Caught between Trump and a hard place

Presented by California Resources Corporation / Carbon TerraVault: Inside the Golden State political arena

Jan 30, 2025 View in browser   By Dustin Gardiner and Blake Jones Presented by California Resources Corporation / Carbon TerraVault President Donald Trump poses after signing the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday. The bill, his latest immigration crackdown, has added to the confusion facing law enforcement officials in California. | AP THE BUZZ: CHAOS RULES — Conservative law enforcement leaders say they increasingly feel caught in a tug-of-war between California’s sanctuary law and President Donald Trump’s push to crack down on illegal immigration. And the White House's actions this week have made the picture even murkier — perhaps by design. District attorneys and sheriffs say they’re confused by polarizing forces: Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta insists Senate Bill 54 — a state law shielding undocumented immigrants — prevents police from cooperating with ICE agents. Trump, meanwhile, argues sanctuary laws are illegal and has threatened to prosecute officials who don’t assist with mass deportations. On Wednesday, the picture grew more complex after Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, requiring federal officials to detain migrants charged with crimes like shoplifting. It was the first bill Trump signed in his second presidency. Bonta and immigration advocacy groups agree the law doesn't apply to police and sheriffs in California. The act explicitly charges Department of Homeland Security employees with detaining undocumented migrants charged with crimes. “The federal government has their lane, and we have ours,” Bonta’s office said in a statement. “The Laken Riley Act focuses on federal immigration enforcement; it does not implicate SB 54.” But other top cops across the state said the law adds even more tension between Trump’s immigration plans and California’s sanctuary law. “It just adds more fuel to the fire of confusion,” Yolo County DA Jeff Reisig, an SB 54 critic, told Playbook. “As far as I'm concerned for the locals, frankly it puts people in local law enforcement into a difficult position.” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, one of Trump’s closest allies in the state, released a statement arguing that state officials defending sanctuary laws are causing division by not allowing ICE to enter jails. He added, “Democrats in state government do not care about our law-abiding residents.” El Dorado District Attorney Vern Pierson — who sent Bonta a letter last week demanding an opinion about federal law’s precedence over SB 54 — said the passage of the Laken Riley Act is another “strong indication of bipartisan support” for removing migrants facing charges. It’s no surprise that enforcement officials more closely aligned with Trump see legal ambiguity at the same time those in deep-blue counties, such as San Francisco, insist there is no legal conflict because the federal courts upheld California's sanctuary law during Trump’s first term. Jordan Wells, a senior staff attorney at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco, said immigrant advocates must “be on guard against local law enforcement misinterpreting” the new law. He said part of the concern is that it could provide a guise for “local law enforcement to racially profile or target immigrants.” Immigrant advocates said the ongoing chaos has caused undocumented people to stay home from work — or keep their kids home from school — if there are rumblings of ICE operations in the area. — with help from Rachel Bluth and Nicole Norman GOOD MORNING. Happy Thursday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@politico.com and bjones@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. DON’T MISS IT: POLITICO AT USC — Join POLITICO’s own Christopher Cadelago, Sasha Issenberg and Jonathan Martin alongside other political luminaries like James Carville and Reince Priebus today at USC’s annual Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics. Throughout the day, panelists from politics, government, media and academia will discuss “The Trumping of America: Why and What’s Next.” Please register via Zoom.   A message from California Resources Corporation / Carbon TerraVault: California's carbon capture future is here! With federal approval of the Golden State's first Carbon Capture and Storage project — led by California Resources Corporation (CRC) — our state is at the forefront. While other companies give up on California, CRC is eager to partner with Governor Newsom to meet California's climate goals. Approval of CCS in Kern County is an historic opportunity to lead on climate, while creating good-paying clean energy jobs. Let's get to work. Learn more.   NEWSOMLAND Nani Coloretti, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden administration, is joining team Newsom. | AP FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: BACK TO CALI — Nani Coloretti, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden administration, is returning to California to rejoin Gov. Gavin Newsom’s senior staff after spending 15 years in Washington. Coloretti is set to start on Monday, taking the title of senior counselor to the governor. She will transition to Cabinet secretary on March 3, when Ann Patterson will take on a new senior counselor role under Newsom working primarily on wildfire recovery efforts in Los Angeles. Both moves had been in the works for some time — though Patterson, who was planning to depart the Newsom administration after her spouse, Nathan Barankin, became the governor’s chief of staff, agreed to stay on after the recent fires tore through LA. A Hawaii native, Coloretti first worked under Newsom during his time as San Francisco mayor, serving as policy adviser and budget director, before joining the Obama administration, where she worked in Treasury and Housing and Urban Development. She was on the senior staff of the Urban Institute during Trump’s first term as president. In a brief interview, Coloretti described herself as a “Jane-of-all-trades and a problem solver.” The Cabinet secretary position has a broad mandate, reaching across scores of agencies and departments. With two years left on his final term, Coloretti will focus heavily on helping Newsom implement the sweeping programs he and statewide voters passed. Her recent experience atop OMB — a key department Trump is using to cut spending and enact his social agenda — also helps deepen the understanding of Washington in Newsom’s inner circle. — Christopher Cadelago   Power shifts, razor-thin margins, and a high-stakes agenda. We’ve transformed our coverage—more reporters, more timely insights, and unmatched policy scoops. From leadership offices to committee rooms, caucus meetings, and beyond, our expert reporting keeps you ahead of the decisions that matter. Subscribe to our Inside Congress newsletter today.     ON THE AGENDA FLOOR SESH — The Assembly and state Senate will hold floor sessions at 9 a.m. today. CLIMATE AND ENERGY GHOST OF THE FREEZE — The federal funding freeze is pulled back for now, but it’s still casting a pall over California agencies working on everything from wildfire response to electric vehicle charging. Read about the programs and buckets of money still up in the air in last night’s California Climate. TOP TALKERS Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. | Francis Chung/POLITICO PELOSI WEIGHS IN — Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi will support Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler for DNC chair. "For several years, I have had the honor and success to work with Ben Wikler from his thousands of events to save our health care at MoveOn to his winning tough elections in Wisconsin including Justice Janet Protasiewicz and Senator Tammy Baldwin,” said Pelosi in a statement first provided to POLITICO. Wikler also has an endorsement from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, but is in a tough race with Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor-Party Chair Ken Martin and others. TRUMP MAKES HIS MARK— Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made sure to thank his new friend, Trump, in the Silicon Valley company’s earnings call Wednesday, CNBC reports. “We now have a U.S. administration that is proud of our leading companies, prioritizes American technology winning and that will defend our values and interests abroad,” Zuckerberg said. The company has also made several other moves this month that could put it on good terms with the White House, like eliminating third-party fact-checking and elevating Joel Kaplan, who served as deputy chief of staff for former President George W. Bush, to its chief policy role.   A message from California Resources Corporation / Carbon TerraVault:   AROUND THE STATE Ruins of a beach-front home destroyed in the Palisades Fire. | AP — LA beaches from Malibu to Playa del Rey will be closed indefinitely due to “fire debris runoff and pollutants in the water and on the sand.” (Los Angeles Times) — Southern California’s biggest water supplier replaced its general manager after an investigation into claims of harassment. (POLITICO) — Mechanical engineering executive Carl Salas will take over the vacant seat on San Jose City Council previously held by Omar Torres. (KQED) — The California Public Utilities Commission will consider SoCal Edison’s request to have customers cover more than $7 billion in damages from the 2017 Thomas fire and the 2018 Woolsey fire. (Los Angeles Times) — compiled by Nicole Norman   New Year. New Washington. New Playbook. With intensified congressional coverage and even faster delivery of policy scoops, POLITICO’s reimagined Playbook Newsletter ensures you’re always ahead of the conversation. Sign up today.     PLAYBOOKERS PEOPLE MOVES — Tara McGee has joined the firm Ballard Partners as a senior associate in Sacramento. She was previously legislative director for former Sen. Anthony Portantino. — Allen Young has joined the firm Cobalt Public Affairs as vice president. He was previously a press secretary for state Sen. Dave Cortese and, before that, Attorney General Rob Bonta and former AG Xavier Becerra. He most recently hosted Insight, CapRadio's flagship public affairs program. BIRTHDAYS — Rep. Kevin Kiley (favorite cake flavor: “anything with peanut butter” … WaPo reporter Maeve Reston … Barrett Williams … WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form. CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@politico.com.   A message from California Resources Corporation / Carbon TerraVault: California's climate future is here. With federal approval of the Golden State's first Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project — led by California Resources Corporation – our state is once again at the forefront! As Governor Newsom has made clear, CCS will be vital to achieving carbon neutrality, since there simply is no other way to eliminate all carbon emissions in a growing economy. CRC is committed to leading the way. While some companies are giving up on California, we're doubling down on partnering with the Governor to help meet our state's climate goals, while growing our clean energy economy in the process. The historic approval of this CCS project in Kern County represents an opportunity for California to once again lead the climate future, while providing energy workers with good-paying clean energy jobs. It's a win-win for our climate and our economy. Let's get to work. Learn more.     Follow us on Twitter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner Blake Jones @jonesblakej   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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