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Committee rejects bill that would bar state‑funded immigration legal aid for people with certain felony convictions
Summary
AB 1066 would have prohibited the use of specified state funds for immigration legal services for people convicted of certain serious felonies. The Assembly Human Services Committee received strong opposition from immigrant legal‑services groups and voted not to advance the measure; the committee recorded a tie and the measure failed.
Assemblymember Castillo presented AB 1066 as a measure to prohibit California taxpayer dollars from being used to provide immigration legal assistance to individuals who are unlawfully present and convicted of specified serious crimes. Castillo said the bill was intended to ensure state funds are not used to shield criminal noncitizens from federal immigration enforcement.
Multiple immigrant‑rights and legal‑services organizations registered strong opposition. Bruno (California Immigrant Policy Center) testified that legal‑aid programs protect due process and that restricting access "would severely limit access to these core services" and "align state policy with mass deportation agendas," placing families at risk of unjust deportation. Dozens of organizations later identified themselves in opposition during the public comment period.
Committee members debated the bill’s scope and whether restricting state‑funded representation would undermine due process for people who may still be eligible for immigration relief. The committee did not advance the measure; the clerk’s minutes record a tie outcome and the measure failed to pass out of committee.
