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Californians have made it clear: the cost of living is too high — and you’re right! From groceries to gas, housing to healthcare, childcare to car payments, the list is virtually endless and so are your bills.
Californians deserve better. You can bet your bottom dollar that California DOJ is doing everything in our power to put more money back into your pockets.
California DOJ’s new Affordability Response Team brings together experts from across the department to double down on our efforts to investigate and go after practices, policies, corporations, and scam artists that are unlawfully raising costs in every aspect of Californians’ lives. We’re enforcing our consumer protection and antitrust laws to keep your costs down and keep our economy thriving. We’re fighting to ensure that everyone who lives here can afford to go after their California Dream.
In solidarity,
Rob
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Suing to Block Illegal Development of ICE Facility Near Gilroy
 President Trump’s mass detention and deportation campaign has led to cruel, inhumane, and unacceptable conditions at immigration holding and detention facilities across California. But instead of working to improve conditions at these facilities — instead of enforcing Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) own detention standards — the Trump Administration is trying to jam through a new facility on a community that doesn’t want it. This week, my office, alongside the County of Santa Clara, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the illegal development of an ICE facility in an unincorporated area near Gilroy, California. ICE’s plans to construct this facility violate multiple federal laws. We’re suing to stop this project and protect the interests of California communities.
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Securing Final Judgment Blocking $100,000 Tax on H-1B Visas
 This week, my office secured a final judgment from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts finding unlawful and vacating the Trump Administration’s policy imposing a $100,000 tax payment on new H-1B visa petitions. H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign national workers in roles that require specialized skills, including as teachers, physicians, researchers, nurses, and other vital workers, to alleviate nationwide labor shortages. While the court's order is temporarily paused, it is a crucial win for California and other states that challenged this illegal attack on America’s ability to attract and retain high-skilled talent that help us meet critical workforce needs. California remains open for business, open to talent, and committed to ensuring our communities have essential services — from healthcare to education — that depend on a strong, skilled workforce.
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Going to Court Over Unlawful, Confusing New Requirements for Federal Contractors
 The Trump Administration keeps moving the goal posts, most recently imposing vague, confusing, and unsupported new conditions on billions of dollars in federal contracts. The Trump Administration is also threatening severe penalties on federal contractors that do not comply, yet has failed to provide adequate notice of what is prohibited. It is not doing so for the sake of efficiency or good government — and it is certainly not doing so out of concern for preventing racial discrimination. Instead, this appears to be yet another attack on lawful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This week, I co-led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration over these new requirements to protect the interests of our state and put a stop to this unlawfulness.
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Challenging Discontinuation of Grants for Special Education Services
 Also this week, I led a multistate lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s discontinuation of awarded grants under the State Personnel Development Grant program. These competitive grants provide critical funding for the professional development of special education staff and support services for children with disabilities. In California, more than 880,000 students are eligible for special education services. This harmful and unlawful action denies these vulnerable students the resources they need to learn and succeed. California is fighting to ensure the continuation of the grant that supports these necessary initiatives for special education.
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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, we announced our Affordability Response Team to go after unlawful practices raising the cost of living for Californians!
Why We Did It: Californians are facing an affordability crisis of epic proportions — and many cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel. Housing shortages, skyrocketing grocery prices, rising healthcare and childcare costs, predatory corporate behavior, and the federal government’s unstable economic policies are all making it difficult not only to cover the basics, but to enjoy many of the things hardworking Americans should be able to afford — like a family vacation or a dinner out.
How We’re Doing It: Tackling the affordability crisis requires creative thinking and a willingness to attack the problem from all angles. The creation of the Affordability Response Team will amplify our focus on affordability, create a pipeline for continued enforcement, and send the strong message that California has zero tolerance for unlawful policies or behavior that drive up prices for Californians. The Affordability Response Team will deploy California DOJ's tools in these issue areas:
- Keeping the Household Running: Grocery, Gas, and Utility Costs
- Relief from Sickening Healthcare Costs
- Investing in Our Future: Childcare, Education, & Retirement
- All Work and Harder to Play: The High Cost of Enjoying Life
- Financial Protection: Protecting Your Hard-Earned Money
- Earning Less: Labor, Wages, and the Cost of Doing Business
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Scams, Scams, Scams!
Tune in next week and we’ll dive into the first issue area!
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Keeping You Safe
 At California DOJ, we believe all California's seniors deserve to be treated with respect, care, and dignity; we will not stand by when they are victimized. This week, my office announced the arrest of a licensed Professional Fiduciary and his accountant who stole over $6 million from five clients in assets they were hired to protect and manage. We brought criminal charges against the defendants following a thorough investigation by my office and the California Franchise Tax Board, where it was revealed that the fiduciary and his accountant conspired to steal from client accounts and evade income taxes between August 2018 and October 2025. The duo are facing charges that include grand theft, grand theft from an elder or dependent adult, and failure to file an income tax return. California DOJ remains committed to defending the fundamental rights of all Californians and ensuring that we hold bad actors accountable.
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CARE Corner
 Please join us for this quarter’s Demystifying the Department of Justice presentation on California DOJ's Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis (BCIA)! BCIA is responsible for overseeing the Live Scan network, maintaining summary criminal history information, and conducting background checks for applicant agencies. The presentation will include an overview of BCIA’s responsibilities and services that help ensure public safety.
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Post of the Week
 The cost of living is much too high.
That’s why I’m forming an Affordability Response Team at California DOJ.
We’re bringing together legal experts from across the DOJ to tackle affordability from all angles and go after bad actors.
Hardworking Californians deserve fair prices, the ability to meet their basic needs, and to have the experiences that make life richer.
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FLASH BRIEFING
Attorney General Bonta, Secretary of State Weber Sue Shasta County Over Measure B’s Illegal Election Overhaul
Attorney General Bonta Waves the Red Flag on Youth Exposure to Tobacco Marketing in Formula 1
Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief in Support of New York Measures Ensuring Public Safety in State Buildings
Attorney General Bonta: CVS to Pay $36.5 Million to Settle Allegations of Overbilling Medi-Cal for Insulin Pens
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Video of the Week
 President Trump and his allies continue to spread misinformation and outright lies about voting in California.
I joined @NPR to share the facts.
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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 III, Tort & Condemnation
Deputy Attorney General IV, Worker Rights & Fair Labor
Deputy Attorney General III, Cannabis Control
Deputy Attorney General IV, Tort & Condemnation Eminent Domain & Inverse Condemnation
Deputy Attorney General IV, Land Use and Conservation
Budget Analyst, CJIS Fiscal Services Section
Paralegal, Licensing Section
Special Investigator, DLE Office of the Chief
Crime Analyst, DMFEA San Diego
Lead Process Improvement Consultant, Office of Strategic Initiatives Branch
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