Hundreds march on Capitol in Sacramento to protest Trump’s mass deportation plan
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AS LEGISLATURE CONVENES ONCE MORE, HUNDREDS MARCH ON THE CAPITOL
California is home to millions of immigrants, many of whom are undocumented or in the country without authorization, and whom President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to remove from the country via mass deportation.
On Monday, as the California Legislature convened both its regular 2025-2026 session and a special extraordinary session to push back against Trump’s stated agenda, hundreds of immigrants and their supporters showed up on the Capitol steps, calling on lawmakers to take decisive action to prevent mass deportation from taking place.
The crowd called for Gov. Gavin Newsom to use his pardon power to pardon immigrants and refugees with criminal records, “who have served their time and earned their release from prison or jail years ago,” according to a statement from the Asian Law Caucus, speaking on behalf of the ICE Out of California Coalition, which spearheaded the rally.
They also called on the Legislature to make certain state tax dollars are not used to fund deportation efforts, and for Newsom to take executive action to stop transfers of immigrants and refugees from state prisons and county jails “to Trump’s deportation machine.”
Finally, they urged state leaders to reject any lease or sale offer for state lands and facilities that could be used for mass detention.
Newsom had not publicly responded to the protest by deadline.
FORMER DEM SENATOR BLASTS LATINO CAUCUS CHAIR
Well that didn’t take long.
Minutes after California lawmakers were sworn in, Democratic-turned-Republican Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil of Jackson took to social media to pursue a public beef with Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach.
Alvarado-Gil, clearly still fuming over Gonzalez’s decision to boot her from the California Legislative Latino Caucus following her GOP defection, took to X to vent about her former caucus chair.
“We are on day 1 of the new session and Grand Wizard Gonzalez of the Latino Caucus is already in my face. She tried to kick me out of the Senate break room so she could have ‘privacy.’ Uhhh nope. I am a CA State Senator just….like….you…,” Alvarado-Gil wrote, before tweeting profanity in Spanish.
California legislative Republicans have had no shortage of criticism of the Latino Caucus’ decision to exclude GOP members over the years.
In a previous statement to The Bee, Gonzalez said that Republican Latino lawmakers were free to form their own caucus.
Gonzalez’s office did not respond to The Bee’s request for a response to Alvarado-Gil’s tweet by deadline.
A SUCCESSOR FOR JAMES GALLAGHER?
2026 isn’t that far away, and already several candidates have declared their intent to run for a variety of offices in that year’s mid-term election.
One of the latest to do so is Chico Mayor Andrew Coolidge, a Republican, who announced his bid to succeed Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, when the latter is termed out in two years.
Assembly District 3 includes Butte, Yuba and Sutter counties, as well as parts of Tehama and Glenn counties.
“It is comprised of a large area, which ranges from the foothills to the valley, and one must have a full understanding of the different issues in each of these areas,” Coolidge said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
Coolidge, who lost his father in the 2017 Cascade Fire in Yuba County, said that wildfire protection and prevention is a top issue for the district.
“We continue to be at risk and the state continues to fail to make our communities safe,” Coolidge said. “While they have made some efforts, it simply is not enough.”
Coolidge also complained about the state’s skyrocketing insurance rates, which he said are harming everyone, including the business and agricultural communities.
“We are in a crisis,” Coolidge said. “Between insurance rates, housing costs, gas prices and fire danger, businesses in NorCal have been under attack with little help from their state government.”
Coolidge touted his record as Chico mayor, including joining the Oregon city of Grants Pass in its successful appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court over its ordinance against homeless encampments and working with neighboring Paradise to craft an agreement for mutual sewer service, which Coolidge said will allow Paradise to continue rebuilding from the devastating 2018 Camp Fire.
CALIFORNIA DEM PUSHES FOR TOP SPOT ON HOUSE AG COMMITTEE
Via David Lightman...
Rep. Jim Costa is vying to become the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, which writes laws governing federal farm policy.
The Fresno Democrat faces some challenges for the job. Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., now holds the position, though he has had health issues. And Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., is also competing for the post.
Costa sent a two page letter to constituents outlining his plans for the committee.
He cited what he called President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps lower income families pay for food, and “cut American farmers off from foreign market access.”
Costa, a House member since 2005, noted how he grew up “around agriculture, starting with working on my family’s farm.” Farming, he said, has been his primary source of income for more than 25 years.
“Throughout my career, I have spent a lifetime cultivating relationships with farmers and hunger advocates, and I bring the first hand knowledge of what it takes to put food on the table each day,” he said.
Costa challenged Scott for the post in 2020 and lost. House Democrats are expected to decide on the position later this month. The new Congress will convene next month.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Halle-******-lulah!”
- Sacramento policy advocate Alex Graves, responding to the CalMatters report that the Assembly and Senate will limit the number of bills per lawmaker to 35, down from 50, for the coming two-year session, via Bluesky.
Best of The Bee:
Gov. Gavin Newsom announces $25 million ‘special fund’ to fight Trump administration, via Lia Russell and Nicole Nixon.
Sen. Alex Padilla says California will not help with Trump’s mass deportation efforts, via Mathew Miranda.
California bills are ‘a flag we’re planting in the ground’ to protect abortion access, AG says, via Andrew Sheeler.
Sacramento didn’t invest much in road safety. It paid $21 million for car crash lawsuits, via Ariane Lange.
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 4:55 AM.