Car Dealers Can’t Use Immigration Status to Deny Equal Protection under California Consumer Protection Laws

Effective January 1, 2018, sleazy car dealers and other bad actor businesses can no longer attack consumers based on their immigration status as a defense to consumer rip-offs or consumer abuse by their business. AB 1690 was just signed in to law by Govenor Brown. The impetus for the bill was a case where a car dealership attempted to use an immigrant’s legal standing against him, filing a motion to compel his SSI number, after cheating him on a used car sale.