California's $12 Billion Gamble: Will Hiring Undocumented Students Put Universities—and Kamala Harris—at Risk

In partnership with

California’s universities are facing a tough situation that’s wrapped up in both politics and legal risks. And surprisingly, it’s flying under the radar (so far).

State lawmakers have passed Assembly Bill 2586, which would allow the state’s higher education systems to hire nearly 55,000 other undocumented college students.

Political Red Flags

The issue? There’s a push to allow undocumented students to work on campus, which could be a game-changer for thousands of students. But schools like the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) are raising red flags.

Why You Should Care

📌If the measure is passed, employers could be breaking federal law which says they can’t hire anyone without legal status in the U.S.

📌This could put students and their families at risk of deportation, employers at risk, and ultimately the university's federal funding at stake.

📌UC alone receives around $12 billion in federal funds per year.

Arguments For/Against AB 2586

Democrats:

• Give Republicans more political ammunition.

• Immigration and the border crisis are top issues for voters in an election year.

• Kamala Harris's supporters are worried about the impact on her campaign.

 Republicans:

• In March, Senator JD Vance introduced a bill to cut federal funding to universities hiring undocumented people.

• Vance specifically called for an investigation into UC practices.

Supporters:

• Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-Chula Vista) argues the bill is essential to support undocumented students.

• Undocumented students already face complex legal challenges, the bill aims to alleviate burdens.

Universities/Colleges:

If the Governor signs into law and Harris loses the November election too much may be at stake:

• Political and legal backlash

• Loss of federal funding

• Potential criminal liability

• Uncertainty about implementation

What’s Next

• Governor Newsom has until the end of the month to decide whether to sign the bill.

• Hundreds of supporters are planning to rally at the state Capitol on Thursday.

Polymarket is the future of news.

Polymarket is the world's largest prediction market, providing real-time odds and forecasts on a variety of real-world events. Whether you're interested in politics, sports, or other significant happenings, Polymarket offers the most accurate and unbiased predictions.

See the odds

In a move that perhaps won’t shock many, former Democratic California Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero today officially switched her voter registration from Democrat to Republican. She’s also backing former President Trump in the upcoming election.

REPARATIONS BILLS BLOCKED

California was about to make history as the first state to bring reparations to the governor’s desk, but in the last hours of the legislative session, two key bills to address the harm done to African American descendants of enslaved people were shut down.

What You Need to Know

• Honestly, this shouldn’t surprise anyone who has paying attention to how voters have been feeling.

• Even though the Democratic majority in Sacramento pushed through these measures earlier this year, the public was never on board.

A UC Berkeley study from September showed:

• 59% of Californians were against payments

• 91% of Republicans didn’t support them

• Even 42% of Democrats opposed the idea

On top of that, critics had warned it not only it went against the majority’s wishes but it also raised big questions about how the state would pay for it, especially with California already facing a $47 billion deficit.

More Political Details

The bottom line is this was NEVER going to pass. Democrats did the Governor a solid by not looking like the bad guy by killing the measure in an election year when Kamala Harris needs all the support she can get.

LATEST RECALL ATTEMPT FAILS

Governor Gavin Newsom will not face a second recall effort.

The group behind the effort, Rescue California, failed to gather enough signatures (1.3 million) to submit to the secretary of state’s office before the deadline.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the group also blasted the California Republican Party for not assisting with the latest attempt to remove Newsom from office.

Newsom’s campaign spokesman characterized the latest effort to recall the Governor as, “serial losers, losing”.

BREED BACKED BY BILLIONAIRE

A New York City billionaire has donated a whopping $1 million to help keep San Francisco Mayor London Breed in office, according to campaign finance documents.

Michael Bloomberg made the donation, according the San Francisco Gate.