23 Dec Bonta Offers Legal Support and Warns of Potential Scams Targeting Immigrants

(Image courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General via Bay City News)

By Thomas Hughes
Bay City News

State Attorney General Rob Bonta issued further guidance last week to immigrants in California about their rights under state and federal law and offered new model policies for public institutions like courts, hospitals and schools.

The attorney general’s advisory also warned of potential scams that could target immigrants.

Bonta convened with legal advocates and elected officials in San Francisco for the second of five regional meetings that the attorney general scheduled after Donald Trump was elected in November with threats of carrying out mass deportations across the country.

California became a sanctuary state in 2018, prompted by Trump’s first election. The law prevents local or state law enforcement from using resources to assist federal immigration authorities or making arrests of their own on that basis. It also affirms residents’ rights under the state constitution, regardless of immigration status.

Speaking at the offices of the nonprofit legal organization Asian Law Caucus, in San Francisco, Bonta said that the state had taken the first Trump administration to court 120 times and prevailed in most of the cases.

“We want a law-abiding president who follows the rules and understands that his position, while one of significant authority, is not unlimited,” Bonta said. “It is a position of limited power and delineated and enumerated authority, and he must act within it.”

He cited the state’s suit to stop a rollback of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which was enacted under the Obama administration and gives limited legal status to children who were brought to here as minors.

“So, we’ve been here before, we’re ready to do it again,” Bonta said.

Under state law, housing providers cannot ask for immigration status or use it to threaten tenants or potential tenants. The protection does not apply to federally funded affordable housing.

Immigrants in California have the right to seek emergency medical care under state and federal guidelines.

Immigrants have the right to an attorney if they are arrested by local law enforcement and if they are detained by federal immigration authorities.

Advising of possible scams targeting immigrant communities, the attorney general warned to only seek legal advice from a legitimate legal aid organization, a list of which can be found at lawhelpca.org.

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Keep original documents in a safe place and do not give original documents to any third party.

Do not rely on assistance from notaries or legal consultants and only seek advice from accredited lawyers.

Never give money or personal information to anyone over the phone, by text or by email. Neither state nor federal authorities will ever ask for personal information or payment over the phone, by email, or by text.

The “Know Your Immigration Rights” guidance is available in multiple languages at the attorney general’s website, oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources.

The attorney general also offered new guidance and model policies for public institutions including K-12 schools, universities, libraries, shelters, healthcare facilities, state courts, and for labor enforcement agencies.

The policies mainly outline ways to limit support for immigration enforcement at the institutions to ensure immigrant families are safe and rights are protected when using facilities and services available to the public.

Reports of rights violations can be made online at oag.ca.gov/report.

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