Bill would require commercial transportation companies to provide 24-hour electronic notice to local jurisdictions before dropping off 10 or more passengers likely to seek emergency shelter
by Wendy Fry
Last year, our California Divide team of reporters covered how cities responded to migrants arriving unexpectedly from other destinations.
While many of the more than 900 migrants who arrived in Los Angeles from red states quickly integrated into the community, the few dozen who went to Sacramento found an under-resourced support system, CalMatters reporters Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Justo Robles found.
In recent years, Republican governors have begun transporting migrants from their states to cities with Democratic leaders, including in California.
In June 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a budget that set aside $12 million to transport unauthorized migrants out of Florida.
In April 2022, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered his state to charter buses to transport migrants to Washington, D.C. He later expanded the order to include other locations, including cities in California.
It’s now up to Gov. Gavin Newsom to decide the fate of a bill that seeks to require advance notice in such situations.
Assembly Bill 2780, by Assemblywoman Tina Mackinnor, D-Inglewood, would require commercial transportation companies to provide 24-hour electronic notice to local jurisdictions before dropping off 10 or more passengers who are likely to seek emergency shelter.
That’s so public and nonprofit support services can prepare to provide help. The bill would impose a potential $10,000 fine on any commercial transportation company that fails to comply.
It also prohibits local governing bodies from disclosing delivery information to federal immigration authorities without a subpoena or court order.
Supporters of the bill argue that immigrants are being used as “political pawns,” dumped in random places, sometimes in the middle of the night, to create the appearance of chaos.
In legislative documents, the American Property and Casualty Insurance Association opposed the bill without providing an explanation.
