The California Senate has passed SB 509, a bill that mandates law enforcement training to recognize and respond to “transnational repression” — acts allegedly committed by foreign governments to intimidate members of diaspora communities. Backed by Khalistani-aligned advocacy groups and framed as a measure to protect exiled activists, the bill has drawn sharp concern from segments of the Indian-American and Hindu communities.
Opponents argue the bill’s language is vague and potentially harmful. They warn that it opens the door to treating Indian diaspora advocacy — particularly opposition to extremism and terrorism — as foreign interference. This kind of framing allows law enforcement to question whether someone is a proxy for a foreign state simply for voicing support for India or challenging violent rhetoric
Among the most controversial aspects of the bill is its direction to California law enforcement to be skeptical of international alerts, including INTERPOL red notices. Critics argue this undermines global counterterrorism mechanisms and could embolden extremist elements seeking refuge or legitimacy in the United States.
While the bill avoids naming specific countries, its structure closely mirrors AB 3027, introduced in early 2024 by Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains. That earlier bill, which failed to advance, explicitly named India — along with China, Russia, and Iran — as examples of governments engaging in transnational repression. Indian-American groups opposed the bill for conflating political speech with foreign-state activity and for reinforcing harmful dual-loyalty stereotypes.
SB 509 preserves nearly all of AB 3027’s language but omits direct country references — a revision that has made the bill more politically palatable without addressing its core concerns. The law defines transnational repression broadly, including digital harassment, coercion of family members abroad, and “misinformation” promoted by foreign governments — terms critics say are difficult to define and easy to misuse.
The bill also calls for “culturally competent outreach” to impacted diaspora communities, a provision that critics fear could reinforce selective engagement. With law enforcement encouraged to seek guidance from “subject matter experts,” opponents warn that politically motivated actors may be given institutional credibility to influence how entire communities are viewed and policed.
SB 509 is co-sponsored by Afghan origin Senator Aisha Wahab, who previously introduced SB 403 — a 2023 bill to ban caste discrimination that was ultimately vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom. That bill was heavily criticized by Hindu groups for targeting South Asian communities and for promoting a narrow, religion-based narrative of caste. The connection has led many to see SB 509 as part of a pattern: legislation introduced under the banner of rights and justice that ends up isolating and targeting the Hindu community.
California Bill SB 509: Timeline of Events
- March 2024: AB 3027 introduced by Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains; names India among repressive states.
- April 2024: Bill stalls following community backlash and growing public scrutiny.
- May 2025: SB 509, nearly identical but without naming countries, passes California Senate.
- June 2025: Bill moves to the Assembly for further debate.
As SB 509 advances, Indian-American organizations and civil liberties advocates continue to raise red flags about its potential for abuse. They argue that California risks legislating suspicion — not safety — if it allows political pressure to reshape how diaspora voices are categorized and policed.
The Assembly’s decision on SB 509 will test whether California can differentiate between real threats and politically convenient ones. For many in the Indian diaspora, the concern is clear: that under the guise of fighting repression, the state may enable a new form of it.
