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A bill that would have allowed undocumented students at the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges to work on campus has been . In 2024, Newsom had vetoed a nearly identical bill for fear that it could invite legal challenges for the state. Now, he says his concerns have only grown.
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“The current federal government has shown it is quick to wreak destruction for political spectacle — attacking California’s public higher education institutions and terrorizing immigrant communities, including students, with reckless disregard for consequences and a desire for chaos,” he wrote in a veto message Sunday. “Given the gravity of this bill’s consequences — including potential criminal and civil liability for state employees — the federal courts must resolve the legality of the novel legal theory behind this legislation before we proceed.”
Assembly Bill 713 rests on a legal assumption that a federal ban on hiring undocumented noncitizens does not apply to UC, CSU and the community colleges because that provision does not explicitly mention any branch of state government. Last year, the California Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that denying educational employment opportunities to undocumented students is discriminatory — signaling to supporters that the bill had a chance. Newsom, however, said in his Sunday veto message that the issue must be resolved in federal court before California can pass such a law.
The Immigrant Justice in Action Coalition, the bill’s student-led sponsor, is not giving up. In a social media statement Sunday, the coalition said it would continue fighting for undocumented students and communities across California and beyond.
“The governor chose to cower to political interests and expediency rather than do what is right for the people of California, especially our undocumented students,” the coalition said. “We are extremely disappointed and angered by this decision. We will remember this veto and we will make sure the governor does as well.”
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The bill sought to prohibit public higher education institutions in California from disqualifying a student from employment due to a lack of proof of federal work authorization. The only exceptions, per the bill, would have been in situations when such proof was required by federal law or as a condition of a grant that funds a particular job. The bill was passed by both chambers of the Legislature with near-unanimous support from Democrats and consistent opposition from Republican lawmakers.
It was supported by the Cal State Student Association, Student Senate for California Community Colleges and UC Student Association. Both the UC and CSU systems, though not officially opposed to the bill, had noted that its passage could result in “potentially significant” legal costs.
Supporters believed the bill would have gone a long way in providing professional opportunities and reducing the financial barrier to higher education faced by undocumented students, especially at a time when immigration enforcement activity has been ramped up across the nation and the Trump administration is challenging state laws that allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Without access to campus jobs, undocumented students often have to turn to unsafe, “under the table” work to make ends meet as they pursue their degrees, they said.
In his message, Newsom said California would remain committed to economic opportunity and tuition affordability for all students and efforts to support undocumented students “who face growing barriers and threats under this cruel federal administration.”
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This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 12:15 PM.