“Would you push to deport undocumented farm workers?”
CNN debate moderators asked this emotionally charged question to the seven California gubernatorial candidates Tuesday night. Democrats cited benefits to the economy and “racial profiling” as valid reasons to not push deportations.
Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton pushed back, emphasizing the importance of fairness for Californians and preventing criminals from harming U.S. citizens.
Let’s take a look at Democrats’ reasons for not wanting to enforce deportations in California.
Reason #1: The Economy
Former Rep. Katie Porter touted that “immigration has been a major source of growth in the U.S. economy.”
According to the California Budget and Policy Center, “California’s undocumented residents contribute nearly $8.5 billion in taxes.”
However, many reports, including one from the Center for Immigration Studies, say illegal immigrants have a “net fiscal drain,” meaning they receive more in government services than they pay in taxes.
“This result is not due to laziness or fraud. Illegal immigrants actually have high rates of work, and they do pay some taxes, including income and payroll taxes. The fundamental reason that illegal immigrants are a net drain is that they have a low average education level, which results in low average earnings and tax payments. It also means a large share qualify for welfare programs, often receiving benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children. Like their less-educated and low-income U.S.-born counterparts, the tax payments of illegal immigrants do not come close to covering the cost they create,” said Steven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies.
Steve Hilton called Porter’s argument about immigrants stimulating the economy “very revealing,” saying, “I don’t think that’s the right way for us to be growing.”
Reason #2: ‘Racial Profiling’
Democrat billionaire Tom Steyer argued that deportations are “racial profiling—which is illegal,” and said he would support prosecuting former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement to California.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan added, “It is targeting the Latino community. It is disproportionately affecting our immigrant neighbors.”
However, some experts push back, explaining that deportations have to do with percentages of people here illegally, not “racial profiling.”
“Of course, racial profiling is illegal. No one supports that. California is majority non-European, and Los Angeles is more than half Hispanic. Latinos are more than half the Border Patrol. The Los Angeles Police Department is 70% ‘people of color.’ Only 20% of immigrants in the US are white. So, enforcing immigration law will catch some Europeans—but they are a smaller percentage of people coming in illegally, so it will be a smaller percentage of arrests or enforcement actions,” said Simon Hankinson, Heritage Foundation senior research fellow at the Border Security and Immigration Center.
Hankinson continued, “About 75% of ‘unauthorized’ immigrants living in the USA are Hispanic, with nearly 60% from Mexico alone. So, yes, enforcing immigration law against people here illegally would affect them at those percentages.”
Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra brought up Alex Pretti, saying, “There are two [protesters] dead in Minneapolis for doing their civic duty.”
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 6, 2026
Republicans are absolutely DOMINATING in the California Governor Debate tonight over ICE
BECERRA (D): "There are two [protestors] dead in Minneapolis for doing their civic duty"
BIANCO (R): "Your civic duty is bringing a gun and FIGHTING with cops?! Your civic duty is trying… pic.twitter.com/VFDaKQNwBG
Reason #3: Violence Toward ‘Californians’
Porter argued that “it’s the job of the governor to protect every single Californian. Period. There are no qualifications on that.”
Bianco questioned Porter, “Are you doing that by having a sanctuary state policy? Absolutely not!”
It is estimated that there were 10.9 million-plus inadmissible alien encounters under the Biden-Harris administration, according to The Heritage Foundation Data Visualizations page.
Records from the U.S. Border Patrol show that over 9,055 pounds of fentanyl were seized between ports of entry, and there were a recorded 55,106 arrests of aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants.
Warnings Not Heeded
The debate ended with Bianco firing shots at all candidates, saying, “Six of the people here don’t even know who deports anyone!”
Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years—spending seven of those as the Riverside County sheriff—has a history of being outspoken on immigration issues.
In an interview posted to X, Bianco explained the warning he gave to officials back in 2017.
“Democrats planned for ICE to have to come into communities…. That’s what we’re really seeing right now, is Democrats purposely knowingly made sanctuary states and cities to force ICE on the ground so they could create this.”
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