Assembly adopts resolution urging Congress to protect Temporary Protected Status holders
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Summary
The California Assembly on July 17 adopted AJR 8, a resolution urging Congress to preserve and extend Temporary Protected Status for vulnerable nationalities; the measure passed on a roll-call vote, 49–7, after a floor debate between Assemblymember Haney (author) and Assemblymember DeMayo (opponent).
The California State Assembly on July 17 adopted Assembly Joint Resolution 8 (AJR 8), urging Congress to preserve Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and to pass a legislative path to stability for TPS holders living and working in the state. The resolution passed on a roll-call vote, 49–7.
Author Assemblymember Haney framed the resolution as a humanitarian and economic imperative, saying the state is home to “nearly 70,000 people with temporary protected status” and that TPS holders are “deeply integrated into our society and our state.” Haney cited economic figures presented on the floor, saying TPS populations contribute billions annually to wages and state output and warned that abrupt termination of TPS “would cause chaos, devastation, and family separation.”
Opposition came from Assemblymember DeMayo, who said he supported immigration and asylum but argued AJR 8 could be read as opposing limits to asylum eligibility. DeMayo urged clarity and cautioned against policies that he said would “weaken this tool” and could be abused, announcing he would vote no.
The resolution does not change federal immigration law; it is a formal statement from the Legislature urging congressional action and signaling California’s support for continued TPS protections. AJR 8’s passage is advisory: the next procedural step is transmission to Congress and to federal policymakers for consideration.
Vote: Ayes 49, Noes 7. The resolution was adopted and will be forwarded as the Assembly’s position on TPS and related federal legislation.
