ACLU Condemns Newsom’s Call to Ban Encampments

SACRAMENTO – In response to Governor Gavin Newsom urging California cities and counties to adopt an ordinance outlawing camping on public property, David Trujillo, executive director of ACLU California Action, issued the following statement: 

Punishing people for being poor does not solve the underlying issues driving California’s housing crisis. We call on city and county leaders across the state to reject Governor Newsom’s cruel and inhumane model ordinance. 

The governor’s ordinance not only urges local jurisdictions to criminalize and displace those who are unhoused – it encourages them to push the bounds of the law. While the Supreme Court’s ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson eliminated one narrow legal protection for unhoused people, many laws still protect the rights of these individuals – including disability laws and protections for personal property. 

Destroying personal property including wheelchairs, medication, and IDs and forcing people to move with nowhere to go are cruel, violent, and counterproductive tactics. Instead of punishing people for being poor, we urge Governor Newsom and our state legislators to establish a permanent funding source that would ensure every Californian has a safe, stable, and affordable home.”

###

Issues: Racial and Economic Justice