Bill
AB 2230
AB 2230 bars immigration enforcement near polling places and licensed child daycares, elevates violations to felonies, and widens protected zones to reduce intimidation.
Authors/Session: Assembly Member Ávila Farías; 2025–2026 Regular Session
Purpose and intent
- To prohibit immigration-enforcement personnel from being stationed within designated proximity to polling places and licensed child daycare facilities.
- To raise the penalties for violations and expand the scope of who counts as “law enforcement” for purposes of existing polling-place protections.
- To address concerns about intimidation or disruption of voting and child care operations by immigration enforcement activities.
Key provisions and changes
1) Polling places (Elections Code, Section 18544)
- Makes it a felony, punishable by a fine up to $10,000 and imprisonment of 2, 3, or 5 years, for:
- Any person in possession of a firearm, or any uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person wearing/displaying clothing or insignia that reasonably conveys an association with law enforcement, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of a polling place without authorization.
- The crime also applies to anyone acting on behalf of federal or other law enforcement who displays a uniform or insignia indicating such association.
- Expands the “immediate vicinity” to include:
- The building housing the polling place, 100 feet from any entrance/exit, the building’s parking facility, and the vehicle ingress/egress to the parking facility.
- Exceptions (existing law retained):
- Unarmed guards at polling places to cast a vote.
- Peace officers conducting official business, casting a vote, or responding to a violent crime or an immediate threat at the polling place.
- Private guards hired by a city/county elections official or by the owner/manager of the polling-location facility (if not hired just for election day).
- Prohibition on authorizations:
- Elections officials cannot authorize immigration enforcement or federal law enforcement to be stationed near a polling place. Any such authorization is null and void and not a defense to a charge under this section.
- Includes federal officers and agents within the scope of “law enforcement officer” for purposes of the provision.
2) Child daycare facilities (Health and Safety Code, new Section 1596.7997)
- Prohibits immigration-enforcement personnel from being stationed within 100 feet of the entrance to a licensed child daycare facility, with an exception only if the personnel is performing tasks related to their own children.
- Facility employees must resist entry by immigration-enforcement personnel into nonpublic areas without a valid judicial warrant, subpoena, or court order, to the extent practicable, and may request identification.
- Violations by immigration-enforcement personnel constitute a felony, punishable by a fine up to $10,000 and imprisonment of 2, 3, or 5 years.
- Establishes procedures and protections around access to nonpublic areas and emphasizes the right to consult with counsel.
3) Severability and fiscal provisions
- Provisions are severable.
- The act does not require state reimbursement for local costs, as the changes involve new crimes or changes to penalties.
4) Legislative framing and findings (legislative findings in the bill)
- Findings cite concerns about ICE activities in California, impacts on immigrant communities, and the importance of safe environments for voting and child care.
Who would be affected
- Immigration enforcement personnel (federal or state agents) and contractors operating near polling places and licensed child daycare facilities.
- Elections officials and polling-place operators who would be subject to new prohibitions and associated penalties.
- Licensees and administrators of licensed child daycare facilities, and their staff, who must enforce entry restrictions and request documentation when law enforcement seeks access.
- Individuals or entities responsible for security staffing at polling places.
Procedural and timeline notes
- The bill has been amended through multiple committee stages in 2026 and passed through hearings, with current action placing it in the Assembly (APPR) and related committees.
- If enacted, penalties and prohibitions would become effective upon operative date specified in the statute (not explicitly stated in the text provided, but typically the effective date of the act or upon enactment).
Bottom line
AB 2230 would significantly tighten the boundaries around immigration-enforcement presence at polling places and licensed child daycare facilities in California, elevating related violations to felonies, expanding the definition of protected zones (immediate vicinity), and strengthening protections for children and voters from intimidation or disruption linked to immigration enforcement activities.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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