Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Sunday that would have allowed undocumented students to hold jobs on public university campuses across the state. 

Assembly Bill 713 – the Opportunity for All Act – would have prevented the UC, California State University and California Community Colleges from barring undocumented students from on-campus jobs because they are unable to provide proof of federal work authorization. The California Legislature approved the bill Aug. 28. 

[Related: California Legislature approves bill to allow undocumented students to hold campus jobs]

Newsom vetoed a similar bill in 2024 because of concerns that it would violate a federal law prohibiting the employment of undocumented immigrants. In his veto message for the 2026 bill, Newsom said his concerns about retaliation from the federal government if the bill is enacted have grown since 2024. 

The Trump administration sued Newsom, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the UC Board of Regents, the California State Universities Board of Trustees and the California Community Colleges Board of Governors in November, arguing that state laws allowing undocumented students living in California to pay in-state tuition and receive scholarships are unconstitutional.

[Related: Trump lawsuit challenges California’s in-state tuition for undocumented students]

“The current federal government has shown it is quick to wreak destruction for political spectacle – attacking California’s public higher education institutions and terrorizing immigrant communities, including students, with reckless disregard for its consequences and a desire for chaos,” Newsom wrote in the veto message. 

[Related: Newsom vetoes bill that would allow undocumented students to hold campus jobs]

Supporters of the bill argued that the 1986 federal law barring employers from hiring undocumented immigrants only applies to federal entities, not state ones.This legal framework was created by the Opportunity for All campaign, which UCLA students and faculty started in 2022 to advocate for equal access to on-campus employment opportunities for undocumented students.

[Related: Undocumented students push for UC job opportunities, citing California court ruling]

The bill would not have applied to jobs that require proof of work authorization under federal law or as a condition of a grant. 

In November, however, the California Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s ruling that said the UC’s policy barring undocumented students from holding on-campus jobs violates the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. This state law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees and applicants on the basis of immigration status. 

[Related: CA Supreme Court reaffirms UC cannot bar undocumented students from on-campus jobs]

The court ruled that the UC must reevaluate its policy, but it did not specify if the federal law barring employers from hiring undocumented students applies to state entities. 

“California remains committed to economic opportunity and tuition affordability for all students, including leading efforts to support undocumented students,” Newsom said in the veto message. “But given the gravity of this bill’s consequences – including potential criminal and civil liability for state employees – the federal courts must resolve the legality of the novel legal theory behind this legislation before we proceed.”