On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom took to X to blast a Trump-linked immigration funding bill, warning it could supercharge federal enforcement and lead to racial profiling.
"Trump just signed a bill giving his private police $70 billion to terrorize immigrants," Newsom wrote. He added, "Let's be clear — this isn't about protecting borders. This is about targeting people because of the color of their skin and accent."
Newsom also referenced past ICE actions, saying, "Think about the horror ICE caused last summer. Now imagine what they are going to do with this kind of funding. It's un-American."
$70 Billion for Immigration Enforcement
The bill in question passed the Senate last week with a 52-47 vote, advancing President Donald Trump's immigration agenda. No Democrats supported it, and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican to vote against it, citing concerns over the process and lack of procedural safeguards.
Most of the funding is earmarked for expanding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations to ramp up deportation efforts.
Political Reactions
White House border czar Tom Homan has already signaled a major increase in ICE agents in New York City after a new state law limited cooperation with federal authorities. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the funding "long overdue" and lamented that Republicans had to push it through alone.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the bill, calling it a "$70 billion blank check" for ICE. He argued the money should have been used to lower costs for Americans instead of expanding immigration enforcement.
The bill now heads to the House, where its fate remains uncertain amid sharp partisan divisions.
