California Governor-elect Xavier Becerra used his first speech after winning election to criticize Immigration and Customs Enforcement by name and signal support for policies that break sharply from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement approach.
Becerra, a Democrat who will become the state’s first Latino governor, told supporters that immigrants should not be deported and described the “American dream” as “undeportable.”
“The California dream is universal. It’s non-negotiable. And yes, it is undeportable,” Becerra said to cheers from the crowd.
He also addressed people in the state who may be fearful of immigration enforcement action. “Tonight, I have a message for all those who have been made to feel afraid,” Becerra said. “There’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s got a law degree and a union card. If anyone wants to come after California or any one Californian, they better be ready for a fight.”
Becerra referred to ICE agents as “mercenaries” while outlining a list of freedoms he said were at stake.
“Never in our lifetimes has so much of what we love been on the line, our families, our safety, our freedom.”
He continued: “Freedom to love, freedom to learn, freedom to unionize and earn a living wage, the right to see a doctor, and the freedom to make your own decisions about your body. Freedom to breathe clean air, drink clean water, travel unpolluted coastlines. Freedom to walk the streets without fear of gun violence or ICE mercenaries. And freedom tonight to hold a free election.”
A State Shaped by Immigration
Becerra’s election comes in a state with the largest foreign-born population in the country. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the state is home to 10.9 million immigrants, representing 22% of the nation’s foreign-born population.
The institute’s research found that in 2024, 28% of California’s population was foreign-born — the highest share of any state, and more than double the share in the rest of the country combined, which stood at 13%. The same report noted that 44% of California children have at least one immigrant parent.
Add comment