CPDA Statements

California Public Defenders Association Statement on Noem v. Perdomo

September 9, 2025

The Supreme Court ruling in Noem v. Perdomo represents a devastating setback for constitutional protections. By allowing asserted federal agents to engage in violent detentions and interrogations based on appearance, language, and working at a low-wage job, the Court has opened the door wide to racial profiling and discriminatory policing under the guise of immigration enforcement.

This decision is a death knell to the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures—not just for immigrants, but for all people in this country. If government agents are permitted to stop individuals based on race, accent, or neighborhood, then no one is safe from arbitrary detention. Such practices transform entire communities into constitutional-free zones.

As public defenders, we see every day the devastating consequences of biased policing. The Court’s ruling sanctions practices that deliberately target Latinos and other communities of color, including U.S. citizens, lawful residents, and those with deep ties to California. It undermines trust in the justice system and threatens to normalize a regime where rights exist only for some, but not for all.

The California Public Defenders Association stands firmly against this assault on the Constitution and this assault on the residents of California. We call on lawmakers at every level of government – state and federal – to enact laws and policies that prohibit racial profiling and defend the principle that every person—regardless of race, language, or status—is entitled to equal protection under the law.

California Public Defenders Association Statement on Trump's Executive Order Regarding Bail 

August 27, 2025

The California Public Defenders Association condemns President Trump’s executive order seeking to roll back bail reform and reinstate money bail practices in jurisdictions where there has been necessary reform. This order and the President’s ill-informed statements are a direct attack on the constitutional principles of fairness and equality that should underpin our justice system.

For decades, the use of money bail has punished people for their poverty rather than their conduct. Those who can afford to pay are set free, while low-income people who are disproportionately people of color are forced to languish in jail, separated from their families, jobs, and communities, often pleading guilty simply to regain their freedom.

In California, courts have been taking concrete steps toward reform in recent years. In re Humphrey (2021), the California Supreme Court declared that it is unconstitutional to detain a person before trial solely because they cannot afford bail. And in 2023, the Los Angeles Superior Court implemented its Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols (PARPs). This effectively eliminated money bail for most low-level offenses. 

Independent research from the California Policy Lab shows that this reform both significantly reduced jail populations and did not increase crime rates, proving that communities can be kept safe without tying pretrial freedom to wealth.  These rulings laid a constitutional foundation for a fairer and more equitable pretrial system in California.

By attempting to reverse these reforms through executive fiat, the federal government seeks to undo years of progress and destabilize communities that have already borne the brunt of mass incarceration. Public safety is best served when individuals can maintain stability in their lives while awaiting trial, not when they are punished with jail simply for being poor.

The California Public Defenders Association urges policymakers, courts, and the public to resist this harmful executive order and the false rhetoric and to continue advancing reforms that bring us closer to a truly just and equitable criminal legal system. 

California Public Defenders Association Condemns ICE Raids, State Violence Against Protesters, and Stands in Solidarity with SEIU and Community Defenders

June 8, 2025

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Public Defenders Association (CPDA) strongly condemns the
recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including the violent and unlawful
apprehension of individuals in our neighborhoods. These state-sponsored raids are part of a broader
war on migrants — our neighbors, clients, and family members — who are integral to the fabric of our
communities. These actions represent a stark violation of civil liberties, an abuse of federal power, and a
betrayal of California’s commitment to immigrant rights and sanctuary values.

Defenders across the state are already seeing the devastating human consequences of these actions:
children left without parents, long-term residents torn from their communities, and legal residents
wrongly swept up in mass enforcement. These are not isolated cases—they are evidence of systemic
harm.

We commend those who have taken courageous, protected action to stand up for their neighbors and to
resist illegal and immoral government operations. This includes not only community members and legal
advocates, but labor leaders and frontline workers.

CPDA stands shoulder to shoulder with SEIU and with their President David Huerta, whose unwavering
support for immigrant and working-class communities mirrors our daily fight for justice. We work
alongside SEIU members every day in our offices, courthouses, jails, and communities across California
— united in the struggle for dignity and safety for all.

As the statewide voice for attorneys who represent people accused of crimes, CPDA also denounces
the use of violence and intimidation by law enforcement against protesters. Peaceful protest is a right
enshrined in both the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution. The state has no authority to
brutalize those who speak out for justice.

“This moment demands moral clarity,” said CPDA Board President Tracie Olson. “We will not stand by
while ICE terrorizes our communities, or while law enforcement attacks the people who dare to oppose
it. CPDA is proud to defend those who defend others — in the streets, in the courts, and in the halls of
power.”