{"id":1548,"date":"2026-04-28T15:33:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T15:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/latinosentinel.com\/?p=1548"},"modified":"2026-04-29T15:23:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:23:29","slug":"tom-steyer-launches-dirty-campaign-of-attacks-against-xavier-becerra-in-california-gubernatorial-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinosentinel.com\/en\/california\/tom-steyer-launches-dirty-campaign-of-attacks-against-xavier-becerra-in-california-gubernatorial-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Steyer Launches “Dirty Campaign” of Attacks Against Xavier Becerra in California Gubernatorial Race"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Testimonials from leaders and activists at CHIRLA and CARECEN highlighted the honesty, humility, and experience of the Latino candidate; they acknowledge that the New York-born billionaire seeks to “buy” power with his money. Steyer has invested millions in CoreCivic, a private immigrant detention company.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Immigrant rights activists have condemned the “false ads and lies” of billionaire Tom Steyer, who is utilizing misleading claims originally made by President Donald Trump\u2014claims alleging that the then-Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, mishandled the reunification of thousands of immigrant families and unaccompanied minors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These attacks come as Becerra has positioned himself as one of the top contenders heading into the June 2 primary election, holding 33% of the vote intention, just two percentage points behind Steyer. Steyer has already spent over $130 million, leading voters to believe he is attempting to “buy” the California governorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Ang\u00e9lica Salas, Chair of the Board of Directors of the CHIRLA Action Fund, Steyer\u2019s advertisements recycle the misleading claims made by Trump\u2014claims asserting that then-Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, mishandled the reunification of thousands of immigrant families and unaccompanied minors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is deeply irresponsible for Tom Steyer and other gubernatorial candidates to recycle the same harmful and discredited arguments that Donald Trump used to attack Xavier Becerra\u2019s work during his tenure as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Using Trump\u2019s lies weaponizes the suffering of migrant children for the sake of political gain; it distorts the truth and undermines the real work that many undertook to dismantle the inhumane, hardline policies implemented by Donald Trump during his first term,” Salas stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe truth is that Tom Steyer built the prisons; Trump filled them; and Becerra worked for years to dismantle them\u2014and for decades to protect immigrant families and California\u2019s most vulnerable residents,\u201d the activist said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a time when our communities need leadership grounded in facts, compassion, and accountability, Steyer\u2019s political attacks echo the very rhetoric we have worked so hard to reject here in California.\u201d emphasized Angelica Salas. \u201cWe demand that Tom Steyer put an end to the lies immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2014along with border czar Tom Homan and Republican lawmakers\u2014has made misleading assertions and misrepresented government data ever since they began claiming that more than 300,000 unaccompanied children had gone \u201cmissing\u201d during the Joe Biden administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They did so after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a report in August 2024 revealing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had failed to issue Notices to Appear in court to 291,000 children between fiscal year 2019 and May 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, 32,000 unaccompanied children failed to appear for their immigration court hearings between fiscal years 2019 and 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is worth noting that half of this period elapsed while Trump held the presidency. The report did not specify the number of children who missed their court hearings under each respective administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early 2026, the Trump administration itself reported that those 300,000 unaccompanied minors were either of unknown whereabouts or had been released to unverified sponsors during the Biden administration. According to the DHS, by January 2026, the Trump administration had located more than 132,720 unaccompanied minors whose whereabouts had previously been untraceable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Salas, Martha Ar\u00e9valo\u2014Executive Director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)\u2014and Sergio Rasc\u00f3n\u2014President of Laborers\u2019 International Union of America (LIUNA Local 300)\u2014reaffirmed their support for Xavier Becerra, a Latino candidate for the governorship of California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur support for Xavier Becerra as [a candidate for] governor is truly significant and represents real change,\u201d Ar\u00e9valo said. \u201cIt is ironic that the person now accusing Xavier Becerra\u2014claiming that he was an instrument in the separation of families\u2014is someone who profited at the expense of the cruelty, separation, and detention of these families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is this \u2018Steyer\u2019 fellow? He has never been part of our community; he has never been an advocate for immigrants. On the contrary, Xavier Becerra is the son of immigrants. For him, this issue is personal. He understands the suffering of immigrant families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The activist recalled that, during the Trump administration, thousands of children were separated from their sponsors, their relatives, and their caregivers, enduring deplorable conditions in detention centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that when Becerra took the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services, they worked closely with his office and collaborated regularly to reunite detained children with their families and sponsors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe messages you see on television are pure lies.\u201d \u201cWe worked\u2014and have continued to work\u2014with him [Becerra] throughout his various government roles to protect as many immigrant families as possible,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steyer\u2019s Investment in a Company That Detains Immigrants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ar\u00e9valo asserted that, as Latino leaders and voters, \u201cwe are smart enough not to be fooled by these lies propagated by someone who is an opportunist, who profited at the expense of our community\u2019s suffering, and who parrots Trump\u2019s lies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, Steyer\u2014through Farallon Capital Management, the San Francisco-based hedge fund he co-founded and led for 26 years (until 2012)\u2014invested heavily in Corrections Corporation of America (now known as CoreCivic), the country\u2019s largest private prison company, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As records show, the hedge fund acquired 53,100 shares of CCA\u2014valued at approximately $1.89 million\u2014during the first quarter of 2004. A year later, under Steyer\u2019s leadership, Farallon increased its stake to 5.5 percent of CCA\u2019s outstanding shares\u2014totaling 2.27 million shares\u2014valued at $90 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of early 2026, CoreCivic\u2014the company in which Steyer invested\u2014detains more than 16,000 immigrants on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), representing an increase of 60 percent compared to figures from late 2025. The company operates 16 immigrant detention centers and has offered an additional 13,000 beds, signaling significant growth in its immigrant detention capacity, as reported by *The Appeal*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs Latino voters, we must ensure that we convey the truth to everyone: we were there,\u201d …on the front lines of action, and we work shoulder to shoulder with Xavier Becerra to ensure the best possible protection for our families,\u201d Arevalo added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaying for Power\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sergio Rasc\u00f3n, business manager for the Los Angeles-based Workers Union Local 300, said he was surprised by the \u201cdirty war\u201d playing out in commercials\u2014one Democratic candidate attacking another from his own party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSteyer saw him as someone who is on the rise\u2014someone who emerged immediately after Congressman [Eric] Swalwell stepped down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) resigned from Congress on April 14, 2026, following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and assault, including accusations made by a former staff member. He had previously withdrawn from the California gubernatorial race due to the scandal. His resignation came in the wake of an investigation by the House Ethics Committee and threats of expulsion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wondered why a millionaire\u2014or in this case, a billionaire\u2014would seek a job as a public servant or community servant, when they already have everything,\u201d the labor leader questioned. \u201cThe answer I was given is that the rich want to get richer, and they use the position to obtain other things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rasc\u00f3n clarified that he was not in a position to accuse anyone, \u201cbut I still don\u2019t understand why they get involved in something that isn\u2019t easy\u2014something where they don\u2019t even know if they\u2019ll be able to do the job right, or if they\u2019ll be able to give the people what they deserve,\u201d he said. \u201cThey should not be there. Yet, they pursue it; they spend a fortune to secure a job they do not need\u2014aside from the power… If I were a millionaire, on the contrary, I would stay out of it. There are those who seek power simply because they can afford to pay for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Response to Immigration Investments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Latino leaders at the CHIRLA\u2019s press conference said that Tom Steyer launched a “dirty campaign” of attacks against Xavier Becerra, who allegedly mishandled the reunification of thousands of immigrant families and unaccompanied minors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Journalists, fellow Democrats, and his cabinet peers have all gone on record saying Becerra failed migrant children as HHS secretary. With stakes this high, California families cannot afford to trust his leadership or someone who refuses to be accountable or take responsibility, especially when it comes to protecting our kids.” said Ariana Andrade from Steyer for Governor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Steyer campaign declined to comment on whether the billionaire candidate for Governor is \u201cpretending to buy\u201d power in California with his money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Steyer\u2019s representative did not respond to a request for comment on instances in which Mr. Steyer invested millions through Farallon Capital Management in Corrections Corporation of America (now CoreCivic), the country\u2019s largest private prison company, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Neither did they say anything about how Mr. Steyer would get the Latino voters once they discovered his investments in immigration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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