2025 Legislative & Budget Recap: Expanding Opportunities for California Immigrants

This year was a critical year for enacting statewide policies that uplift and protect all Californians, regardless of their immigration status. The rhetoric and attacks on immigrant communities from the federal Administration made our advocacy efforts all the more vital. Immigrants Rising was proud to support key legislative and budget efforts that not only protect, but also expand, opportunities for immigrants to pursue their dreams through higher education and economic mobility. We are grateful for our many partners who joined us in these advocacy efforts and continue to uplift the needs and lived experiences of immigrants across the state.

We are proud to share with you our 2025 legislative summary that includes highlights of our key policy wins, some disappointing losses, and opportunities that will move forward in 2026. We invite you to learn more about these efforts and join us in our mission to ensure opportunity for undocumented immigrants.

Economic Mobility:

2025 marked two years since the launch of the Economic Mobility for All (EM4A) Coalition, a statewide coalition co-anchored by Immigrants Rising and the California Immigrant Policy Center. EM4A, now with nearly 90 members, is dedicated to expanding access to career, training, and educational opportunities for all Californians regardless of background, immigration status, or English language proficiency. Here is a summary of the economic mobility policy work this legislative cycle:

  • Included in the 2025 State Budget Act: $7.5 million investment for a third round of the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Program – Co-sponsored by the Economic Mobility for All Coalition, Immigrants Rising, California Immigrant Policy Center, Inclusive Action for the City, and Democracy at Work Institute, and thanks to legislative champions like Assemblymember Juan Carrillo and the California Latino Legislative Caucus, the 2025 State Budget Act included a $7.5 million budget investment for a third round of the SEED Program. SEED enables community-based organizations to provide entrepreneurship training, technical assistance, and microgrants to immigrants and individuals with limited English proficiency. This budget win is critical to making access to economic mobility resources equitable for undocumented entrepreneurs.
  • Carried Over to 2026: AB 667 (Solache) Language Access in Professional Licensing – Co-sponsored by Immigrants Rising, the California Immigrant Policy Center, and the California Economic Mobility Coalition, this bill would require licensing boards under the Department of Consumer Affairs to allow individuals with limited English proficiency the option to utilize an interpreter for a state written examination for a professional license, creating more equitable pathways to professional licensure. The Assembly and Senate committees passed AB 667 with strong support, but it is now a two-year bill that may resume its process in the Legislature in 2026.
  • Signed Into Law: SB 635 (Durazo) Street Vendor Protection Act – Co-sponsored by Inclusive Action for the City, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Community Power Collective, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, and Public Counsel, and supported by Immigrants Rising, SB 635 protects street vendors’ personal information that is collected during the permitting process from being shared and accessed by federal immigration agencies.

Higher Education:

  • Carried Over to 2026: AB 713 (Solache) Opportunity for All – Co-sponsored by Immigrants Rising and the Opportunity for All Coalition, this bill would grant undocumented students equal access to campus employment opportunities at the University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges. Over 82,000 undocumented students are enrolled in a California public college or university, many without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) protections, leaving them ineligible for work authorization. Without campus employment, these students struggle to afford their education, lose out on essential career-building experiences, and, in the long run, cannot fully contribute to California’s workforce and economic needs. AB 713 is now a two-year bill that may be acted on in 2026.
  • Signed Into Law: AB 49 (Muratsuchi) California Safe Haven Schools Act – Co-sponsored by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, Santa Clara County Office of Education, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and supported by Immigrants Rising, AB 49 strengthens protections for students in California schools by prohibiting immigration enforcement officers from entering school campuses without proper identification and a valid judicial warrant or court order.
  • Signed Into Law: SB 98 (Pérez) Sending Alerts to Families in Education (SAFE) Act – Co-sponsored by the 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, and supported by Immigrants Rising, SB 98 requires K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to notify students and campus staff when the presence of immigration enforcement authorities on campus is confirmed.
  • Signed Into Law: AB 681 (Elhawary) Increasing California DREAM Loan Program Limits for Graduate Students – Sponsored by the University of California Office of the President, and supported by Immigrants Rising, AB 681 increases the amount that a graduate student can borrow to $118,500 for their entire graduate program, or $20,500 in a single academic year, under the California DREAM Loan Program. Before AB 681, eligible graduate students could only borrow up to $4,000 per academic year and $20,000 for their entire graduate program.
  • Signed Into Law: AB 1098 (Fong) Establishing the California Education Interagency Council – Immigrants Rising was proud to support this bill to establish a brand new entity in state government known as the California Education Interagency Council, to serve as a statewide coordinating entity that brings together many of California’s higher education, workforce development, and social services systems together to design cross-sector solutions for a more streamlined education-to-workforce pipeline for Californians.
  • Signed Into Law: SB 638 (Padilla) Focused Responsibilities for the California Education Interagency Council – Immigrants Rising was proud to support this bill to outline the new California Education Interagency Council’s (established by AB 1098) responsibilities, including developing recommendations that reduce bureaucratic barriers to accessing career technical education, college and career pathways, and workforce development opportunities for all Californians for underserved populations.
  • Carried Over to 2026: SB 323 (Pérez) California Financial Aid Assurance Act – Co-sponsored by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), the California Undocumented Higher Education Coalition, Southern California College Access Network, College for All Coalition, UC Student Association, Cal State Student Association, and Student Senate for California Community Colleges, and supported by Immigrants Rising, this bill would require CSAC to make the California Dream Act Application available to any California student who is eligible for state financial aid, regardless of their eligibility for federal student aid. This change would effectively provide alternative pathways to state and institutional financial aid for students who are unable or unwilling to submit a FAFSA due to technical issues or privacy concerns.
  • Vetoed: AB 695 (Fong) California Community Colleges Access and Continuity for Deported Students Act – Sponsored by the Los Angeles Community College District and supported by Immigrants Rising, this bill would have allowed California community college students with AB 540 status to continue being exempt from nonresident tuition if they enrolled in a community college online education program within three years of leaving the U.S., either voluntarily or involuntarily, due to immigration enforcement actions.

Looking Ahead:

It is undeniable that this year was difficult for California and all immigrant communities. That is why celebrating successful enactment of new laws and budget investments like many of the ones listed above is so important. California is leading the way in keeping our promise to be a place of social and economic opportunity. Immigrants Rising will not be deterred from advocating for policies that empower undocumented people to achieve their educational and career goals. We look forward to working with impacted community members, partners, and policymakers to make sure that this year’s enacted policies and budget investments are equitably implemented, as well as advance the remaining policy priorities that have an opportunity to be acted upon in 2026.

We invite you to join us in our advocacy efforts by engaging in the following opportunities:

Stories ›

Victor Garcia

Staff

"Growing up in the Central Valley, an immigrant, and the son and grandson of farmworkers, I saw education as my ticket to stability, opportunity and a better life."