Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law on Sept. 20 that will offer increased protections for California schools against the nationwide immigration crackdown. Senate Bill 98 and Assembly Bill 49 provide students and parents a fighting chance against immigration enforcement activities on school campuses.
SB 98 would require all California schools – including community colleges and state universities – to create plans for notifying parents, students, staff and faculty whenever immigration enforcement officers are present on campus. AB 49 “prohibits [local education agency] employees from allowing immigration authorities to enter a nonpublic area of a school site without being presented with a valid judicial warrant, judicial subpoena or a court order, or unless required by state or federal law,” according to a press release from the California Department of Education.
As reported by AP News, the bill comes as part of a larger initiative by California lawmakers to offer immigrant students and residents protection from hostile immigration policies.
“We recognize the fear and uncertainty caused by executive orders related to immigration enforcement. Our district reaffirms its commitment as a sanctuary institution and will continue to uphold the protections outlined in California’s sanctuary laws,” said College President, Dr. Jamal Cooks, when asked for comment regarding the new legislation.
Chabot College is designated as a sanctuary campus thanks to a joint resolution adopted by the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CLPCCD) board of trustees in 2017. Earlier this year, the President’s Office posted a statement from CLPCCD leadership on the Chabot College website reaffirming the sanctuary status.
A sanctuary campus is broadly defined as any school or college campus that adopts policies to protect students, faculty, and staff who are vulnerable to immigration enforcement. The term is modeled after the concept of a “sanctuary city,” referring to municipalities that also adopt policies with a similar effect. Though there is no legal definition of these terms, they have been at the center of many discussions surrounding the federal crackdown on immigration under the Trump Administration.
The Spectator reached out to Chabot students to get their perspective on the new laws, and what type of notification system they would like to see implemented.
“It’s important because I think people should be able to focus on getting their education,” says Maya. “You could use some notification system or emails, like how Chabot did recently with that car crash,” referencing a notification sent out by the Chabot Emergency Alert System on Sept. 3, 2025, that warned students of a dangerous traffic accident near campus.
Another student, Jordan, said, “I think it’s good to let students know that there is some government-like force on campus. But at the same time, I feel like that could cause some people to get scared. It could cause people to think it’s worse than it actually is.”
Currently, Chabot College adheres to CLPCCD’s Administrative Procedure 3415, which asks all staff to direct any federal agents on campus to the college Presdient’s Office, where the president or other school representatives will follow additional protocols. The district has also released a step-by-step procedure for anyone responding to immigration enforcement activities on campus.
Chabot College and other local education agencies must establish and make their policies facilitating the new laws available to the California Department of Education by March 1, 2026.
