California lawmakers are moving ahead with a proposal that would cut off a quiet side hustle for some officers: taking off-duty work with federal immigration agencies. AB 1537, carried by Los Angeles Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, cleared the Assembly Public Safety Committee this week, setting the stage for a broader fight over how far the state’s sanctuary protections really go.
The bill would bar California peace officers from picking up secondary employment with federal immigration enforcement, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It would also require officers to report any offers of immigration-related side work and opens the door to decertification proceedings for those who keep those gigs in the shadows.
What AB 1537 Would Change
AB 1537 would amend Penal Code Section 70 to make it off-limits for peace officers to be employed by, contract with, or volunteer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, its contractors, or any entity that assists with immigration enforcement. Under the bill, taking on that off-duty immigration work would be treated as an act of dishonesty that can be grounds for decertification.
The proposal also compels officers to disclose any offers or attempts at immigration-related secondary employment and labels those records as public under the California Public Records Act, according to California Legislative Information.
Committee Vote Pushes Bill Forward
On March 3, AB 1537 won a key early test by clearing the Assembly Public Safety Committee, a procedural but essential step that keeps the bill alive this session. Supporters framed the vote as tightening up California’s sanctuary rules so there is no backdoor for officers to quietly help with immigration enforcement while off the clock.
The committee action was reported by KABC/ABC7. If AB 1537 gathers enough support in subsequent committees and wins a floor vote in the Assembly, it would then move across the Capitol to the state Senate.
Legal Implications For Officers
By explicitly tying off-duty immigration work to potential decertification, AB 1537 hands state regulators a clearer tool to strip peace-officer credentials from those who violate the ban. The bill also designates records of immigration-related secondary employment as public documents, which could bring to light off-duty arrangements between local officers and federal agencies that have so far operated out of view.
The Legislature tagged AB 1537 as a state-mandated local program, meaning cities and counties may press for reimbursement if their departments wind up with new administrative burdens to track and report these employment offers, according to California Legislative Information.
Supporters Point To Recent Federal Actions
Civil-rights advocates and some elected officials say the bill is about shoring up already fragile trust between immigrant communities and local police. When officers are seen working hand-in-glove with immigration enforcement, they argue, people become far less likely to report crimes or cooperate with investigations.
The League of Women Voters of California formally backed AB 1537 in a support letter, arguing the proposal “closes the gap” that lets officers moonlight for DHS, according to the League of Women Voters of California. Local reporting and advocacy organizations have also highlighted recent deadly encounters involving federal immigration agents as part of the bill’s backdrop, as covered by the Sacramento Observer.
What To Watch Next
With the Public Safety Committee vote now in the books, the next milestones for AB 1537 will be its placement on the Assembly floor and any additional committee stops on the way there. Supporters are expected to lean hard on leadership for action this spring while lawmakers sort through the fiscal and enforcement details.
How the bill is scheduled, amended, or quietly delayed will offer the clearest clues about its chances of becoming law, according to reporting by KABC/ABC7.
