Newsom approves $50M to 'defend' immigrants, state against Trump White House

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws on Friday, designating $50 million for legal funds designed to "defend" the state's policies against challenges from President Donald Trump's administration and protect groups like immigrants.

What we know:

One of the laws puts aside $25 million "for the purpose of defending the state against enforcement and legal actions taken by the federal government."

The second law designates another $25 million for legal services for people with disabilities, homeless youth, immigrants and more. 

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The backstory:

Newsom and Trump have had a contentious relationship, dating back to the President's first stint in office. During Trump's first term, the state of California sued the administration more than 120 times, according to the attorney general's office, spending approximately $42 million on those actions.

California is already involved in at least one such lawsuit against the Trump administration in his second term. On Friday, attorneys general in at least 19 states, including California, sued the Trump White House to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing records that contained sensitive personal information for millions of Americans.

Newsom and Trump also clashed over water access in response to the deadly wildfires in Southern California.

What they're saying:

Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas called the Trump administration an "urgent threat," and said the bills were passed because "Californians are being threatened by an out-of-control administration that doesn’t care about the Constitution and thinks there are no limits to its power."

The other side:

Brian Jones, the Republican Senate Minority Leader, called the bills a distraction and that "this slush fund isn't about solving any real problems."

Other critics spoke out saying the law doesn't ensure that the $25 million won't go toward defending illegal immigrants who have been convicted of serious felonies. 

In a letter Friday, Newsom attempted to debunk those claims, saying, "none of the funding in this bill is intended to be used for immigration-related legal services for noncitizens convicted of serious or violent felonies."

Newsom also encouraged the state legislature to pass more legislation if they think clarification on how the funds would be used is necessary.