The Reuniting Immigrant Families Act: A Case Study of California’s Senate Bill 1064On September 30, 2012, California Governor Brown signed “The Reuniting Immigrant Families Act” (SB1064). The legislation became the first in the country to address family separation issues as a consequence of the current immigration enforcement system. The California law prioritizes keeping children with their families and out of the public child welfare system whenever possible and helps separated families receive appropriate care and due process.

This case study describes how the bill was developed borrowing the lessons learned from similar federal efforts and how the diverse coalition of children, immigration and social justice organizations partnered to
develop and pass the law. The study concludes by highlighting the efforts of other states to replicate this California bill.