Independent journalist Nick Shirley has filed a lawsuit against California, alleging that a new state law targets individuals who investigate providers of immigration-related services.
Assembly Bill (AB) 2624, dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” by critics and signed into law last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom, allows immigration support service providers to use a confidential address in public records.
The law, which comes into effect on Oct. 1, 2027, adds immigration support services providers to the state’s Safe and Home program, which currently covers domestic violence victims, abortion and transgender treatment providers, among others.
It also makes it illegal to publicly disclose the personal information, such as addresses or images, of immigration support services providers that have enrolled in the program.
The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 4, alleges that the law violates the First and 14th Amendments.
“The First Amendment does not allow the government to silence truthful reporting because it is controversial, inconvenient, or politically disfavored,” it stated.
The California law imposes civil liability for publishing personal information concerning providers of immigration-related services, placing a “target on all the investigative reporting Mr. Shirley conducts,” the lawsuit alleged.
Shirley, in a video posted on X, asked why the immigration service providers were given what he described as “protected class” status in California, and alleged that these providers were used to “commit fraud” inside the state.
“A written demand is all it takes to stop the publishing of a video in California,” Shirley said in the post, adding that if the video is posted, it may incur a $4,000 fine.
The lawsuit alleges that the law discriminates politically as its restrictions work in favor of “immigration support services,” while imposing no comparable protective measures for organizations and individuals that favor stricter immigration enforcement.
Defendants of the lawsuit are California Attorney General Robert Bonta and California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber.
The Epoch Times reached out to the offices of Bonta and Weber for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Bonta’s wife, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, introduced AB 2624 on Feb. 20. On Aug. 22, Newsom signed the measure into law.
Back in January, President Donald Trump announced an expansion of his administration’s fraud crackdown to California, after having uncovered millions of dollars in fraud in Minnesota, much of it with the help of Shirley.
In a Feb. 16 post on X, Shirley shared a video of him investigating possible voter fraud in California. A few days later, Mia Bonta introduced AB 2624.
Bonta justified the measure in an Aug. 22 statement, saying the bill was introduced amid an escalation of threats to individuals engaged in immigration services operating in the state.
“AB 2624 is fundamentally about freedom: the freedom from fear that lets our immigrant service providers do their jobs, and the freedom of the press to do their jobs without ever being conflated with the doxxing this bill actually targets,” Bonta said in the statement.
According to the lawsuit, Shirley now faces a “credible and objectively reasonable threat” of enforcement under the newly passed act. As such, Shirley is harmed due to the legislation’s “chilling effect on his protected speech,” the complaint stated.
The lawsuit asks the court to issue a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing defendants or anyone linked to them from enforcing AB 2624’s provisions.
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.