Independent journalist Nick Shirley said Friday he is suing California over AB 2624, a measure critics call the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” after announcing the filing on X. According to the post, the law would let “immigration support services” providers issue a written demand to stop the publication of a video. America First Legal filed the case in Sacramento federal court against Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber. Online users quickly rallied behind the lawsuit, saying the statute was written to silence reporting on alleged taxpayer fraud.
The video shows Shirley seated at a desk, telling viewers, “I’m officially suing the state of California.” He says Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2624 on Aug. 22, a measure he calls the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” and that it “will prohibit what an individual or a journalist will be able to film and publish when it comes to immigration support service providers.” He adds, “In a world where we all want more transparency and not less, it is more critical than ever that we do not just sit back and do nothing. That is why I am filing this lawsuit against the state of California.”
In the clip, he reads bill language allowing a “written demand” that “personal information or image” not be posted online, then says, “If you do publish the video, you may receive a $4,000 fine.” He later states he is filing in federal court in California because “this statute violates the First Amendment,” and that “we’re not suing for a single dollar.” The video does not identify the location or what happened before that scene. His claims that the law was created “to protect the fraud” have not been independently confirmed.
A follow-up post said the case “may take months or years,” and that “the people deserve the right to post whenever they want, especially when it’s our tax dollars paying for it.” Court records and counsel statements say America First Legal filed the suit in Sacramento against Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber. The law is scheduled to take effect in October 2027.
Responses to the California Lawsuit Video
Many commenters backed Shirley. Elon Musk replied, “Bravo!” Others wrote, “only the guilty tries to hide the truth — go Nick,” “They passed a law to shut a journalist up,” “If there’s nothing to hide, why pass the law?” and “Accountability shouldn’t be a crime.”
A smaller group challenged him. One asked, “So you think you have a First Amendment right to dox immigration support service providers?”
Another wrote, “You’re not a journalist,” and a third asked why he would not “investigate” a Republican official instead.
The lawsuit is now before a federal court in Sacramento, and AB 2624 is not scheduled to take effect until October 2027. What happens next will depend on how the court treats Shirley’s First Amendment claims, not on the reaction that followed the video. For now, the filing is one more turn in a longer fight over how far California can go in limiting what can be posted about covered providers.
