With President-elect Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric on illegal immigration still fresh on their minds, legislative Democrats have readied a pair of proposals they believe will offer some immigrants additional legal help. California has no formal role in national immigration policy, but the bills could supercharge the state's role in pushing back against a Trump administration's effort to deport as many as 3 million people living in the United States. Most sweeping is a bill that would authorize state government grants to nonprofit organizations that provide legal help for immigrants facing deportation. The second bill would establish a new training and funding program for public defenders involved in immigration cases. The bills will also present an early test of the Democrats' new supermajority status in the state Capitol.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 05, 2016 05:06 UTC