Governor Newsom Fails California’s Students and Values by Vetoing Bill That Would Ensure Equal Employment Opportunities for All Students Regardless of Immigration Status
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2024
CONTACT: Silvia Vazquez, UCLA Labor Center, vazsil89@ucla.edu, 424-354-6069
Hayley Burgess, UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy, burgess@law.ucla.edu, 626-497-2341
Governor Newsom Fails California’s Students and Values by Vetoing Bill That Would Ensure Equal Employment Opportunities for All Students Regardless of Immigration Status
Students and Supporters Vow to Continue Organizing
SACRAMENTO, CA – After Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to veto Assembly Bill 2586, the Opportunity for All Act, students and advocates expressed deep disappointment but affirmed their commitment to continue organizing. AB 2586, authored by Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego), would have ensured equal access to employment opportunities for undocumented students at California’s public colleges and universities. Despite this setback, students and supporters remain resolute in their efforts to fight for equal rights and opportunities for undocumented students.
“Governor Newsom’s veto is a profound disappointment because it denies students the opportunity to better themselves through education,” said Assemblymember Alvarez. “Students who are legally allowed to study at California’s public colleges and universities should also be allowed to work to pay for their own education. The students who worked together to bring this bill to the Legislature will continue to fight for it, and I will stand with them, along with the Latino Caucus.”
Jeffry Umaña Muñoz, a graduate student at Cal State L.A. and organizer with the Undocumented Student-Led Network, stated: “This veto will not stop our movement, which has only grown stronger. Governor Newsom had the opportunity to demonstrate the moral courage required to deliver justice where it has long been denied, but instead, he chose to turn his back on us. By refusing to sign AB 2586, he has failed not only California’s undocumented students but also the values of fairness, equality, and opportunity that our state stands for. We will continue to organize, fight, and demand the justice we deserve, because this movement is far from over.”
Kent Wong, Director for Labor and Community Partnerships at the UCLA Labor Center, stated, “The veto of AB 2586 represents a missed opportunity to advance equality for undocumented students who contribute so much to California’s public universities and society as a whole. The overwhelming support for this bill reflects the growing movement to ensure that all students—regardless of their immigration status—have the opportunity to thrive. This movement is not deterred, the fight for equal access to employment opportunities will continue.”
Legal scholars have also pointed out the importance of AB 2586 in addressing barriers to education. Ahilan Arulanantham, Faculty Co-Director at the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at UCLA School of Law, said, “The Governor had the opportunity to remove significant barriers to students pursuing their dreams of higher education, but instead chose to pass the buck. The legislation he vetoed would have provided more than sufficient authority for universities to address any liability concerns. While we are disappointed by his decision, we will continue to pursue justice for these students.”
Students and supporters across the state remain united in their commitment to ensuring that California’s undocumented students can fully engage in educational and professional opportunities, and they pledge to continue their organizing efforts to secure the rights and dignity of all students.
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About Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego):
The 80th Assembly District includes the communities of Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, Bonita, Lincoln Acres, Otay Mesa, and San Ysidro, along with the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and Imperial Beach.
About the Undocumented Student-Led Network:
The mission of the Undocumented Student-Led Network (USN) is to create a statewide network of immigrant youth leaders to work towards advancing an immigrant reform agenda.
About UCLA CILP:
Founded in 2020, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at the UCLA School of Law expands the law school’s role as a national leader in immigration law and policy, generating innovative ideas at the intersection of immigration scholarship and practice and serving as a hub for transforming those ideas into meaningful changes in immigration policy.
About the UCLA Labor Center:
The UCLA Labor Center believes that a public university belongs to the people and should advance quality education and employment for all. The center’s research, education, and policy work lifts industry standards, creates jobs that are good for communities, and strengthens immigrant rights, especially for students and youth.
