As nearly 80 Northern California businesses were put on notice this month of imminent immigration audits, state leaders on Tuesday attempted to assuage the concerns of employers over a new state law meant to expand workplace protections for employees against federal raids.

California Atty. General Xavier Becerra and Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), who authored the state law, called it necessary under a Trump administration bent on increasing deportations. They said it was drafted to work in concert with federal laws and would not put California businesses in violation of federal policies.

“Let me stress again, AB 450 is about privacy, constitutional rights and Californians at the workplace,” Becerra said at a press conference. “There is no conflict with what AB 450 requires and what federal laws require.”

California business owners have found themselves in the middle of a battle between the Trump administration and California state leaders, who have pledged to protect the rights of more than 2 million people living and working in the state illegally. Some owners have said they were not aware of the new requirements or were confused by them.

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