Newsom’s Surprising Shift on Law Enforcement Funding

Clear Facts

• Governor Gavin Newsom requested nonprofits donate at least $610,000 to groups advocating for defunding or abolishing law enforcement since 2023.
• The Immigrant Defenders Law Center and Immigrant Legal Defense received significant funds at Newsom’s behest, despite their controversial stances on law enforcement.
• Newsom has recently distanced himself from defunding police movements, calling them “lunacy” and advocating for eliminating sanctuary policies.

Governor Gavin Newsom of California has been instrumental in directing substantial nonprofit funds to organizations that have openly supported the defunding or abolishment of law enforcement. Since 2023, Newsom has facilitated at least $610,000 in donations to such groups, raising eyebrows given his recent shift to more moderate rhetoric on law enforcement issues.

The Immigrant Defenders Law Center (IDLC) and Immigrant Legal Defense (ILD) are two organizations that benefited from Newsom’s efforts. In 2023, IDLC received $500,000, and in 2025, ILD was granted $110,000. According to state records, these donations were secured at Newsom’s request. IDLC has been vocal about defunding the police and has actively worked to release illegal immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Meanwhile, ILD prioritizes “abolishing immigration detention and reimagining the U.S. immigration system entirely,” as stated on their website.

Despite his past support for these organizations, Newsom has recently distanced himself from the defund the police movement. In a March interview, he described such proposals as “lunacy.” Furthermore, in a July interview, Newsom expressed his willingness to “advocate for eliminating sanctuary policy,” which restricts police cooperation with ICE in certain Democratic-leaning areas. This shift in stance has fueled speculation about his potential presidential ambitions for 2028.

Efforts to reach Newsom’s office, as well as IDLC and ILD, for comment were unsuccessful. Additionally, the Irvine Foundation and the Stuart Foundation, which provided the funds at Newsom’s urging, did not respond to requests for comment.

California law mandates that elected officials disclose any payments made to organizations at their request or suggestion. Newsom’s disclosures reveal that IDLC received funds to “support and to expand critical services offered to migrants crossing the U.S. border,” while ILD’s funds were intended to provide “immigration legal services through K-12 school based partnerships.”

Notably, IDLC’s activities have included launching a bond fund to facilitate the release of illegal immigrants from ICE custody. This initiative was announced just one day after anti-ICE riots erupted in Los Angeles, featuring fires and assaults on law enforcement. In June 2020, IDLC also publicly supported calls to “dismantle the police state by defunding and decreasing police budgets.”

In the wake of these donations, Newsom proposed reducing California’s public safety budget to address a fiscal deficit, while prioritizing climate-related programs. This decision further highlights the complex interplay between Newsom’s actions and public safety policies.

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