Gavin Newsom, widely viewed as a potential Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential nomination, recently signed legislation that Republicans have dubbed the \u201cStop Nick Shirley Act,\u201d expanding California\u2019s existing Safe at Home privacy program to cover certain immigration-support workers, employees, and volunteers who face threats or harassment because of their work.<\/p>\n
Newsom signed the controversial legislation Saturday. Assembly Bill 2624, officially titled \u201cPrivacy for Immigration Support Services Providers,\u201d is scheduled to take effect October 1, 2027.<\/p>\n
The law allows qualifying immigration-service workers to use substitute addresses, keeping their home addresses out of certain public records. It also restricts the publication of personal information or images when there is specific intent that another person imminently use that information to commit or threaten violence.<\/p>\n
Supporters say the measure is narrowly focused on preventing doxxing, harassment, and threats\u2014not legitimate investigative journalism. Critics, however, argue that it could discourage journalists and citizen investigators from scrutinizing organizations that receive taxpayer funding, particularly when investigations identify individuals connected to organizations classified as providing \u201cimmigration support services.\u201d<\/p>\n
The legislation has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over privacy protections, press freedom, and the public\u2019s right to scrutinize organizations receiving government funds.<\/p>\n
Republican lawmakers named the measure after Nick Shirley, an independent investigative journalist whose viral reports have focused on alleged fraud involving government-funded programs. Shirley and his supporters argue that the law could make it more difficult for independent journalists to investigate organizations that receive public money.<\/p>\n
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The law\u2019s restrictions require specific harmful intent rather than simply publishing information about an immigration-service provider. That distinction is likely to remain central to the controversy as critics question whether California\u2019s effort to protect immigration-service workers can coexist with journalists\u2019 First Amendment rights to investigate and report on organizations operating with public funds.<\/p>\n
When Democratic Assemblymember Mia Bonta, the wife of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, introduced the legislation in February, she repeatedly referenced viral reports about alleged fraud and the backlash surrounding them, although she did not identify any journalist by name.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of extremists looking to demonize the work that they do and the populations they serve,\u201d Bonta said. \u201cThat is an intolerable consequence of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that exists right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio became one of the bill\u2019s most vocal opponents. During committee hearings and floor debates, he argued that the legislation could chill independent investigations into nonprofit organizations and other entities receiving taxpayer money.<\/p>\n
DeMaio dubbed the measure the \u201cStop Nick Shirley Act.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shirley has likewise argued that the legislation could make it harder for independent journalists to investigate organizations receiving public funds.<\/p>\n
His initial December 2025 investigation focused heavily on Minneapolis child care centers that received taxpayer funding through Minnesota\u2019s Child Care Assistance Program, or CCAP.<\/p>\n
In the viral video, Shirley visited multiple facilities and questioned whether the level of activity he observed appeared consistent with their licensed capacity and the substantial amounts of public funding they received.<\/p>\n
One of the most prominent locations was Quality Learning Center, whose exterior sign famously misspelled \u201cLearning\u201d as \u201cLearing.\u201d Shirley highlighted locked doors, a largely empty parking lot, and what he described as an apparent lack of children during his visit.<\/p>\n
State records later showed that Quality Learning Center received approximately $1.9 million through CCAP during fiscal year 2025.<\/p>\n
The facility disputed Shirley\u2019s allegations, stating that he arrived outside its regular operating hours.<\/p>\n
Subsequent state inspections found children present at most of the facilities featured in Shirley\u2019s video. Officials also said they had not established fraud at those locations based solely on Shirley\u2019s reporting.<\/p>\n
The controversy now centers on a larger question: Can California protect immigration-service workers from threats and harassment without creating unintended barriers for journalists and citizen investigators seeking to examine organizations that receive taxpayer money?<\/p>\n