January 14, 2026 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senator Susan Rubio (D–Baldwin Park) has introduced the Keep Courts 
Safe from ICE Act — groundbreaking legislation to protect families and community members who are simply trying to do the right thing by participating in the justice system, but who are increasingly terrorized and intimidated by aggressive federal immigration enforcement actions. Families shouldn’t be punished for following the legal process.
The bill comes amid national outrage over unlawful raids in 2025 and the recent fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minnesota — a 37-year-old mother of three who was killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation. That incident has sparked protests and demands for accountability nationwide.
“Families should be able to show up to their required court hearings without fear, intimidation, or the risk of harm to themselves or their loved ones,” Senator Rubio said. “Time and time again, people are told to do it the right way — to show up, to comply, to follow the process — and they are. Yet they are still being targeted and attacked for doing exactly that. What happened this week in Minnesota goes far beyond enforcement; it is a horrifying escalation of violence our communities have been warning about for months. Families have been torn apart, fear has been normalized, and now an innocent mother, who panicked and tried to remove herself from harm, is dead. That alone should stop us all in our tracks.”
“For immigrant families, a courthouse should never feel like a trap. When the threat of immigration enforcement keeps people from showing up to court, justice breaks down, survivors remain in danger, parents are separated from their children, and entire families lose faith in a system meant to protect them. This bill sends a powerful message that California’s courts belong to everyone. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights is proud to work on this critical piece of legislation with Senator Susan Rubio, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, and the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence to ensure immigrant families can seek justice, safety, and protection without fear,” said Jeannette Zanipatin, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
SB 882 will protect families, allowing them to exercise due process without jeopardizing their ability to continue their pathway to legal citizenship. Bottom line — all Californians deserve the right to pursue justice without fear.
For more information, visit the website of Senator Susan Rubio at senate.ca.gov/rubio
Source: Senator Susan Rubio
