The real test of a leader is not who they criticize or attack, but who they support and help. Donald Trump targets and takes from the most helpless people in our country while helping and making rich the most powerful ones, according to Steyer’s statement on X.
With Eric Swalwell dropping out of the race due to serious accusations of sexual misconduct, Steyer has become the main contender.
As a wealthy person, Steyer knows he needs to show he supports progressive values to win over the Democratic Party, which is naturally wary of someone from his background. To do that, he has been very direct and strong in his approach.
Steyer wrote, “I have clearly said: ICE must be shut down.
ICE acts like a criminal group, doing unfair racial targeting, using violence, threats, terrorism, and even killing Americans to keep Trump in power through fear.”
This is a correct view of ICE.
It is not acting as a law enforcement agency but as a military-like group pushing Trump’s political goals. These agents are killing innocent people, sexually abusing migrants, and breaking every civil right possible. They must be held responsible.
Steyer also said Democrats need the courage to “target both the people on the streets and the leaders in the Department of Homeland Security.”
“How do we do this?
The same way we dealt with the mob. Put ICE agents and their leaders in jail for their crimes, because that’s how you fight a violent extremist group and win,” he said.
Steyer outlined his plan in five main steps—
“First, I will target ICE’s main method: using racial discrimination to arrest, attack, and abuse Americans.
I will pass strong laws that build on California’s current rules and make it illegal for any law enforcement group to target people based on their race, background, language, job, or where they live. We have had enough of federal badges being used to cover up abuse in our state.”
“Second, I will give the state Attorney General the power to hold ICE leaders accountable for violence.
My plan will go after supervisory liability. This law allows the California justice system to criminally charge and imprison not just the ICE agents who commit these crimes, but also the people giving orders.”
“Third, I will appoint and fund a special investigation team and work with the Attorney General who is specifically focused on enforcing California’s laws, including those about conditions in detention centers.
This team will gather evidence the Attorney General can use to charge offenders and their bosses.”
“Fourth, I will get people detained or taken by ICE back home by building a bigger and stronger immigration legal support system in our state—more lawyers, investigators, and approved representatives, as well as legal help and law school programs—to assist and support people who have been wrongfully imprisoned without proper legal process.
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“Fifth, I will start a large statewide ‘Know Your Rights’ public campaign.
Every Californian, no matter their immigration status, should know their rights if they are stopped, detained, or questioned by ICE agents, if they are part of a protest against ICE, if they are filming ICE agents, or if they see them acting illegally.”
This is a fantastic plan and every Democratic governor should follow a similar path.
It’s time to fight back against ICE.
“In a working democracy, the U.S. Attorney General would handle these cases.
Under Trump, the U.S. is not fully functioning, not using all the checks and balances the founders set up—but California still is, and always will be,” Steyer wrote.
“Trump has turned ICE into a criminal operation, so let’s treat it as such.
As governor, I will go after ICE like Eliot Ness and Joe Friday went after the Mob: by bringing them to justice using their basic crimes against them. For the Mob, it was organized crime; for ICE, it’s racial discrimination.”
“Under my leadership, California will protect the most vulnerable and bring to justice those who break the law and harm our neighbors.
We’ll let ICE know: in California, you follow our laws and respect our people, or you go to jail,” he concluded.
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