California Governor Gavin Newsom railed against President-elect Trump’s proposal to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada during a visit to the southern border to announce plans to complete construction of the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry Thursday afternoon.
Newsom described the rates as “one of the largest tax increases in American history” that would impact the wallets of Californians and small businesses, especially farmers in the Golden State.
“Don’t think for a second that this won’t have an impact on you,” Newsom said. “90% of these tariffs will impact the bottom of our economic chain, meaning lower-wage workers will pay more than half of these taxes.”
NEWSOM PROPOSES $25 Million From State Legislature Towards ‘Trump-Proof’ CALIFORNIA
Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump (Getty)
“There can be no economic growth in America without the success and vibrancy of this region,” he added.
Newsom called the tariffs a “betrayal” that is “occurring in real time” and said the new legal border crossing would promote two-way trade between Mexico and the U.S.
“You are being betrayed by this policy,” Newsom said.
“And those farmers and ranchers will be disproportionately affected if these tariffs go into effect,” he said. “And I haven’t even mentioned the mass deportation components of it. You know better than me when you look at farm workers, about half of them at the latest estimate. are undocumented.”
About the Ota Mesa Easy Port of Entry, Newsom said he hopes to have it completed by December 2027, with the help of the new Trump administration.
LOS ANGELES, – SEPTEMBER 25: Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference where he signs legislation related to oil and gas well oversight and community protection on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“We care about border security, but we also care about economic security, and we care about two-way trade, and we care about our partners on the other side of the border who have established partnerships.”
Newsom also announced a new plan with the California National Guard strengthen border security by addressing the flow of fentanyl and illegal weapons. Nearly 200,000 illegal migrants are crossing the California border at ports of entry every day this summer, according to the San Diego-based Smart Border Coalition.
The move is part of Newsom’s effort to reframe the conversation around illegal immigration flowing into the blue state as he positions himself for a possible showdown with the incoming Trump administration. This week, Newsom led an emergency special legislative session, urging lawmakers to approve $25 million to strengthen the state’s legal defenses against potential federal lawsuits from Trump.
TIJUANA, MEXICO – MAY 16: Migrants with CBP One App interviews will be allowed to enter the United States at the Chaparral Pedestrian Border in Tijuana, Mexico on May 16, 2023 as the new Title 8 rule is now implemented for all asylum seekers after Title 42 on May 11 was withdrawn. ((Photo by Carlos A. Moreno/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images))
Between 2017 and 2021, the California Department of Justice led 122 lawsuits against Trump administration policies and spent $42 million on lawsuits. Newsom’s office said that in one case, the federal government was ordered to repay California nearly $60 million in public safety grants.
While California has filed more than 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, newly elected President Donald Trump has filed only four major lawsuits against the state.
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California, a haven for illegal immigrants, abortion procedures and transgender transition treatments for children could be targeted by the Trump administration, especially given Trump’s mass deportation plan of illegal immigrants.
Trump called Newsom’s plan an attempt to “Trump-proof” the state in a Truth social post last month.
