California must act against transnational repression

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OPINION – California’s immigrant communities face countless challenges, from housing insecurity to limited access to healthcare. Yet one growing problem remains under the radar, despite its profound implications for safety and democracy, transnational repression.

Transnational repression occurs when foreign governments reach across borders to silence, harass, or intimidate people who fled persecution. It is a tactic designed to extend authoritarian control beyond national boundaries, and it puts not only immigrants at risk, but also the freedoms all Californians cherish.

Our state is home to more than 125,000 torture survivors, more than any other in the nation. Many fled regimes that imprison or kill people for daring to speak freely. Yet even here, they often find that the reach of repression does not stop at the border. Dissidents, journalists, and activists continue to receive threats. Families worry about surveillance. Communities fall silent out of fear.

For many, turning to law enforcement isn’t an option. Concerns about immigration status, trauma, and mistrust often prevent victims from reporting harassment or intimidation. This reluctance hampers efforts to protect individuals and undermines broader public safety.

If immigrants are too afraid to come forward or can’t seek local assistance, then this issue will remain underreported and people will consistently be forced to remain in the shadows. For individuals who have survived incarceration, detention, and torture, feeling safe and feeling like they can approach the authorities or law enforcement is oftentimes a difficult decision because for them, the experience they have with law enforcement is not one of protection, but potentially one of persecution.

That’s why I strongly support Senate Bill 509, authored by Senator Anna Caballero. SB 509 would create specialized training for California law enforcement to recognize and respond to transnational repression. It is a practical step to bridge the gap between vulnerable communities and the officers sworn to protect them.

Some critics have tried to turn this bill into a divisive issue, suggesting it favors one group over another. But this framing misses the mark. Training law enforcement to better understand and respond to these threats is not a partisan issue, it is a public safety matter. Training should be fair and inclusive, and that is the goal of the bill. SB 509 ensures that California officers have the tools to identify warning signs, respond appropriately, and build trust with immigrant communities.

I know how real these threats are. My own family came to the United States nearly three decades ago to escape political repression in Iran. Today, I work directly with immigrant communities across California. This includes many individuals who have fled persecution, and remain concerned about threats to their own safety for voicing dissent in this country.

The danger is not hypothetical. In March 2025, a jury in New York convicted two men in a murder-for-hire plot targeting an Iranian American journalist critical of the regime in Tehran. It was a textbook case of transnational repression, one that grabbed headlines, but represented a pattern that often does not makes the news.

SB 509 is California’s chance to respond. By training officers to recognize these threats, we send a clear message that repression has no place here. We reaffirm our state’s core values of human rights, freedom of expression, and the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.

This bill is not about politics, it is about people. It is about the survivor in Los Angeles who still looks over their shoulder. It is about the journalist who wonders whether their reporting will make them a target. And it is about ensuring that California keeps its promise to be a true place of refuge.

Crafted with input from many communities, SB 509 does not discriminate against anyone. It offers a common-sense solution to a problem that too often goes unseen, yet poses a threat to us all. In an era of escalating threats and fear, California must lead. SB 509 is how we begin.

Hamid Yazdan Panah is co-executive director of Immigrant Defense Advocates.