Proponents of illegal immigration are concerned the latest legal roadblock set up by California Gov. Gavin Newsom does not go far enough to protect those most at risk of deportation, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday.
Newsom's office is currently in the process of creating a "network" to actively work against President-elect Donald Trump's intention to counter illegal immigration. The "Immigration Support Network Concept" aims to "connect at-risk individuals, their families, and communities with community systems — such as legal services, schools, labor unions, local governments, etc." with a network of regional 'hubs.'
Incoming border czar Tom Homan said last week that the use of the U.S. military to help facilitate the planned mass deportations is "certainly on the table." Trump's team is said to have considered using military bases to detain illegal immigrants and military planes to facilitate the planned mass deportations.
"We're waiting to see what Congress is going to give us for funding," Homan said. The use of the military to carry out Trump's plans has rattled many immigration advocates.
"Trump's promise to use militarized raids against our state will have devastating consequences for our communities and our economy," said Hamid Yazdan-Panah, advocacy director for Immigrant Defense Advocates. "California needs a strategy on detention that ensures access to counsel and prevents family separation."
Yazdan-Panah and other leading advocacy groups have pushed for an alternative plan drafted by the California state senate that includes more funding for immigration attorneys. "This document is an internal and deliberative draft document meant for internal discussions as part of a number of possible considerations given the incoming federal administration's public remarks," said Scott Murray, deputy public affairs director at the California Department of Social Services. "It is not a final proposal."
Conversely, Newsom's proposed draft does not mention immigrant detention, and advocates have questioned how the regional hub strategy will work, as, unlike in criminal proceedings, people detained for civil immigration violations are not entitled to free legal representation.
"That is why advocates across the state are united in their support for the proposal put forth by the Senate," Yazdan-Panah added.
Several immigration groups signed a Dec. 18 letter to Newsom and state Sens. Mike McGuire and Scott Wiener seeking $25 million for detention and deportation legal representation. "This is a critical time for California to take bold action and expand its historic investments in immigrant communities," the organizations wrote.
Newsom's proposal comes on the heels of Democrat Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Jared Polis of Colorado who launched their Governors Safeguarding Democracy in November to counteract Trump's plans for mass deportation of illegal migrants.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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