California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Three Bills Supporting Illegal Aliens

California Governor Jerry Brown had until midnight Sunday, October 9th, 2011 to act on measures that had made their way through the California Legislature and onto his desk. Brown certainly did not disappoint illegal aliens in his state and across the country, as he signed three bills into law that strongly reiterated California’s stance as a sanctuary state.

On Saturday night, Governor Brown signed the second half (AB 131) of California’s “DREAM Act”. The bill gives illegal aliens in-state tuition to California’s universities and access to state-funded financial aid. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California joins two other states, Texas and New Mexico, as the only states that allow illegal alien college students to qualify for state financial aid.

The second bill, AB 1236, essentially bans any employers in the state from using E-Verify, the national online database used to check workers’ immigration status.  The bill applies to all public and private employers in the state and prevents any counties and local municipalities from passing legislation to implement E-Verify. Illinois was the first state to ban E-Verify back in 2007.

Finally, the third bill (AB 353) blocks police from impounding vehicles at checkpoint because a driver is unlicensed. While the bill text does not directly mention illegal aliens, the purpose of the bill is to protect unlicensed individuals, particularly illegal aliens.

These pieces of legislation come amidst a state unemployment rate of 12.1% and an increasing debt crisis in California.