California Gov. Gavin Newsom is visiting the southern border Thursday afternoon to announce plans to complete construction of the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry, during a visit to President-elect Trump's plan to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada. He vehemently criticized the proposal.
Newsom said the tariffs are “one of the largest tax increases in American history” and will impact Californians' wallets and small businesses, especially farmers across the Golden State.
“Don't think for a second that this won't affect you,” Newsom said. “Ninety percent of these tariffs will affect the bottom of the economic chain, meaning low-wage workers who pay more than half of these taxes.”
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Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump (Getty)
“There can be no economic growth in the United States without the success and vibrancy of this region,” he added.
Newsom called the tariffs a “betrayal” that is “happening in real time” and said the new legal crossing would facilitate two-way trade between Mexico and the United States.
“You are being betrayed by these policies,” Newsom said.
“And these farmers and ranchers will be disproportionately affected when these tariffs go into effect,” he said. “And I didn't even bring up that mass deportation element. You know better than me that if you look at farmworkers, at last estimate, about half are illegal immigrants. I guess.”
Newsom talked about the Ota Mesa Easy Entry Port, saying he hopes to have it completed by December 2027 with support from the incoming Trump administration.
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LOS ANGELES, -September 25: Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Oil and Gas Well Oversight and Community Protection Act at a press conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. (Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“We value border security, but we also value economic security, we value two-way trade, and we value our partners on the other side of this border with solid partnerships. We also place great importance on
Mr. Newsom also announced a new plan with the California National Guard to strengthen border security by targeting the influx of fentanyl and illegal weapons. Nearly 200,000 illegal immigrants cross the border into California through ports of entry every day during the summer, according to the San Diego-based Smart Border Coalition.
The move is part of Mr. Newsom's efforts to reframe the debate over illegal immigrants flowing into blue states in anticipation of a potential showdown with the incoming Trump administration. Mr. Newsom spearheaded an emergency special session this week, urging lawmakers to approve $25 million to strengthen the state's legal defenses against potential federal lawsuits brought by Mr. Trump.
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TIJUANA, MEXICO – MAY 16: Migrants who have undergone CBP One App interviews will be admitted to the United States at the Chaparral pedestrian border in Tijuana, Mexico, on May 16, 2023. This is because new Title 8 rules are in effect for all asylum seekers. After Title 42 was revoked on May 11th. ((Photo by Carlos A. Moreno/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images))
From 2017 to 2021, California Department of Justice Led 122 lawsuits It opposed Trump administration policies and spent $42 million on lawsuits. In one case, the federal government was ordered to repay about $60 million in public safety grants to California, Newsom's office said.
California has filed more than 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, but President-elect Donald Trump has only filed four major lawsuits against the state.
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California is a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. Abortion procedure Transgender transition treatment for children could become a target for the Trump administration, especially in light of Trump's plan to mass deport illegal immigrants.
Trump said in a truthful social post last month that Newsom's plan is an effort to bring the state “against Trump.”
