The state of California has long played a relatively outsize role in national politics for a number of reasons. An often mentioned phrase in national politics is, “What starts in California often migrates to the rest of the country.” As such, how public policy issues are addressed
immigration

The CAP·impact Podcast – Episode 32: Immigration Law & Reform with Professor Jennifer Koh
On today’s episode of The CAP·impact Podcast I talk with Professor of Law and Director of the Immigration Clinic at Western State College of Law Jennifer Koh. Professor Koh’s work at the intersection of criminal law and immigration law is prolific, so there was a lot of ground for us to cover.
One newer project…
What to expect in Trump’s speech from the border
President Trump will address the nation tonight. If he takes legal action, it will likely be to declare a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act of 1976. The statute gives him wide leeway to decide what circumstances constitute an emergency. He will declare the emergency to take advantage of two additional statutes, 10 USC…
The Fate of Legislation … One Last Look
The Fate of Legislation, Part 3
The CAP·impact Podcast – Episode 22: Killing AB 638
On today’s episode of The The CAP·impact Podcast, we talk with Lexi Howard (JD ’15) and Erinn Ryberg (JD ’13) – two McGeorge alumna – who worked to kill AB 638, a bill that would have outlawed immigration consultants in California.
We go over what immigration consultants do, where they fit in the immigration
…
The Fate of Legislation, Part 2
Another week has gone by, and Governor Brown has worked his way through more bills that were sent to his desk in the flurry of activity that came at the end of session. I’ve also added in a few more bills to this list, updating it with bills that have been discussed on In Session…
How California leaders are weighing in on the Trump Administration’s child separation policy
Yesterday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra joined twenty other state Attorneys General in signing a letter demanding that the U.S. Department of Justice, led by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, “end its new ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy which separates children from their parents.”
This action comes short of Attorney General Becerra’s more…
United States v. California – A Preview of Tomorrow’s Oral Argument on California’s Sanctuary State Laws
It’s been three months since U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions came to Sacramento to announce his lawsuit against the State of California challenging various provisions of the new sanctuary state law. I posted about my initial evaluation of the claims when Sessions announced the lawsuit. Tomorrow is a big hearing in federal…
National Guard to Patrol California-Mexico Border?
President Trump announced on Wednesday, April 4th that he planned to deploy the National Guard to patrol the U.S. – Mexican border to prevent illegal immigration. California Governor Jerry Brown, who is in charge of overseeing the deployment of National Guard troops in California, agreed to cooperate.
But why the request from…