Sen. Alex Padilla says Donald Trump has
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California stated on Sunday that President-elect Donald Trump “has made it no secret that he has it in for California” as Gov. Gavin Newsom has convened a particular legislative session this week to arrange for authorized fights in Trump’s upcoming time period.
Padilla stated on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that there is “a whole lot of purpose for concern” for the second Trump administration “if the primary administration is any indicator.”
The California Democrat cited reviews that Trump initially withheld catastrophe funds for the state throughout his first time period, saying the president-elect tried to maintain federal {dollars} from California households “just because it is a state that didn’t vote for him within the presidential election.” In September, Trump threatened to dam federal wildfire support for California if elected once more.
“We’re making an attempt to inoculate ourselves from these varieties of threats,” Padilla continued.
California Democrats billed the state because the “resistance” state in the course of the first Trump administration. And after Trump’s victory within the 2024 presidential election, Newsom introduced that he would convene an emergency session of the California state legislature to “safeguard California values and basic rights within the face of an incoming Trump administration.” Along with bolstering authorized assets, the governor pointed to protections for civil and reproductive rights, local weather motion, and immigrant households.
On immigration, Padilla stated “we’re listening to a whole lot of bombast from Trump and his allies in regards to the largest deportation operation in our nation’s historical past.” He stated whereas “no person disagrees” with a give attention to violent criminals, that is “very totally different than tens of millions and tens of millions of individuals being deported indiscriminately.” Padilla stated that offering authorized assist for communities that might be impacted by Trump’s plans is “simply the California manner.”
“We embrace our range,” Padilla stated. “Our range is what has made our communities thrive and our financial system thrive. And so we are going to help households towards the threats of the Trump administration.”
In the meantime, as a “sanctuary state,” California state legislation instructs native legislation enforcement to not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers on deportations, teeing up what might be a conflict with the Trump administration. Padilla, citing California’s standing as essentially the most populous state within the nation with extra immigrants than another state, argued that the problem considerations the power for individuals to have the ability to come ahead to report a criminal offense, saying “the very last thing you need is immigrants who could also be witnesses to crime to be afraid to come back ahead and share any info that they’ve within the investigation and prosecution of crimes.”
“Let the federal authorities do the federal authorities’s job, however have state and native officers do the state and native officers’ job,” Padilla continued. “There would not should be a battle except that is what Trump desires.”
Extra broadly, Padilla stated “there’s additionally a whole lot of good that may be finalized” earlier than President Biden leaves workplace, pointing to climate-related work and extra flexibility for public well being care packages to focus on psychological well being points. And the California Democrat famous that there is “a whole lot of good work to be finished” past the present administration if the federal authorities will proceed to assist California.
