As ICE Tears Immigrant Families Apart, California Moves to Keep Them Housed

April 9, 2026

Admin’s Notes: This article is originally published by the Western Center on Law & Poverty here: As ICE Tears Immigrant Families Apart, California Moves to Keep Them Housed – Western Center on Law & Poverty

This bill moved through the Senate Judiciary Committee but remained in the Senate Appropriations Committee so it will not be voted on again until this upcoming session.

For a snapshot of the edits to the bill as well as its journey through the California legislature, please see here: SB 1243: Unlawful detainer: Tenant Protections for Immigrant Families Act of 2026. | Digital Democracy.

For a non-supporting perspective, such as that of a landlord organization, please see here: State legislation would prohibit eviction cases tied to immigration enforcement • California Apartment Association

IAUT is an educational and non-partisan organization. However, the current implementation of ICE arrests results in the detention of anyone who bears the resemblance of a person of non-U.S.-origin as dictated by stereotypes/biases. Because of these biases, current ICE policy threatens the housing of both migrant and U.S.-indigenous communities. End of Admin Notes.

Media Contact:
Christina Vo, christina@aapiforce.org
Jonathan Loc, jonathan.loc@sen.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, CA – State Senator Maria Elena Durazo stands alongside immigrant rights and tenants’ rights advocates to introduce Senate Bill 1243, the Tenant Protections for Immigrant Families Act. SB 1243 creates an affirmative defense and a temporary stay on unlawful detainer actions for impacted tenants and families, whose household members have been abducted by federal immigration enforcement during this period of immense fear, loss, and turmoil.

Beginning in January 2025, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have significantly increased military-style roving patrols and detentions. In 2025, ICE detained more than 14,000 people in the Los Angeles area alone.

SB 1243 will protect immigrant workers and families who have been among the hardest hit by the state’s housing affordability crisis. California has a higher share of immigrants than any other state, with nearly 11 million immigrants calling California home. Undocumented Californians pay $8.5 billion annually in state and local taxes, and in Los Angeles County alone, undocumented workers generate $253.9 billion in total economic output supporting 1 million jobs. Nearly two-thirds of undocumented workers are rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing (CA Immigrant Data Portal).

Since the raids, a Los Angeles workforce report found that 95 percent of immigrant renters are experiencing increased rent burden, with tenants spending an average of 91 percent of their income on rent. One in seven households received an eviction notice for nonpayment of rent. The economic toll extends beyond households: 82 percent of surveyed businesses reported negative impacts from federal immigration enforcement, and 52 percent experienced reduced daily sales or revenue.

The scale of the costs facing immigrant workers is undeniable and has grown on multiple fronts–from California’s cuts to Medi-Cal and food assistance to the legal expenses associated with protecting and recovering their loved ones.

“When a family member is taken in an immigration raid, the fear and uncertainty are overwhelming,” said Senator Durazo. “No one should also have to worry about losing their home. SB 1243 gives families basic stability by pausing eviction proceedings so they have a chance to get back on their feet during an already traumatic time.”

SB 1243 is co-sponsored by Western Center on Law and Poverty, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Southern California (AJSOCAL), and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment (AAPI ForCE).

“We cannot ignore that ICE is disproportionately targeting and terrorizing Latine communities, fueling housing instability across California, ” said Tina Rosales-Torres, Policy Advocate and Attorney with the Western Center on Law and Poverty. “Policies that push families into fear and invisibility are fundamentally at odds with solving our state’s housing crisis and with California’s core values, which recognize immigrants as integral to our communities and economy. This bill is a critical step to ensure immigrant households can remain stably housed during a time of profound uncertainty, and it reflects California’s commitment to protecting immigrant communities.”

“From the unlawful detainment of Pacific Islanders, who are United States citizens, to the repeated targeting and punishment of Asian immigrants and refugees, ICE’s cruel campaign has instilled fear and havoc among the AAPI community” said Dahni Tsuboi, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California. “ To keep victims and their families safe, we must protect their housing. The AAPI community faces unique challenges because of language barriers that make it difficult to communicate with landlords, courts, or government agencies, which then jeopardize their housing. After over a year of increased attacks on an already vulnerable community, this bill is essential to keep the AAPI community safely housed.

“ICE has arrested more Asian immigrants and refugees in California than any other state, and we stand alongside our allies who have been terrorized by the fascist regime,” said Sydney Fang, Policy Director of AAPIs for Civic Empowerment (AAPI ForCE). “Disappeared in targeted abductions at our homes, workplaces, airports, and courthouses, immigrant and refugee families have suddenly faced the loss of breadwinners, caregivers, parents, and children. Immigrants and refugees are being punished triple by the detention of our loved ones, cuts to our basic needs, and depressed local economies and neighborhoods. California must act now to ensure that immigrant families have a home to return to.”

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Senator María Elena Durazo represents the 26th Senate District, which includes a diverse array of Los Angeles neighborhoods, including Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Mt. Washington, Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights, Atwater Village, Elysian Valley, Arlington Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, Larchmont, Koreatown, Pico-Union, Westlake-MacArthur Park, Historic Filipinotown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Civic Center, City Terrace, East Los Angeles, and the City of Vernon.

Western Center on Law & Poverty (WCLP) is one of the largest legal services providers in the state of California dedicated to systemic change. Through the lens of economic and racial justice, Western Center on Law & Poverty fights in courts, cities, counties, and in the Capitol to secure housing, health care, and a strong safety net for Californians with low incomes.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a California leader with national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) is the leading civil rights advocate for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Our services are open to individuals of all races and ethnicities, without restriction. We combat discrimination, provide free legal services and workshops across Southern California for low-income community members and anyone in need, and drive policy change from the local to national level.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment (AAPI ForCE) is a network of grassroots 501(c)(4) Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations across California dedicated to strengthening and expanding democracy while growing the political participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.