❓WHAT HAPPENED: Republican lawmakers in California sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging changes to immigration enforcement policies and advocating for a legal pathway for so-called “non-criminal undocumented immigrants [sic].”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The letter was signed by state Sen. Minority Leader Brian Jones, Sen. Suzette Valladares, and four other Republican lawmakers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The letter was sent to the Trump White House in late June, and revealed publicly over the July 4 weekend.
💬KEY QUOTE: “America needs a system that reflects both compassion and lawfulness—one that upholds sovereignty while recognizing the reality on the ground,” the lawmakers claim.
🎯IMPACT: The letter highlights continued resistance to strong borders and mass deportations among some in the Republican Party, particularly those with close ties to industries enjoying cheap foreign labor.
A group of six Republican state lawmakers in California is demanding that President Donald J. Trump direct U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end its “sweeping raids” against illegal immigrants and instead open “a path to legal status” for what they claim are “non-criminal undocumented immigrants [sic].” Notably, while unlawful entry into the United States only currently carries a civil penalty, under the U.S. Code, the act is still considered a criminal offense, meaning there are no actual “non-criminal undocumented immigrants.”
“We have heard from employers in our districts that recent ICE raids are not only targeting undocumented workers, but also creating widespread fear among other employees, including those with legal immigration status,” the group of six California Republicans claimed, adding: “We urge you to direct ICE and DHS to focus their enforcement operations on criminal immigrants, and when possible to avoid the kinds of sweeping raids that instill fear and disrupt the workplace.”
The letter’s signatories include California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R), Sen. Suzette Valladares (R), Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R), Assembly Member Heath Flora (R), Assembly Member Diane Dixon (R), and Assembly Member Laurie Davies (R). Sen. Jones had previously introduced legislation that directed California state prisons and county jails to provide release dates for illegal immigrants convicted of serious felonies and other violent crimes to federal immigration authorities. However, the legislation failed to advance out of committee.
“America needs a system that reflects both compassion and lawfulness—one that upholds sovereignty while recognizing the reality on the ground,” the letter insists. The state lawmakers call on Trump and Congress to enact a pathway to legal status for so-called “non-criminal” illegal immigrants who supposedly have strong community ties. They also urge reforms to the H-2A and H-2B visa programs to authorize more legal guest workers across industries, alleging labor shortages in sectors such as construction, hospitality, and food processing—apparently preferring this to improving conditions to attract American workers.
According to the American Farm Bureau, the federal government previously authorized 384,900 H-2A temporary agriculture visas, while the H-2B visa program is capped at 66,000 annually. Notably, California’s latest jobs report found 1.1 million unemployed residents, with 659,000 job openings as of March 2025.
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