California made it legal for DACA immigrants to work as police. Which departments are using new law?

Sen. Nancy Skinner, the Democrat from Oakland who sponsored the law, called the citizenship rule archaic in a statement and said the new law could “improve the current relationship between law enforcement and communities of color by increasing the visibility and representation of people from the neighborhood.” 

But an informal CalMatters poll of the largest local and state police departments in California suggests many have been slow to hire the newly eligible immigrants. Moron is one of about a dozen California law officers who got jobs through the law, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2023. 

“Our police officers are facing a workforce shortage, as other professions are,” Skinner said. “We need to have people that want to serve in these public safety roles. So we want to eliminate any unreasonable barriers for people from being able to serve.”

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