California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed Assembly Bill 713, legislation that would have allowed undocumented students attending public colleges and universities in the state to hold paid campus jobs. The bill sought to prevent the University of California (UC), California State University (Cal State), and state community colleges from denying campus employment to students who could not provide federal work authorization.

This marks the second consecutive year Newsom has rejected similar legislation. In his veto message, the governor expressed concerns about potential legal liabilities for state employees should the bill become law. Newsom referenced fears that the state could face criminal and civil penalties, noting that uncertainties about the bill’s underlying legal theory remain unresolved in federal courts.

The bill was based on a legal interpretation developed by UCLA law professors Ahilan Arulanantham and Hiroshi Motomura, who argue that a 1986 federal law banning employers from hiring undocumented workers does not apply to state governments. Despite this, Newsom cautioned that moving forward before courts definitively rule on this argument posed significant risks. “The federal courts must resolve the legality of the novel legal theory behind this legislation before we proceed,” the governor stated.

Newsom also highlighted recent actions by the federal government, which he said have targeted California’s public higher education institutions and immigrant communities with “reckless disregard for consequences.” He reaffirmed California’s commitment to supporting undocumented students through economic opportunity and tuition affordability, even as he expressed concerns about the bill’s potential consequences.

The veto follows escalating federal pressure on California and other states over immigration-related policies affecting public universities. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued California and 20 other states over laws permitting in-state tuition for undocumented students, with courts blocking such laws in five states.

Following Newsom’s 2024 veto of similar legislation, an undocumented UCLA alumnus filed a lawsuit challenging UC’s policy of barring undocumented students from campus employment. In a 2024 ruling, a state appeals court found that UC’s no-hire policy “facially discriminates based on immigration status” and directed the university to revisit the policy. The state Supreme Court subsequently declined to hear an appeal, but UC has maintained its current stance.

UCLA law professor Arulanantham, a co-author of the legal theory underpinning the bill, criticized Newsom’s decision as “misguided,” arguing that the veto leaves universities more vulnerable to legal challenges without statutory backing. “The governor’s failure to do what is right will not protect the university, but instead leave it even more vulnerable,” he said.

While UC and Cal State did not officially support this year’s bill, both institutions expressed concerns over the legal implications of last year’s version, warning of potential criminal penalties, civil fines, or loss of federal funding.

Student organizations including the Cal State Student Association, the UC Student Association, the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges endorsed AB 713. Advocates emphasized the bill’s importance in allowing undocumented students access to paid internships, research roles, teaching assistantships, and compensated student government positions.

California’s public university system enrolls several thousand undocumented students each year: between 2,000 and 4,000 at UC campuses, approximately 9,500 at Cal State, and about 70,000 across community colleges. Supporters of the bill held a rally on September 4 at the UCLA Labor Center, with Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr., the bill’s author, and UC Regent José Hernández among those urging lawmakers to pass the measure.

Hernández stated, “Talent does not have an immigration status,” and stressed the need to balance legal responsibilities with the imperative to support students’ contributions to California.