Newsom supports San Francisco's status as a "sanctuary city" for undocumented immigrants, as long as they do not commit crimes.
This has built trust that leads to more schooling, vaccinations and other services that these residents might have hesitated to seek, he said.
Source: Modesto Bee on 2018 California gubernatorial race
, Jul 26, 2017
Border wall is just rhetoric; celebrate diversity
[Six gubernatorial candidates from two parties participated in one debate]: Some of the widest differences--particularly between the Democrats and Republicans--were on immigration. The Republicans supported Trump's plan to build a wall on the
U.S.-Mexico border and the Democrats opposed it. The Democrats supported California's sanctuary state laws and the Republicans promised to overturn them shortly after taking office.
Republican John Cox said "this border wall needs to be built.
It's not about grandmothers being pulled out of their homes. I don't want to live next door to MS-13" gang members. [MS-13 is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s, with many members from El Salvador].
"This is the kind of rhetoric that has no place" in the debate, Democrat Gavin Newsom said. In California, "we don't tolerate diversity, we celebrate it."
There is no border crisis; the wall is just xenophobia
Let's start with the fear mongering about the so-called "emergency" at our border. The border "emergency" is a manufactured crisis and California will not be part of this political theater. A third of our Guard will focus on stopping criminals
smuggling drugs and guns through existing border checkpoints. A wall that stretches thousands of miles will do nothing to stop this threat. This is our answer to the White House: No more division, no more xenophobia and no more nativism.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to California legislature
, Feb 12, 2019
National Guard for crime on border, not immigration
Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to withdraw National Guard troops from the state's southern border with Mexico, in defiance of the Trump administration's request for support from border states. About 100 of the 360 troops will remain deployed under California's
agreement with the federal government to focus specifically on combating transnational crime such as drug and gun smuggling. Specifically, they will be tasked with providing intelligence on transnational crime and assist with cargo dock operations and
searches of commercial trucks for contraband.
Newsom's order will argue that the increase in Central American migrants crossing over the border is the result of a desire to escape violence and
repression fueled in part by the activities of transnational crime organizations. The California guard's resources are best spent tackling those activities, he plans to argue.