California AG Rob Bonta is Prioritizing Undocumented Immigrants Over Taxpayer Burdens

Attorney General Rob Bonta (oag.ca.gov)

California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, has emerged as one of the nation's most aggressive defenders of undocumented immigrants, using the power of his office—and millions in taxpayer dollars—to shield non-citizens from federal enforcement while ensuring their access to state and federal benefits funded largely by California residents.

Since taking office in 2021 and winning election in 2022, Bonta has filed dozens of lawsuits against the federal government, with a sharp escalation during the second Trump administration in 2025. By late 2025, his office had initiated or joined over 50 legal actions, many centered on protecting undocumented immigrants' access to public benefits and upholding controversial interpretations of immigration and citizenship law.

A core focus has been blocking federal efforts to restrict or obtain data on recipients of CalFresh (California's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP] program) and Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid expansion.

While federal law prohibits undocumented adults from directly receiving SNAP benefits, mixed-status families and state-funded expansions allow significant indirect access.

The typical CalFresh benefit (California's version of the federal SNAP/food stamp program) varies by household size, income, expenses (like housing and utilities), and deductions. Benefits are calculated as the maximum allotment minus 30% of the household's net income (after allowable deductions).

As of October 1, 2025 (effective for Federal Fiscal Year 2026, running through September 30, 2026), the maximum monthly allotments are:

• 1-person household: $298

• 2-person household: $546

• 3-person household: $785

• 4-person household: $994

• 5-person household: $1,183

• 6-person household: $1,421

• Each additional person: +$218

  
  

These are the maximums for households with very low or zero net income. In practice, most households receive less than the maximum because benefits are reduced based on income.

• Average/typical amount: Recent data (from prior years like 2021–2023, adjusted for inflation and COLAs) shows the average monthly benefit per person to be around $180–$250, depending on household composition and circumstances. For example:

  • Single-person households often receive closer to $200–$298.

  • Larger families or those with higher deductions (e.g., high rent/utilities) get higher amounts but still below the max for their size.

  • College students or certain groups averaged $123–$303 in older studies, but current figures align more closely with the updated maxes.

The exact amount is determined individually by county offices using reported income, expenses, and household details.

Funding source: CalFresh benefit payments (the money loaded onto EBT cards for food purchases) are 100% funded by the federal government through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. California does not contribute state funds to the actual benefits—it's an entitlement program where federal dollars cover the full cost based on eligible participation.  In state fiscal year 2023-24 (roughly aligning with federal FY2023–2024 periods), California received approximately $12 billion in total CalFresh benefits, all federally funded. This served about 5.3 million people, with an average monthly benefit of around $189 per person.

However:

• Administrative costs (eligibility processing, case management, etc.) are shared: roughly 50% federal and 50% state/county (with the state General Fund and counties covering their share).

• California provides some state-funded supplements or related programs (e.g., California Food Assistance Program for certain immigrants ineligible for federal SNAP), but core CalFresh benefits remain fully federally funded.

  
  

Since 2016, California has offered full-scope Medi-Cal to undocumented children, and in 2024, this extended to all ages regardless of immigration status—a move that now covers over 1.7 million undocumented individuals.

Medi-Cal Federal funding for Medi-Cal totals around $200 billion annually, with the state contributing significantly, but Bonta has fought attempts to restrict Medi-Cal access for undocumented adults.  Total program spending (all funds: federal + state General Fund + local/other) has roughly doubled from around $100 billion in FY 2016-17 to nearly $200 billion in FY 2025-26. 

Key Notes on Medi-Cal Funding Breakdown

• Federal funds typically cover 50–70% 

• State General Fund share: approximately 20–21% (e.g., $35–$45 billion annually in recent years, reaching all-time highs like $44.9 billion in FY 2025-26).

• Other state/local funds: approximately 9–11%.

• The state (General Fund) portion has grown faster in recent years due to expansions (e.g., full-scope coverage for undocumented residents phased in from 2016 onward, culminating in adults 26–49 in 2024) and post-pandemic factors, with costs for undocumented coverage estimated at $8–$8.5 billion annually in recent years (state-funded, as federal Medicaid excludes most undocumented adults except emergencies).*

  
  

In 2025, Bonta led multi-state coalitions suing the Trump administration multiple times to prevent the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from accessing SNAP and Medicaid recipient data, arguing such requests could aid immigration enforcement. He successfully obtained injunctions that blocked federal demands, ensuring continued privacy for program enrollees regardless of immigration status. Critics point out that California taxpayers foot a substantial portion of the administrative and supplemental costs for these expanded benefits, with federal funding for CalFresh alone exceeding $12–15 billion yearly.

Perhaps Bonta's most high-profile stance has been his defense of birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented parents. On January 21, 2025—one day after President Trump's executive order attempting to limit the practice—Bonta filed suit to block it, leading a coalition of states in declaring the policy unconstitutional. The order remains enjoined nationwide pending Supreme Court review in 2026, preserving automatic citizenship for children of non-citizens born on U.S. soil.

Bonta has framed these actions as essential protections against federal overreach, stating repeatedly that California will not cooperate with policies targeting vulnerable residents. His office spent over $5 million in the first half of 2025 alone on litigation against the Trump administration, costs ultimately borne by California taxpayers.

Opponents argue this approach prioritizes non-citizens over the interests of legal residents and citizens who fund the state's generous benefit programs through taxes. They contend that using public resources to sue the federal government—often to maintain or expand benefits for undocumented immigrants—diverts attention and money from issues like crime, homelessness, and infrastructure affecting all Californians.

As Bonta continues his term through 2026, his aggressive legal strategy shows no signs of slowing, cementing his reputation as a leading advocate for undocumented immigrants' rights at the expense, critics say, of the tax-paying citizens who underwrite California's expansive social safety net.  As of January 2026, California's projected budget deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year is $18 billion, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) Fiscal Outlook report from November 2025 and subsequent updates. California has approximately 13.7 million tax-paying households, based on the latest IRS data for tax brackets and filings (as of 2024 projections for 2025).  If the $18 billion state budget deficit for FY 2026-27 were divided equally among these households, it would amount to roughly $1,314 per household. 

Notes

*These figures come primarily from the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) annual Medi-Cal analyses and fiscal outlooks, the California Department of Healthcare Services Local Assistance Estimates, and related budget reports. Costs are often revised mid-year (e.g., due to higher enrollment or federal changes), and FY 2025-26 reflects enacted levels amid recent budget solutions (e.g., enrollment freezes for some groups starting 2026 to address deficits).