The billionaire candidate for California governor calls for the abolition of ICE and the prosecution of its agents for racial discrimination; he would investigate and evaluate proposals to close the immigration agency’s detention centers.
Tom Steyer—the candidate for California governor who has spent more than $200 million of his own fortune—has expressed solidarity with the pain and suffering of the immigrant community under the Donald Trump administration; he would support abolishing ICE and would evaluate any proposal to close the agency’s detention centers within the state.
“I would also prosecute ICE agents for racial discrimination or violence, and I would insist on inspecting detention centers to detect legal violations and hold individuals accountable at all levels for misconduct,” said Steyer.
The candidate currently ranks third in the most recent Berkeley IGS poll, garnering 19% of the vote intention for the June 2 primary election—placing him behind Republican Steve Hilton (21%) and Latino Democrat Xavier Becerra (25%). Under the state’s electoral system, the top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election.
On the issue of immigration, California has positioned itself as a counterweight to federal immigration enforcement policies. Many of our media outlets serve immigrant communities that are deeply concerned about deportations, workplace raids, legal protections, and access to social services.
If elected governor, what specifically would you do—differently or more vigorously—to protect California’s immigrants?
“Immigrants build California; immigrants make California work. I am firmly in favor of more immigrants coming to California from all corners of the globe. We are a ‘Rainbow Coalition.’ That is one of California’s greatest strengths.” “I have asserted that ICE is a criminal organization that violates California laws and was conceived as such from its very inception. Of course, we need immigration services, but we do not need a criminal organization. I am in favor of abolishing ICE, even if the Governor of California does not have the power to do so with the stroke of a pen.
“Here is what I will do: I will prosecute ICE agents for racially profiling Californians; that is illegal here. I will prosecute ICE agents for using violence against the people of California. That, too, is illegal.”
“And I will go up the chain of command—reaching even as high as Stephen Miller—to go after those who send these agents to inflict violence upon Californians. I will insist on inspecting detention centers. It is evident that laws are being violated there. They refuse entry to everyone, despite the fact that these facilities are located on California soil.”
“The Governor of California has the authority to insist on inspecting them and ensuring that these violations of the law cease. Furthermore, we should establish a well-funded state legal defense fund, earmarked for those individuals who have been abducted or who are under threat of deportation.”
In 2018, Steyer and his wife established a fund, endowing it with millions of dollars to hire lawyers to defend individuals facing the threat of deportation.
“My political stance against ICE is the most forceful of any presented in this election race; and, once again, you do not have to take my word for it alone. Donald Trump took to social media—specifically in response to our policies—to label me a ‘terrible person;’ and the Director of ICE did the same, claiming that my policies are unfair to the agents within his agency.”
Steyer viewed both reactions as validation that he is doing the right thing.
“The job of the Governor of California is to stand in the way—between the violence, between the terror, between the racial profiling—and the people of California,” he added. “. We are going to address many different areas. That is the work I intend to conduct, and I will do so on behalf of the immigrants of this state, without exception.”
There is a statewide movement to close ICE detention centers in California. Would you support immigrant advocates in their efforts to end immigration detention in California? And how would you go about doing this?
“Those detention centers are administered by a federal agency; my intention is to push firmly to inspect them and ensure that they are not breaking the law. If they are going to detain California residents—and, instead of doing so within the state, they transfer them to Arizona—I do not consider that a victory.”
“The fundamental question here is: do they have the right to detain them? Do they need legal assistance for their defense? Are legal violations being committed within those detention centers? My policy is designed to protect the individuals currently being detained, to guarantee them access to legal representation, and to inspect the facilities. I would like to gain a deeper understanding of what speaking, the closure of such detention centers would entail; we are addressing those specific issues very deliberately through the policies we have implemented.”
“The California Dream”
The American billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, environmental advocate, and Democratic political activist explained that he ran for the governorship of California for one quite simple reason: Californians can no longer afford to live in California.
“There are special corporate interests driving costs sky-high, making it impossible for Californians to pay their bills at the end of the month. I will stand up to those special corporate interests and fight for California’s workers, day in and day out.”
And how does that translate into practice?
Steyer promises to build one million homes that Californians can afford.
“I will take on the insurance lobby and implement a single-payer healthcare system,” he asserted.
“I will dismantle the power of electric utility monopolies and cut those costs by at least one-quarter. And let me tell you something: you do not have to just take my word for it.” “PG&E has spent more than 12 million attempting to prevent me from becoming governor, because they truly believe in what I say.”
California real estate agents have also spent millions of dollars to prevent a Steyer victory, because they, too, believe he would fulfill his promises.
In fact, Steyer has gone up against powerful corporate special interests on three occasions—and defeated them every time—securing billions of dollars for the education and healthcare of Californians, without costing the public a single cent.
He founded a community bank alongside his wife, a non-profit community bank—which has financed the construction of 17,000 housing units for low-income individuals.
“My wife and I spearheaded a coalition to guarantee free breakfast and lunch for every school-aged child in California,” stated the gubernatorial hopeful. “I have launched an organization that has registered 1.2 million young Californians to vote, with the aim of making our democracy truly representative.”
For this reason, he asserted that the choice is quite simple: “Corporations do not want anything to change, and they have candidates who promise them exactly that: that there will be no changes. I am the candidate for change. They oppose me with great vehemence. The working class, for its part, supports me with great steadfastness. I am convinced that we have no choice but to change California for the better, making it possible for working people to achieve the ‘California Dream.’”