SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — During a brief stop in San Diego on Thursday afternoon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom did not mince words when describing how Trump’s proposed mass deportations and planned tariffs on Mexico will “hurt California.”
He made those comments during a news conference in Otay Mesa, just a few feet from the border barrier.
“No state will be more impacted by that, small businesses will lose customers, jobs’ll be lost, there will be inflationary impacts on every single one of you,” Newsom said. “The cost of food will go up, and those farmers and ranchers will be impacted disproportionately.”
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The California governor emphasized how deportations will devastate much of the state and country’s workforce.
“The impacts of the cost of food in this state and in this nation are off the charts, this is serious business, no state will be impacted more, the construction industry where nationwide we estimate 13 percent of the folks out there are undocumented will be hurt — we know states like California are significantly higher, it will impact the housing costs, this is serious business.”
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Newsom spent about 40 minutes addressing media from both sides of the border.
When asked about President-elect Trump’s idea to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico, he told reporters the tariffs will ultimately backfire on the American people.
“Don’t think for a second this won’t impact you,” he said. “Ninety percent of these tariffs will impact the bottom of our economic chain, meaning lower-wage workers in the state of California. Seventy-one percent of America’s output happens in blue counties that seem to be under assault, at least rhetorically by the president-elect.”
Newsom specifically chose to speak at a site in Otay Mesa where construction of the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry has stalled.
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He said he hopes the Trump administration will get behind the project.
“We’re working with the Biden administration to advance that, but it has to be codified by the Trump administration, and I hope they continue to support it and recognize the economic imperative in the interest of the American people, interest in this region, state and in the interest of the U.S. economy.”
Newsom was also asked about the California National Guard’s would play a role in mass deportations and immigration enforcement. He said the guard would only be involved in support of operations when fighting drugs, especially fentanyl, from entering the state.
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Trump has said mass deportations of unlawful residents are necessary to make America safe.
He has also stated tariffs on Mexico and Canada, will force both countries to do more to impede unlawful immigration and the flow of drugs into the U.S.
