At a press conference Thursday, the Golden State Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) told employers that they are expected to abide by laws taking effect from 2018, furthering California’s “sanctuary state” image.

Under AB 450, employers are prohibited from “providing voluntary consent to an immigration enforcement agent to access, review, or obtain the employer’s employee records without a subpoena or court order.”

Anyone who violates the law could be fined between $2,000 and $5,000 for their first violation and up to $10,000 for each subsequent violation.

Becerra said that the law was made to protect the privacy of employees, and warned employers that “ignorance of the law is no excuse if you violate it.”