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Assembly Bill 495 was signed into law, protecting children of immigrant families by allowing parents to appoint temporary guardians if they face deportation.

SACRAMENTO – As California continues to protect our youngest constituents, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed Assembly Bill 495 authored by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez (D-San Fernando), which supports parents’ rights and ensures educational institutions are equipped to support families in times of crisis.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed a bill allowing a broad range of relatives to step in as children’s caregivers if their parents are deported, a measure that had provoked a firestorm of conservative criticism.

Assembly Bill 495 will also bar daycare providers from collecting immigration information about a child or their parents, and allow parents to nominate a temporary legal guardian for their child in family court. 

What happens to the children whose parents, guardians, or family members are detained or deported abruptly? 

In Los Angeles, immigrant rights and social justice organizations have begun mobilizing in support of legislation that could help equip immigrant and mixed-status families to have the tools needed to prepare for potential separations in the face of rising immigration enforcement raids that have taken the region by storm over the last few months. 

Last week, numerous local organizations gathered to rally in support of Assembly Bill 495 (AB 495), the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025

Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, D-San Fernando, said she was motivated by family history and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics to write Assembly Bill 495, which would expand custody arrangement options for parents separated from their children.

Survivors of domestic and gender-based violence are often forced into impossible choices: Stay in a dangerous situation or risk losing financial stability.

For those relying on public assistance, the barriers to safety are even steeper.