AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 20, 2025
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
98
Introduced by Assembly Member Haney
March 27, 2025
Relative to public social services. immigration.
Fiscal committee: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
This measure would condemn decisions by the administrations of President Donald J. Trump to terminate or curtail Temporary Protected Status designations for people from specified nations, denounce federal policies that strip lawful status from long-residing individuals, as specified, and urge Congress to enact bipartisan legislation that provides a path to permanent residency and citizenship for individuals with Temporary Protected Status.
WHEREAS, Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian program established under the Immigration Act of 1990 that provides temporary legal status and work authorization to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions; and
WHEREAS, The first administration of President Donald J. Trump ordered the termination of Temporary Protected Status designations for people from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, Sudan, Nepal, and other nations, affecting more than 325,000 individuals across the United States, including an estimated 68,000 residents of the State of California, which has one of the largest populations of Temporary Protected Status recipients outside of the State of Florida; and
WHEREAS, Individuals with Temporary Protected Status contribute significantly to the State of California’s economy, workforce, and communities, including approximately 49,000 Salvadorans and 6,000 Hondurans in California, many of whom have lived in the United States for more than 20 years and are parents to United States citizen children; and
WHEREAS, During the current administration, President Donald J. Trump has renewed efforts to restrict humanitarian immigration protections, including Temporary Protected Status, by pledging to dramatically reduce the number of recipients, limit future designations, and expedite deportations of long-settled residents, with recent United States Department of Homeland Security policy reviews targeting nationals from countries including Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua for potential removal from the program; and
WHEREAS, The Trump administration has also directed federal agencies to reassess country conditions for current Temporary Protected Status holders using narrower legal criteria, and has publicly stated its intent to end what it describes as “indefinite protection” for nationals of countries that have previously experienced armed conflict or natural disasters, disregarding the longstanding presence and integration of these individuals into United States society; and
WHEREAS, The removal of legal status from individuals with Temporary Protected Status will cause immense harm to hundreds of thousands of families, including an estimated 275,000 children who are citizens of the United States and who may be separated from one or both parents or face the threat of family dissolution; and
WHEREAS, The economic contributions of individuals with Temporary Protected Status are substantial, with over 80 percent participating in the workforce and generating more than $2,700,000,000 in annual economic output in California alone, as well as supporting local budgets through homeownership, property taxes, and state and local tax payments; and
WHEREAS, The City and County of San Francisco is home to an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 residents with Temporary Protected Status, many of whom are long-term residents from El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua who have become essential contributors to the region’s workforce and civic life; and
WHEREAS, The State of California recognizes the humanitarian, moral, and economic consequences of eliminating protections for people who have lived lawfully in the United States for decades under Temporary Protected Status and who are deeply embedded in our communities, schools, workplaces, and local economies; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature condemns the decisions by the administrations of President Donald J. Trump, both past and current, to terminate or curtail Temporary Protected Status designations for people from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and other affected nations, and denounces any federal policies that seek to strip lawful status from long-residing individuals who have contributed to the State of California’s economy, raised families, and made this state their home; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature urges the Congress of the United States to enact bipartisan legislation that provides a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship for individuals with Temporary Protected Status who have lawfully resided in the United States for many years, in recognition of their essential role in our state’s communities and economy; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from the State of California in the Congress of the United States.
WHEREAS, Social Security is our nation’s most important source of retirement income, disability insurance, and life insurance; and
WHEREAS, Our Social Security program is self-funded and does not rely on the federal government’s general fund for its operations; and
WHEREAS, Social Security trust funds are funded by payroll tax contributions, paying out benefits and investing surpluses in special government securities that can be redeemed at face value to meet fund obligations; and
WHEREAS, Social Security contributions are invested in interest-bearing debt securities that are issued and guaranteed by the federal government; and
WHEREAS, Social Security is the foundation of income and health security for older Californians and those with severe work disabilities, providing monthly cash benefits and health insurance to over 6,000,000 Californians; and
WHEREAS, Social Security is the single most important source of life insurance for California’s children, which currently provides a virtually guaranteed income to over 300,000 children throughout our state; and
WHEREAS, Social Security prevents more than 1,400,000 Californians 65 years of age and older from living in poverty and lessens the depth of poverty for millions more; and
WHEREAS, Social Security benefits annually contribute over $100 billion to our state’s economy; and
WHEREAS, Social Security provides benefits to nearly 8,000,000 veterans nationwide; and
WHEREAS, Even with Social Security’s benefits, over 10 percent of beneficiaries are still below the poverty line; and
WHEREAS, Improving Social Security benefits is essential to alleviating poverty, which endangers seniors more than any other age group; and
WHEREAS, Social Security’s funding is independent of that of the rest of the federal government, and does not, and by law cannot, contribute to the federal deficit; and
WHEREAS, Social Security had a surplus of $2.8 trillion at the end of 2023; and
WHEREAS, Social Security has sufficient resources to meet all of its obligations through 2033 and has dedicated revenues that would meet more than 80 percent of promised benefits thereafter; and
WHEREAS, Our Social Security system is fundamental to protecting against risks to which all Californians are subject; and
WHEREAS, Recent actions by the federal government will lead to delays in services and the closures and consolidations of Social Security offices; and
WHEREAS, Our Social Security system gives expression to widely held values, including caring for our families, our neighbors, and ourselves, personal responsibility, hard work, and personal dignity; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature opposes cuts to Social Security, as well as proposals to indirectly cut this program by defunding it, while giving tax breaks to multinational corporations and billionaires, and calls on our state’s Representatives in Congress to vote against cuts and proposals to privatize Social Security, to prevent service delays and the closure of offices that would cause those receiving benefits to travel further to receive those same benefits, and to support legislation to protect and improve this system to strengthen its protections; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the President of the United States to honor his campaign promise not to cut Social Security, not to defund it, to veto any legislation attempting to do so, and to work with Congress to protect and improve this program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.