September 21, 2025 - LOS ANGELES – On Saturday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed major immigration legislation authored by Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) in Los Angeles. SB 98, the SAFE Act, will alert school communities about immigration enforcement operations on campus and SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act, will require law enforcement to display clear identification.
Related: Today, California Governor Newsom Signed the Nation’s Strongest Protections Into Law to Limit Tactics Being Used by President Trump’s Federal “Secret Police,” Protect Children at Schools, and Patients in Public Hospitals From the President’s ‘Lawlessness’
SB 98 (Sending Alerts to Families in Education (SAFE) Act), becomes law immediately because it contains an urgency clause. This new law requires K-12 schools and higher education institutions to issue alerts if immigration enforcement authorities are present on campus, similar to warning systems in place for other campus emergencies.
SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act, also becomes law immediately because it contains an urgency clause. This new law expands the scope of existing police impersonation laws by making it illegal to impersonate peace officers, including federal agents, and requires all law enforcement operating in California to clearly display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number or both. SB 805 also authorizes law enforcement to request identification from anyone claiming to be law enforcement, and bans bounty hunters from engaging in any form of immigration enforcement in California.
“These two new laws hold the power to protect and inform our immigrant communities in the face of the federal administration’s cruel and escalating immigration enforcement operations in our state,” said Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena). “As we see so many families in fear and confused by these mass deportation raids, Governor Newson has boldly responded by signing my legislation into law and asserting in one collective voice that California will not stand by and simply watch as President Trump deploys a secret police force to terrorize good people.”
“California must ensure that our schools and colleges remain places where students can learn and thrive, teachers can teach with confidence, and classrooms provide a safe environment for our next generation,” said Senator Pérez. “The SAFE Act will help inform and empower school communities to make the best decisions about their safety and their family’s safety.”
“The No Vigilantes Act responds to troubling immigration enforcement activities in which masked agents have seized people off the street without showing an agency name, personal identification, or badge number, alongside a rise in law enforcement impersonation cases and efforts in other states to recruit bounty hunters for immigration enforcement. By requiring law enforcement officers to display proper identification, clarifying that bounty hunters cannot enforce immigration laws, and ensuring impersonators are brought to justice, this measure will help rebuild the community’s trust,” said Senator Pérez.
About the SAFE Act: This legislation is a California Latino Legislative Caucus priority bill. The legislation is sponsored by California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, University of California Student Association, California State Student Association, Student Senate for California Community Colleges, California Faculty Association, California State PTA, and GENup.
Masked Border Patrol at California Governor Gavin Newsom's Press Meeting in August 2025
Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is Chair of the Senate Education Committee and represents the 25th Senate District that includes the communities of Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and San Antonio Heights.
Source: Senator Sasha Renée Pérez