A considerable number of Senate Democrats joined Republicans on Thursday to move forward a GOP-sponsored bill mandating the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of specific offenses – a crucial move that places the legislation close to being passed.

The town was rocked by reports of federal immigration agents in Kern County on Tuesday, as YouTube video sparked concerns about deportations and workplace raids. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will be in the area this week, the Bakersfield Police Department informed The Californian on Tuesday. The department was not participating in the operations, according to the agency.

People on opposing sides of the issue say that San Diego County’s contentious new policy, which prohibits the use of any county resources for federal immigration enforcement, will probably need to be decided in court.

Two bills in the Legislature — AB 49 and SB 48 — seek to prevent federal agents from arresting undocumented students or their relatives on or near school grounds without a warrant.

House Republicans may be teeing up early floor votes on an issue that the GOP aggressively emphasized during the 2024 campaign by including five immigration-related bills in their opening batch of rules for the 119th Congress.

According to NBC News, the incoming administration plans to reverse laws that limit immigration enforcement operations in sensitive locations like hospitals, schools, and places of worship, as well as the neighborhoods around them, in order to fulfill Trump’s pledge to deport more than 11 million undocumented immigrants.