Immigration Reform 2014 News: CA Governor Signs New Immigration Reform Bills into Law

Governor Jerry Brown has already made headlines by making California the first state to ban one-use plastic bags and is now tackling an even more controversial platform. Tuesday the governor signed three bills designed to reform California immigration policies.

The first bill is the State Dream Loan Program, which will provide $9.2 million for state public universities to administer loans to undocumented students. This is a follow-up to Brown and the Democratic legislative leaders announcing plans to spend $3 million to provide legal aid for the near 4,000 immigrant children from Central America who are still in state. 

The money should provide a great relief to thousands of students who previously had no options for government sanctioned financial help and had to turn to nearly their entire personal equity in order to afford a university education. 

This bill has already earned Gov. Brown praise from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who said that California has taken a lead role in national immigration reform. Per the Associated Press, Nieto said in Spanish to a legislation session, "The very progress you have promoted not only benefits Californians because you have sent a very clear message to the U.S. and the entire world."

The Governor also signed Senate Bill 1159, which will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for professional state licenses to work as doctors, dentists, nurses and a number of other professions.

Criticism has also been levied towards the Governor as well, under the belief that it will attract more immigrants to unlawfully come across the border to use California resources. Others have claimed that these bills, combined with the other efforts made by the Governor, have effectively turned California into a safe haven for illegal immigration.

Brown has made it clear that one of his goals as governor is to promote more cross-border cooperation with Mexico, which he notes is California's largest export market. He believes these efforts to be an answer to combat economic problems and climate change issues. To that end, the governor has signed these bills and even made a trade mission to Mexico earlier in the summer.

These are hardly the first ventures into immigration reform for the California governor. In 2011 he signed the California Dream Act into law, affording financial aid to undocumented children who were brought to the United States before they were 16.  Brown also approved a bill that allowed undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses.