Sacramento Watch: SB 98 Would Require Notice of ICE Visits to Campus by Specified Institutions

08.08.2025

Senate Bill 98, if passed, will amend certain sections of the Education Code to require that campus communities be notified when “immigration enforcement” is present. The notice requirements will apply to the following types of academic institutions:

Public K-12 schools
California State Universities
Community college districts
Independent colleges and universities, and career technical schools, which are Cal Grant qualified

In addition, the bill recommends participation by the University of California.

The notice must include the date and time the immigration enforcement was confirmed, its location, and a link to additional resources, including model policies adopted by local educational agencies. No personally identifiable information may be included.

“Immigration enforcement” is defined as any and all efforts to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal civil immigration law or any federal criminal law that penalizes a person’s presence, entry, reentry, or employment in the U.S. An immigration officer could be any state, local, or federal law enforcement officer who is seeking to enforce immigration law.

SB 98 was introduced on January 23, 2025 and was passed by the Senate on June 2, 2025, by a vote of 29-8 and is now being considered by the Assembly.

Schools and higher education institutions already operate alert systems to notify campus communities of time-sensitive events such as active shooters, natural disasters, and bomb threats, so the necessary mechanism is already in place.

The state Attorney General published guidance to public schools, local educational agencies, immigrant students and their families on interacting with immigration enforcement entities. (See https://oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources.) The proposed notice is intended to complement that advice.

The bill is designated as urgency legislation, so it would be effective immediately upon being enacted.

We will continue to monitor this legislation and report on its progress.