Whatever your views of Donald Trump, his first week back in the White House showed his istration is better organized and more cohesive than last time. The sense from 2017 — that his aides would try to keep Trump in check — is gone. Experienced chief of staff Susie Wiles is in place to help Trump achieve his key goals, not to restrain him. She doesn’t waste time on distractions like Trump’s imperialist prattle about the “Gulf of America” and seizing Greenland. She’s no Reince Priebus, Trump’s feckless first chief.
Between this development and the enormous power of the federal government, it’s time for progressives to stop overselling their ability to “Trump-proof” California. On some issues, state lawsuits can pay off, as seen in Trump’s first term. But on the key issue of immigration, where federal primacy is clear, the key to protecting the values of most Californians is trying to minimize the fallout from federal actions that hurt our neighbors.
The Trump istration’s first step — to shut down the CBP One app used by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to schedule appointments and enter the U.S. through ports of entry — left an estimated 30,000 people in the lurch. But helping this group appears out of reach. Instead, the focus has been on migrants already here who entered unlawfully or overstayed their visas. A coordinated effort has emerged in which organizations like the ACLU and foreign consulates use social media to provide updates on ICE raids and to distribute information on immigrant rights.
Unfortunately, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta have helped no one by fostering the impression that the Golden State can stop such cruel Trump policies as his decision to revoke the ban on detaining immigrants near locations like schools, child care centers, hospitals and churches — something he didn’t do in his first term. Their rhetoric has led to headlines like EdSource declaring “California leaders reject Trump istration order to allow immigration enforcement in schools.” They can’t.
But what our leaders can do is to never stop making the case that the vast majority of undocumented individuals are productive, not dangerous. This could soon be made obvious in Los Angeles. If mass deportations force the construction industry to lose scores of valuable workers, hopes to quickly rebuild L.A. after its fires won’t work. And if this hostility to Mexicans interferes with the hugely successful integrated San Diego-Tijuana economy, billions of dollars in economic activity could vanish.
Stressing the crucial importance of wealth creation might resonate with Trump. The dispute over H-1B visas between the billionaires and the populists in MAGA world ultimately showed that despite years of bluster, Trump grasped that skilled immigrants are an economic asset, not a plague.
The next immediate priority for California leaders in dealing with Trump is on securing federal help with the L.A. disaster. So long as he and his social media army make the absurd argument that the devastation in Pacific Palisades and Altadena has to do with the Delta smelt, a coherent discussion may be difficult. But Newsom must try.
Which brings us to the final variable that should worry state residents. Newsom’s hope to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 all but requires him to bash Trump nonstop. If the governor cares about the Golden State, he needs to shelve this persona and make it crystal-clear he won’t be in the running — and soon.
