Newsom vetoes bill to give college jobs to students with illegal immigration status

California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state's public universities, the University of California (U.C.) and California State University (CSU), to hire students with illegal immigration status for jobs on their campuses.

While current federal law prohibits the hiring of undocumented migrants, the bill, pushed by Assemblyman David Alvarez, had managed to pass through the California Legislature. With Newsom's approval, it would have created a legal avenue for illegal students to be hired in jobs at their universities.

Civil and criminal penalties

Newsom argued that the rule could expose both illegal students and universities to civil and criminal penalties, especially considering the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which regulates the hiring of undocumented immigrants.

This veto is part of a series of recent rejections by Newsom of initiatives related to illegal migrants. In early September, he also vetoed a proposal that would have allowed immigrants access to state-funded mortgage loans.