California Gov. Gavin Newsom doubled down this week on his controversial defense of illegal immigration.
The Democrat governor is now arguing that mass deportations under President Donald Trump’s administration would devastate key industries in the Golden State.
Newsom’s remarks came during an appearance on “The Shawn Ryan Show.”
During the interview, Newsom also called for a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal aliens already living in America.
Despite overwhelming evidence of declining wages and rising job competition for working-class Americans, Newsom claimed that illegal aliens are not taking jobs from U.S. citizens.
In California’s agriculture and construction sectors, Newsom argues that illegals are doing the jobs that citizens won’t do.
“Not insignificant,” Newsom said, referring to the 8.5 billion dollars in tax revenue California allegedly collects from illegal immigrants each year.
“It’s half of our agricultural work.
“You care about farmers and ranchers — if that’s your number-one, go-to commitment — then you sure as hell should care about their workers.
“Forty-one percent of our construction workers…
“Texas and California have the highest percentage of their construction workers that would fall into that category.”
Newsom then appeared to suggest that without illegal aliens, the state would be unable to recover from recent wildfires:
“Without that workforce, ain’t gonna happen.”
He also pressed for amnesty-like policies, stating:
“I think there needs to be a pathway for those folks as we secure the border.
“And we own that issue.”
While making broad appeals for border enforcement in theory, Newsom tried to defend his record by claiming that his administration handed over 11,000 criminals to ICE.
However, many conservatives see that figure as small relative to California’s massive illegal alien population and its expansive “sanctuary” policies.
In the same interview, when pressed on whether illegal immigration hurts American workers, Newsom offered a dismissive and racially charged answer.
“Not in Tulare County, not in Ventura County,” he said.
“I don’t know many people that want a job out there in those packing facilities.
“I don’t see many people that look like me jumping at those jobs. I just don’t.
“Maybe there’s some exceptions; I haven’t seen the evidence of that.”
Critics blasted the governor for normalizing what many see as exploitative labor practices and for dismissing the impact that illegal immigration has on working-class communities.
That negative impact also affects minorities and legal immigrants.
Perhaps most tellingly, Newsom admitted he would be “happy to advocate for eliminating sanctuary policy,” only to immediately blame the federal government for the policy’s existence:
“The reason it exists is because of the total abject failure of the federal government to do its f**king job.
“It exists because they persist in politicizing this.”
For Trump supporters and border-security advocates, Newsom’s comments only further reveal how deeply entrenched Democrat leaders are in defending policies that put illegals ahead of American citizens, especially those in blue-collar jobs.
With President Trump promising mass deportations and renewed immigration enforcement in his second term, the contrast between the two parties has never been sharper.
READ MORE – Gavin Newsom Blames Trump for Wildfire Spread in California
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