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No one is above the law.
Following the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, I have reminded California law enforcement of their authority to investigate potential violations of state law by federal officers and agents.
Cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement should be the norm, but if the federal government opts out, as we’re seeing in Minnesota, California DOJ stands ready to move forward without them.
In solidarity,
Rob
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Reminding State and Local Law Enforcement of Authority to Investigate Potential Crimes by Federal Agents
 California stands ready to take all necessary steps to investigate potentially unlawful conduct by federal agents that occurs on our soil, and where the facts warrant, file charges for violations of the California Penal Code. Federal courts have long recognized that federal agents do not have absolute immunity from state law prosecution. Any assertions to the contrary are untrue — and deeply damaging to public trust and the integrity of our justice system. This week, in coordination with Governor Gavin Newsom, I issued guidance reminding state and local law enforcement of their concurrent jurisdiction to investigate potential state law crimes committed by federal agents.
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Condemning the Trump Administration's Threats Against Minnesota
 This week, I also joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. In the letter, we condemned the Trump Administration’s effort to exploit the situation in Minnesota by pressuring state leaders into turning over sensitive resident data and dismantling longstanding public safety policies. This is coercion, plain and simple. The Administration's demands for private data and state records attempt to circumvent the many protections and orders that states like California have already secured in court. We will continue to stand firm against unlawful federal interference and will defend both state sovereignty and the rights of our residents.
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Protecting the Right to Vote from Baseless Attacks
 Last year, a state appellate court struck down the City of Huntington Beach’s voter identification policy, Measure A, as unlawful and preempted by state law. In response, the City asked the California Supreme Court to review the appellate ruling. This week, the California Supreme Court declined to do so, fully resolving the lawsuit that Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. and I filed against the City in our favor. Huntington Beach’s leaders have been parroting the Trump Administration’s talking points by questioning the integrity of our elections. In court, the City’s allegations were resoundingly rejected. Disenfranchising voters for imagined fraud will not be tolerated.
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Suing a California Hospital for Illegally Ending Gender-Affirming Care
 In 2024, I conditionally approved the merger of Rady Children’s Health (Rady) with Children’s Hospital of Orange County and its affiliates. The merger conditions included a requirement that Rady maintain existing levels of specialty healthcare services — including gender-affirming care — through 2034. This week, I filed a lawsuit against Rady because, in response to the Trump Administration’s illegal demands, it decided to stop providing medically necessary gender-affirming care to all patients under the age of 19. We will not allow Rady to violate its obligations to its patients and the State.
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Keeping You Safe
 This Human Trafficking Awareness Month, my office spearheaded a statewide operation to protect the public and take a stand against the demand for sex trafficking — holding perpetrators of human trafficking accountable and supporting survivors along the way.
Operation “Stand on Demand” occurred from January 19 to 24 across multiple counties throughout California with the goal of arresting sex buyers, helping trafficking victims, and ultimately, arresting traffickers. As a result of the operation, 120 individuals were arrested. Of those arrested, 87 were for loitering with intent to solicit, 25 for solicitation, and eight for pimping and pandering.
This operation is part of a regional strategy aimed at addressing human trafficking and sexual exploitation by concentrating on the demand for these illicit services. It involves targeted enforcement that depends on both the surveillance of identified locations and the deployment of undercover officers.
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Making Your Life Affordable
 Making Your Life Affordable: From groceries to gas, costs seem to be rising and rising ... and rising. California DOJ has your back and is committed to protecting California families grappling with the high cost of living. In this segment, find some of the ways California DOJ is protecting Californians — and their wallets.
What We Did: This week, my office announced an investigative sweep focusing on how businesses use the personal data of consumers to set individualized prices for products and services, a practice known as surveillance pricing. Businesses may be violating California law if, for example, they deceive their customers, engage in illegal discrimination, or use data in ways that the targeted consumers might not expect.
What This Means to You: Whether for groceries, travel, or household essentials, Californians have the right to understand if their personal data is used to set individual prices for items or services. Practices like surveillance pricing undermine consumer trust, unfairly raise prices, and may violate California law. My office is committed to investigating emerging trends and practices, including whether businesses are charging people different prices for the same good or service.
What’s Next: Stay tuned! Our previous investigative sweeps have resulted in enforcement actions against prominent companies for violating California law.
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CARE Corner
 The Office of Community Awareness, Response and Engagement (CARE) hosts community briefings to highlight California DOJ-published reports, public resource materials, and data on various important topics.
You are invited to join a CARE Community Briefing on the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) Advisory Board’s 2026 Report on Thursday, February 26, at 1:30 PM! The 2026 RIPA Report, released this week, analyzes 2024 stop data and civilian complaints reported by state and local law enforcement agencies, and issues policy recommendations designed to reduce and ultimately eliminate racial and identity profiling in California.
The briefing will include a presentation by experts at California DOJ about the Department’s involvement in collecting and analyzing RIPA data submitted annually by California law enforcement agencies, as well as a presentation by members of the RIPA Advisory Board, who will discuss key findings in the 2026 report and outline how the public can continue to stay informed about the Board’s ongoing work to eliminate racial and identity profiling.
Click on the button below to register for the briefing!
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FLASH BRIEFING
Attorney General Bonta Announces Arrest of La Costa Canyon High School Teacher for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material
Attorney General Bonta Leads Multistate Amicus Brief Opposing Trump Administration’s Attempt to Prolong the Immigration Detention of Children
Attorney General Bonta Secures Prop 65 Settlement with Seafood Distributor and Processor After Company Fails to Warn of Heavy Metals in Products
Attorney General Bonta Secures Multiple Felony Convictions of Two Sacramentans for Pimping and Pandering, Operating Criminal Massage Businesses
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Video of the Week
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Federal agents aren’t above the law. That includes ICE and Border Patrol.
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Make a Difference at California DOJ
 Apply today to help California DOJ protect the health, well-being, and public safety of Californians. Check out our featured jobs below and visit oag.ca.gov/careers for a full listing of available positions:
Deputy Attorney General IV, Environmental Justice and Protection Section
Deputy Attorney General IV, Charitable Trusts
Graduate Legal Assistant, Correctional Law
Deputy Attorney General IV, Natural Resources Law
Deputy Attorney General IV, Bureau of Environmental Justice
Office Manager, Legal Support Operations
IDSS Property Manager, Justice Data & Investigative Services Bureau
Armed and Prohibited Persons Unit Supervisor, Bureau of Firearms
Fiscal Manager, Public Rights Division Executive Unit
Paralegal, Native American and Tribal Law Section
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