How an Inland Empire state senator is fighting Trump’s immigration crackdown
Sabrina Cervantes' signed bills aim to help undocumented college students, shield personal data
By Jeff Horseman, The Press-Enterprise
PUBLISHED: October 24, 2025
Helping immigrants targeted by the Trump administration’s crackdown is the goal of two bills from an Inland Empire state senator that recently became law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation, authored by Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, aimed at helping undocumented college students and immigrants with birth certificates.
“At the heart of California values is the belief that all are welcome in our state to find a brighter future for their families, regardless of their immigration status,” Cervantes said via email.
“These new laws I authored will support our immigrant communities, even in the face of President Trump’s cruel and callous immigration policies.”
Citing the need to expel violent criminals and put Americans first, President Donald Trump promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants as he campaigned for the White House.
He’s aggressively pursued that goal since taking office in January, especially in California, a blue state where he’s largely unpopular. Wearing masks and tactical gear, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have swarmed the Golden State to round up those suspected of living in the country illegally.
ICE’s efforts have met fierce backlash from protesters and Democratic lawmakers, who accuse Trump of terrorizing law-abiding families and using immigration enforcement to advance a racist agenda.
SB 307 requires Cal State and University of California campuses to take steps to help undocumented students lacking federal protections given to Dreamers, or undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.
The bill requires the two state systems to create policies on “course grades, administrative withdrawal, and re-enrollment for undocumented students who are unable to attend their courses by the final drop date due to immigration enforcement activity.”
In a state Assembly report on the bill, Cervantes said: “It is imperative that we take definitive and preemptive actions to shield undocumented students from the fluctuating immigration policies that may jeopardize their academic pursuits and the relentless efforts they have invested in their education.”
Another Cervantes bill signed into law seeks to shield birth certificate data from immigration agents.
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, SB 313 requires the birthplace of one’s parents to be included in the confidential section of a birth certificate. Cervantes worries that information could be used by authorities to track down undocumented immigrants or deny citizenship.
In June, The Associated Press reported that the White House shared the private data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including address, with ICE to help that agency track down immigration who may not be in the country legally.
Luz Gallegos, executive director of the Perris-based TODEC Legal Center that helps immigrants, praised Cervantes’ bills.
“California is continuing to step up and stand with immigrants at a time when we are seeing increased targeting and attacks federally,” Gallegos said via email.
“These bills take important steps forward to protect our students, families, and voices which (are) critical for our democracy to thrive.”