The Democratic governor recently vetoed legislation that would have allowed major universities across the Golden State, including the University of California and California State University, to hire undocumented students for campus jobs. Newsom’s move to block Assembly Bill 258 will affect roughly 55,000 undocumented students living in the state. 

In a message announcing the veto, Newsom expressed a desire for state courts to clarify the legality of such a measure before he signed it into law.

“Given the gravity of the potential consequences of this bill, which include potential criminal and civil liability for state employees, it is critical that the courts address the legality of such a policy and the novel legal theory behind this legislation before proceeding,” he said. 

Near the beginning of September, Newsom struck down another piece of legislation that would have expanded mortgage aid to illegal immigrants. The Democratic-controlled state legislature passed AB 1840 at the end of August. While it would have allowed undocumented immigrants to access state-funded interest-free loans for down payments on homes, Newsom said he was “unable to sign the bill” because of shortages in the state budget. 

“Given the finite funding available for CalHFA programs, expanding program eligibility must be carefully considered within the broader context of the annual state budget to ensure we manage our resources effectively,” he wrote in a letter announcing the veto. “For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill.”

California faces a $68 billion deficit, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office. That marks a sharp decline from the estimated $100 million budget surplus the state held in 2022. 

While most Democrats in the state have backed both initiatives Newsom recently blocked, the measures have been controversial on the other side of the aisle. California Republicans have attacked the bills as “unsustainable” options that prioritize undocumented immigrants over U.S. citizens.

“Many Californians, some who have been here for generations, can’t afford to buy a house in their home state thanks to Democrats’ unsustainable economic policies,” Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said in a press release. “So many legal residents are not able to afford a home, should we really be giving scarce cash assistance to immigrants here illegally? Every dollar that goes to an illegal immigrant is one less dollar available to legal residents, including veterans, teachers, and families.”

It’s not just California Republicans who are knocking the bills. While speaking about the state’s push to expand state housing loans to illegal immigrants, former President Donald Trump’s campaign told Politico that the legislation was “fundamentally unfair but typical Democrat policy.”

Trump has repeatedly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration policy, saying that U.S. citizens are paying the price for the millions of illegal immigrants who have come into the country under the Biden-Harris administration. 

As a high-profile surrogate for Harris, Newsom has repeatedly urged Democratic leaders in California to lie low on bills touching on controversial matters such as immigration that could supply Trump with campaign fodder against the vice president.

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With Republicans eyeing California, which is also Harris’s home state, Newsom’s move to ax the two latest bills extending benefits to undocumented immigrants appears to indicate he’s taking his advice. 

“It would be impossible to not have California act on these and have this be part of the 2024 election cycle,” Mike Madrid, a GOP political consultant, told the Los Angeles Times.