Defending Immigrant Rights: What You Need to Know Now

Dear Friends,

Communities in Assembly District 18 and the entire nation are confronting direct attacks on our fundamental rights as citizens. ICE raids and presence in our neighborhoods are threatening our safety in the workplace, schools, and places of worship, breaking apart families and disrupting commerce – all while costly federal delays threaten funding for schools, healthcare, and countless other aspects of our lives.

In Oakland, Alameda, Emeryville, and throughout the great state of California, we will not be silent. Our communities, elected leaders, and institutions stand in solidarity to defend the vital contributions of immigrants. We uphold the value of their investment in our nation's history and are committed to protecting our fundamental constitutional rights.

Included in Section 1 of this newsletter you will find live resources for immigrant community members who are concerned about these federal actions including:

• Know Your Rights - How to Communicate with ICE Agents
• Find Immigration Legal Representation and Support - Live On my Website
• How to Find Alerts of Nearby ICE Activity - (CCIJ)
• California-state protections for Immigrant Communities - CA DOJ

The California legislature has prepared for this moment. The legislature just passed proposals to direct $25 million in state funds to support our immigrant communities and authorized additional funding to go towards protecting Californians from unconstitutional executive actions from the federal government in court. For context, undocumented immigrants contribute approximately $8.5 BILLION in California state taxes per year.

And we are not done yet. It is clear that the current administration seeks to incite chaos, create distractions, and spread misinformation to undermine our democratic institutions. But it is even clearer that, as Californians, we remain committed to challenging these actions in the courts, strengthening civil protections for our communities, and addressing the real cost-of-living issues that Californians face every day.

If you or a loved one has been impacted by these federal actions, please do not hesitate to contact my office by clicking here, or calling (510) 286-1670.

Yours in Service,

Mia Bonta
Assemblymember, 18th District

In this newsletter, you'll find the following information:

• Section 1: Know Your Rights - Immigration Resources
• Section 2: Your Rights as Californians
• Section 3: Report Impacts to Federal Funding

Assemblymember Mia Bonta & staff are committed to keeping AD-18 residents fully engaged and informed. Please send this newsletter to a friend and subscribe!

Stay connected with our office at (510) 286-1670, Email Me, or follow us on social media.

Section 1: Know Your Rights - Immigration Resources

Section 1A: Communicating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Know Your Rights cards are vital to safely communicating with Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents while protecting your constitutional rights, regardless of immigration status. If you are confronted by ICE, you can share the following information;

• I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
• I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.
• I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.
• I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

Section 1B: Finding Legal Aid Representation

You have the right to an attorney. If you are detained by ICE, you have the right to consult with a lawyer, however, the government is not required to provide one for you.

To search for Immigration Legal Support in Assembly District 18;

• Please visit my website by clicking here.

To search for General Support Accessing Legal Aid;

• Visit LawHelpCA.org
• Visit ACLU of Northern California: (415) 621-2493
• Or CHIRLA Immigrant Assistance Line: (888) 624-4752 | chirla.org

To find National Legal Aid Representation;

• Visit Immigration Law Help.org

Section 1C:  Alerting Community members of ICE Presence in Our Community

The California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) has compiled a list of active Rapid Response Networks to alert community members across California of ICE presence in nearby communities.

The Alameda County Immigration Legal Education Partnership will soon launch a dedicated hotline for Alameda County ICE reporting. When reporting ICE activity, please only share confirmed sources and include specific location and time information if possible. There have already been several inaccurate reports of ICE activity, which can cause widespread and unnecessary fear in communities, making careful verification of any information essential.

Section 2: Protecting Constitutional Rights and Local Services in California

According to the California Department of Justice, residents of California have wide legal protections while living, working and attending school in the state, regardless of immigration status.

Importantly for our community, state and local law enforcement cannot ask for your immigration status. California law expressly prohibits law enforcement from inquiring about a person's immigration status for immigration enforcement purposes.

State and local law enforcement cannot share your personal information.

• This includes sharing your home or work address for immigration purposes, unless that information is available to the public or unless that information involves previous criminal arrests, convictions or similar criminal history.

State and local law enforcement cannot assist ICE with immigration enforcement, with very limited exceptions.

• This means they cannot investigate, cannot interrogate, cannot arrest, and cannot detain you unless it is as part of a joint federal task force where the primary purpose is not immigration enforcement.

If you believe your civil rights have been violated, please report it to the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/report.

If you believe you were subject to discrimination, harassment or retaliation, report it to the California Department of Civil Rights at calcivilrights.ca.gov/complaintprocess.

Section 3: Report Impacted Federal Funding

On Monday, January 27, 2025, the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget released a memo threatening to freeze up to $3 trillion in pre-allocated federal assistance. Though this order was rescinded on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, following the initial success of lawsuits from a coalition of 23 state attorneys general and non-profit providers, more attempts to halt federal grants are expected.

Representative Lateefah Simon has launched a new survey to help residents of Congressional District 14 advocate for their previously allocated federal grants.