California's attorney general prepares to fight Trump's extreme agenda: 'We are prepared' | US elections 2024

California was seen as a leader in the fight against the most extreme policies of Donald Trump's first administration, and after Republicans' decisive victory this week, officials in the Golden State say they are more willing to resist Trump's expected agenda for his second term.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta will play a critical role, tasked with leading litigation and defending the rights of vulnerable Californians in court. That's a tall order because the president-elect has promised measures that could endanger the state's immigrant population, LGBTQ+ residents, climate initiatives, gun safety measures, health care programs and abortion rights.

But Bonta said in an interview with the Guardian on Thursday that his office was ready in every way.

“I know a lot of people are scared and worried, concerned, afraid, angry and sad,” said the Democrat, who now takes the seat previously held by Kamala Harris. “I'm not happy with the results, but I'm energized and ready to fight… I'm ready to do my job and push back hard and push back and fight back against any attacks on California by the Trump administration. “continuous progress.”

Bonta's efforts could have a significant impact on the most populous and diverse state in the United States, home to the world's fifth-largest economy and considered a leader in progressive politics.

Bonta recalled that during Trump's first term, California successfully fought Trump's “public charge” rule, which aimed to block green cards for immigrants who had access to certain benefits such as food stamps. The state also sued to stop Trump from denying funds to sanctuary cities and helped stop the former president's efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects immigrants who are considered Children entered the USA illegally.

“Trump is finding it very difficult to resist the temptation to break the law,” Bonta said, saying he expects the president-elect to again use executive action to make changes that require congressional action. “If he wanted to take a blowtorch approach to the Affordable Care Act and end it on day one with an executive order … he can't do it.” Trump recently said he has “concepts of a plan” to end the popular Obama-era program. Era that expanded health care, and his victory has raised alarm among public health advocates.

Bonta said he has spoken with attorneys general across the U.S. and exchanged briefs, memos and insights from their battles during Trump's first term. They are prepared to coordinate lawsuits as needed: “It’s all hands on deck, use every tool at your disposal.” The litigation will certainly be one of the most impactful and influential.

“We have been preparing for months, in some cases years,” he continued. After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, his staff drafted a legal brief challenging a national abortion ban, a draft he has prepared as needed. His aides have also been monitoring comments from Trump's inner circle and reviewing Project 2025, the right-wing blueprint for his second term drawn up by Trump's allies.

“We have a lot in our pockets that we can get rid of right away,” he said. “In some [cases]the entire strategy is well thought out – the court where we file the lawsuit, when we file it, based on the actions of the Trump administration. All we have to do is dot the I's, cross the T's and hit print. But we are very advanced and very advanced in our preparation.”

Trump has threatened unprecedented mass deportations, an agenda partially thwarted in his first term by California and other blue states that passed sanctuary laws that limited local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration authorities. California Democrats are under pressure from immigrant rights groups to expand these sanctuary policies, which advocates say are not currently the strongest in the country. For example, California prisons continue to coordinate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) to expedite deportations, but Gavin Newsom, the state's governor, previously vetoed efforts to prevent cooperation with Ice.

Bonta said officials should look for ways to “reinforce and strengthen” the existing protected areas law, although he did not provide details.

Newsom called a special legislative session in December for lawmakers to discuss options for “Trump-proof” state legislation, and immigration is likely to be a priority.

“The federal government cannot summon or seize state or local resources or law enforcement to do its job [of immigration enforcement]“said Bonta and described the current protective measures. “There might be some additions that could help strengthen that.”

He said he would look for ways to ensure that the Protected Areas Act was properly followed and implemented across the state. Advocates also anticipate that right-wing pro-Trump sheriffs in conservative counties may be violating California's sanctuary rules. Bonta said he would respond if that happened: “They are police officers. You have to enforce the law. They don’t get to choose the laws they want to enforce…If they politicize it and break the law, then we will be there to hold them accountable.”

Trump has also promised a sweeping rollback of LGBTQ+ rights, and some of his campaign ads have spread significant misinformation about the rights of transgender Americans, particularly in healthcare and sports. He has promised to cut funding for hospitals that offer gender-affirming care for youth, penalize schools that are supportive of trans youth and push forward a law that would mean the government does not legally recognize trans people.

California in 2022 became the first state to establish itself as a haven for transgender children seeking health care, and Bonta's office successfully sued a local school district over its policy that would have required schools to send transgender and gender non-conforming students to their parents to refer.

“We have fought against the attacks on our transgender children on so many fronts, whether we have been fighting for them to be able to play sports … or to be able to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity or to be able to go to the doctor's office and do that.” gender-equitable care,” he said. “We will move forward…The courts are a good place to seek redress when you target and single out someone based on their protected class.”

Bonta campaigned for Harris during the election, hoping he wouldn't have to fight the federal government. “I didn’t want this outcome,” he said. “I was working towards a different result, but I couldn’t guarantee it [it] …so we had to be prepared for the possibility [Trump]. Unfortunately, this result is here. But fortunately we are prepared for this because we have prepared.”

Read more of the Guardian's coverage of the 2024 US election