Newsom hit with lawsuit threat as whistleblower begs Trump for help with ‘monumental’ fraud scandal
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new privacy law for immigration support service providers, prompting Republican state Assemblyman Carl DeMaio to threaten legal action and to appeal to the Trump administration's Department of Justice for support. DeMaio, who dubs it the "Stop Nick Shirley Act" after a citizen journalist who has filmed alleged fraud at taxpayer-funded organisations, argues the law criminalises investigative journalism by shielding providers' addresses and penalising anyone who publishes their images online. Newsom's office rejects this characterisation, insisting the law is unrelated to Shirley's reporting and does not conceal fraud.
The law, officially titled "Privacy for immigration support services providers," was signed last week and takes effect on 1 October. DeMaio says he has assembled a coalition and a plaintiff to challenge it in court, and hopes the Department of Justice will intervene on First Amendment grounds; he claims to have already been in discussions with the department's Office for Civil Rights. He alleges that California-funded NGOs meant to serve immigrants instead engage in political activity such as organising rallies and endorsing candidates, calling the scale of alleged fraud "monumental." A Newsom spokesperson, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, dismissed the claims as a "fake conspiracy theory" and said the legislation does not affect Shirley's journalism.
- Newsom signed a law protecting immigration service providers' privacy, effective 1 October.
- Republican Assemblyman DeMaio calls it an attack on citizen journalism, plans lawsuit.
- Newsom's office denies the law shields fraud or targets journalist Nick Shirley.
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California last week gained a new privacy law aimed at organisations that provide immigration support services, and it is due to come into force on 1 October. Governor Gavin Newsom signed it, but Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio has objected strongly, arguing it will shield the addresses of these taxpayer-funded providers and punish people who publish images of them online.
DeMaio links the law to Nick Shirley, a citizen journalist known for filming what he alleges is fraud and misuse of public money at such organisations, including claims that some engage in political campaigning rather than serving immigrants as intended. He says the law would make this kind of filming and reporting harder, and is preparing a legal challenge while asking the Trump administration's Department of Justice to step in on free speech grounds.
Newsom's office disputes this account, saying the law has nothing to do with Shirley's work and does not hide any wrongdoing. The dispute matters because it touches on competing concerns: protecting the safety and privacy of service providers and their staff, versus preserving the ability of journalists and members of the public to scrutinise how public money is spent.