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Trump-Backed California Governor Candidate Says He’d Work With Federal Government On Immigration Enforcement

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Steve Hilton, a Republican California gubernatorial candidate who’s been endorsed by President Donald Trump, signaled Tuesday that he was game to work with the administration on enforcing immigration laws.

“President Trump is enacting a policy of mass deportation. As you know, roughly half of California farm workers, which are an essential part of this state's economy, are undocumented. As governor, would you push to deport them?,” moderator and CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins asked during a gubernatorial debate on Tuesday.

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“As governor, I've made it very clear, although it is the federal government's responsibility to determine and implement immigration policy, I think it's important that all the laws are peacefully enforced. And as governor, I would make sure that we work with the federal government to enforce our laws,” Hilton said, while noting that he is a “legal immigrant.”

Collins followed up by asking if Hilton would support deporting undocumented farmworkers.

“The governor of California, as you know, doesn’t make that decision,” Hilton said. “It is the president of the United States elected by the country.”

“Will you oppose him?” another candidate asked, before the discussion pivoted to other topics.

California is among the states that have policies that limit police collaboration with federal immigration agents, a proposal that Hilton has criticized.

Earlier in the debate, Hilton was also called out for refusing to say that the president lost the 2020 election.