immigrant communities and shining a light on the unacceptable conditions at immigration detention facilities across the state. Attorney General Bonta has filed multiple amicus briefs in support of challenges to the Trump Administration’s no-bond policy, which mandates the indefinite detention of vast numbers of other noncitizens, also without the opportunity for a bond hearing.

Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta released the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) fifth report on conditions at immigration detention facilities operating in California. During inspections conducted at the seven immigration detention facilities operating in California last year, DOJ found that conditions had largely worsened as the Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign has led to overcrowded intake conditions and strained resources, especially around access to medical care and basic food, water, and hygienic needs.

In addition to reporting on DOJ’s findings around conditions at California’s immigration detention facilities, Attorney General Bonta has filed amicus briefs opposing the conditions of confinement at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, sent a letter to the DHS shining a light on dangerous conditions at the California City Detention Facility, and raised serious concerns with an ICE directive to stop investigating and reporting on the deaths of individuals who die within 30 days after being released from ICE custody.

In filing today’s amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

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Federal Accountability

Federal Accountability:

Immigration

Attorney General Bonta Supports Litigation to Block Unlawful Immigration Arrests without a Warrant

Office of the Attorney General — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:27:06 +0000

September 8, 2026

Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed an amicus brief in support of litigation challenging Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) unlawful policy and practice of warrantless civil immigration arrests without probable cause. In the brief, Attorney General Bonta, co-leading a multistate coalition, highlights the harms of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign, an integral part of which is unlawful warrantless arrests. The consequences of these actions reverberate far beyond the individuals seized: Families are destabilized, workplaces disrupted, schools strained, local economies unsettled, and essential state and local services — including healthcare, education, and public safety — are hindered.

“The Trump Administration has sought to instill fear in immigrant communities through indiscriminate, sweeping, and often baseless immigration arrests,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This violates the law — and basic human decency. In California, we’ve seen firsthand the devastation wrought by the Trump Administration’s destructive mass deportation agenda. We will always stand up for the rights of our immigrant communities and communities across the country.”

California has experienced the harms of ICE’s aggressive and unlawful immigration enforcement practices, including declines in school attendance, farm operations, public health, economic security, and public trust between communities and state and local law enforcement.

On January 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Border Patrol began a large-scale raid called “Operation Return to Sender” in Kern County, which resulted in the arrest of 78 people for allegedly not having lawful immigration status. During the operation, Border Patrol carried out arbitrary roving patrols and warrantless arrests throughout the predominantly Latino areas of Kern County and surrounding areas. Impacts from these raids reverberated throughout the community, with school attendance dropping and people too fearful to go to work. Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of litigation brought by United Farmworkers and a class of individuals concerning DHS’s practices during this operation.

In June of 2025, DHS began another operation, “Operation at Large,” in Los Angeles, similarly sweeping through city streets and carrying out suspicionless stops and warrantless arrests. These raids, too, deeply affected the community — business districts turned to ghost towns, community events like fireworks shows and graduation ceremonies were cancelled, and local law enforcement contended with the confusion caused by DHS’s aggressive tactics and the fear it stoked in the public. Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief in support of a temporary restraining order to stop ICE and CBP from engaging in unconstitutional stops during Operation at Large.

In today’s brief, Attorney General Bonta continues his support for challenges to DHS’s aggressive tactics, co-leading a multistate coalition in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to uphold the lower court’s order prohibiting ICE from conducting civil immigration arrests in Colorado without a warrant if the ICE officer does not have probable cause that the individual is both violating the law and that the individual is an escape risk, as is required by the Immigration and Nationality Act and federal regulations. The coalition argues Congress has placed clear limits on immigration agents’ authority to make warrantless arrests, requiring individualized probable cause of both removability and a likelihood of escape. ICE has repeatedly ignored these limits, resulting in unlawful arrests, improper detentions, and chaotic enforcement practices across the country. The coalition also highlights the harms resulting from these enforcement practices, which undermine the public safety, education, health and economy of their residents.

Attorney General Bonta has fought back against the Trump Administration’s unlawful militarized immigration enforcement and defended public safety. In addition to amicus briefs challenging DHS’s unlawful stops and arrests practices in Kern County and Los Angeles, earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta led an amicus brief in support of Minnesota’s lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s extraordinary campaign of lawlessness during its deployment of federal agents to the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Attorney General Bonta and Governor Newsom also se cured a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ending the continued federalization and deployment of California National Guard troops in and around Los Angeles.

In filing the brief, Attorney General Bonta and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser lead the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

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Federal Accountability

Federal Accountability:

Immigration