California Democrats amplified their attempts to avoid President Donald Trump’s plan for the state after he assumed department this month.
Trump infuriated some Democratic lawmakers and leftist parties in the Golden State when he quickly signed a slew of professional directions after being sworn in as the 47th leader on Monday.
The outrage from American Civil Liberties Union officials was apparent during a press conference the firm held in the California Capitol on Tuesday.
“We have been preparing for this time. We are here to fight, delay, and reduce Trump’s extraordinary mission at every stage, including the state and local levels, ” ACLU Chief Political and Advocacy Officer Deirdre Schifeling said during an anti-Trump protest at the state Capitol.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA ) made a point of prepping resistance efforts to Trump in California before Trump was inaugurated. Earlier this month, the state legislature approved a$ 50 million bill to fight his agenda, with Newsom’s backing.
The combative approach was reiterated by several Democratic state lawmakers, including Sen. Maria Elena Durazo and Assemblyman Mike Gipson, who were among the demonstrators at the Tuesday Sacramento rally.
Gipson told reporters later Tuesday evening that “fighting back ” against Trump’s policies was a top priority for lawmakers this legislative session.
“This administration has signed executive orders to divide this country, ” he said. “Now more than ever, we must come together to organize and show this president that we are not backing down. ”
Gipson’s remarks came during what Democrats described as a “healing circle ” held at the state Capitol to respond to Trump’s immigration reform agenda. Around 10 Democratic state lawmakers gathered for the candlelight vigil on Tuesday evening to reiterate plans to resist the president ’s agenda to deport illegal immigrants.
California Republicans shot back.
“Right now, the only thing we need healing from is the last four years of the worst presidency in our history. Inflation, border invasion, crime, world wars, incompetence, ” Republican state Assemblyman Bill Essayli said.
During the “healing circle ” conference, Democratic state Sen. Susan Rubio referred to her experience being deported from Texas as a child in the 1970s.
“We do not let Trump harass, intimidate, and push our immigrant community, ” she said.
Her comments follow a series of executive orders Trump signed on Monday cracking down on illegal immigration. The measures included ending the practice of extending birthright citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants, declaring an emergency at the southern border, and designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups. The president also ended the Biden administration ’s “catch and release” approach, reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy, and shuttered the CBP One app, which was used by the Biden administration to allow more than 730,000 noncitizens into the country.
Following his promise to fight back against the president ’s immigration agenda, California Attorney General Rob Bonta swiftly filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, asking courts to overturn the “unconstitutional” changes to birthright citizenship privileges. Even Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA ), who attended Trump’s inauguration and has rejected California’s anti-Trump agenda, came out against the president ’s recent executive order on birthright citizenship.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Other lawmakers have expressed particular outrage over the president ’s executive order mandating that the federal government only recognize a person’s biological sex.
“I’ve been talking and hearing from community members who are devastated and frightened about what this means for their future, ” Assemblyman Chris Ward, who chairs the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, told the Sacramento Bee. “ I want to make sure they are hearing loud and clear from us that we’ve got their back. ”
