California Republicans tell Trump ICE raids should focus on criminals, not ordinary workers
State Sen. Suzette Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) led the Republican coalition in sending the letter asking that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security alter their enforcement tactics, which the politicians say are leading to the arrest of non-criminal migrants and labor shortages that are worsening the state's affordability crisis.
'The recent ICE workplace raids on farms, at construction sites, and in restaurants and hotels, have led to unintended consequences that are harming the communities we represent and the businesses that employ our constituents,' wrote the Republicans. 'We have heard from employers in our districts that recent ICE raids are not only targeting undocumented workers, but also creating widespread fear among other employees, including those with legal immigration status.
'We urge you to direct ICE and DHS to focus their enforcement operations on criminal immigrants, and when possible to avoid the kinds of sweeping raids that instill fear and disrupt the workplace,' they added.
From June 1 to 10, ICE data show that 722 people were arrested in the Los Angeles region, according to figures obtained by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley Law.
A Times analysis found that 69% of those arrested during that period had no criminal conviction, and 58% had never been charged with a crime. Many of the raids were executed in open-air locations, such as car washes, Home Depot parking lots and street-vending spots. DHS said that from June 6 to 22, more than 1,600 immigrants were detained for deportation in Southern California but did not provide information on the number of those arrested who had criminal histories.
Members of both the L.A. City Council and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors have said they are exploring legal avenues to prevent federal agents from unlawfully stopping, questioning or detaining individuals without reasonable suspicion — arguing that the ongoing raids are unconstitutionally based on the racial profiling of people in open-air locations.
In the letter to the president, the Republican coalition say that the fear spread by ICE raids is exacerbating an already tight labor market. They also ask Trump to expand and streamline H-2A and H-2B visa programs to authorize more legal guest workers to enter the country to make it easier for employees to get the workers they need.
'From construction to hospitality to food processing, California's employers are struggling to fill positions,' the Republicans wrote. 'Legal, temporary labor should be easier to access and better tailored to support a strong California economy.'
The coalition further urges the Trump administration to focus on modernizing the immigration system to allow non-criminal immigrants who have lived in local communities for years a pathway toward legal status.
The letter is signed by Valladares; Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-Santee) and Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa), as well as members of the state Assembly Heath Flora (R-Ripon), Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) and Laurie Davies (R-Oceanside).
The White House did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.
The letter makes it clear that the six Republicans blame Democrats for enabling the mass entrance of illegal immigrants into the country and for killing Republican-authored bills in California that would allow local government to work with federal immigration authorities to deport criminals who are in this country illegally.
'Under the previous administration, over ten million illegal immigrants entered the United States — a reality that harms our communities, overwhelms government services, and hurts businesses and working Americans alike,' they wrote.
The California Republicans say they fully support the Trump administration's effort to deport violent criminals and approve of his decision to federalize the National Guard to defend federal property and personnel from immigration-related unrest.
'Decades of failed policies have led us to the difficult situation we face today,' said Valladares in a statement on the letter. 'We are now urging the Administration to prioritize public safety, while advancing immigration and visa policies that strengthen our economy, secure our borders, and keep our communities safe.'
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