OPINION:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s Democratic leadership have turned our state into the epicenter of America’s border crisis, undermining the hard-won security achieved by President Trump’s border closure.
Although that victory was significant, the greater challenge lies within: An estimated 2.2 million illegal immigrants, part of the 18 million nationwide, reside in California, unvetted and often unchecked. This is not merely a policy misstep. It is a national security crisis, and Mr. Newsom’s administration is complicit in its escalation. As a Marine Corps veteran who risked everything for this nation, I find California’s sanctuary state policies a profound betrayal of our sovereignty and safety.
Since 2021, more than 6 million border crossings have strained our nation, and California’s border counties, San Diego and Imperial, bear an outsized burden. Detention facilities are at capacity, border agents are overwhelmed, and communities are stretched to the breaking point. Yet Mr. Newsom’s response is a master class in evasion: empty rhetoric and sanctimonious gestures that shield lawbreakers while draining taxpayer resources. Sanctuary cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles openly flout federal law, offering safe harbor to those who defy our borders. This is not compassion; it is capitulation.
The threat is not distant. It resides in our cities, exploits our systems and sometimes plots our harm. Among the millions who have entered illegally, confirmed terrorists have been apprehended, yet California’s leadership remains willfully blind. In 2023, the state spent more than $3 billion on services for illegal immigrants. These funds could have addressed our homelessness crisis or repaired our crumbling infrastructure. Instead, Mr. Newsom prioritizes lawbreakers over citizens, fostering chaos in cities such as Oakland while veterans sleep on the streets.
We need a strategic, disciplined response, not more of Mr. Newsom’s platitudes. I propose a categorical immigration triage and smart monitoring system to restore order and fairness. Illegal immigrants must receive no subsidies — no public housing, no food stamps, no free cellphones. Breaking the law to enter should not yield rewards. All categories must pay $100 per check-in and $500 annually for visa renewal, covered by the payout company. Those in categories 1 and 2 (five to 10+ years of residence) are eligible for a patriotic pathway to citizenship through military service, serve honorably and earn citizen status.
The framework is clear:
Category 1: Long-term, law-abiding, taxpaying residents (10+ years): No subsidies. Eligible for temporary work visas upon proof of two years of tax contributions. After five years of sustained employment and compliance, they may apply for citizenship review. No GPS monitoring, six-month check-ins ensure accountability. Military service option for citizenship.
Category 2: Employed, taxpaying residents (five to 10 years): No subsidies. Temporary work visas are granted with verified tax contributions. Five years of lawful employment and behavior qualify them for citizenship consideration. No GPS monitoring, quarterly check-ins, and maintain oversight. Military service option for citizenship.
Category 3: Recent arrivals (past three years) from countries with asylum treaties: No subsidies. GPS-monitored for 12 months during asylum adjudication. If denied, immediate deportation. If approved, visa eligibility does not automatically confer citizenship.
Category 4: Recent arrivals (past three years) from countries without asylum treaties: No subsidies. Expedited removal, with limited exceptions for minors or medical emergencies.
Category 5: Criminals, terrorist affiliates, cartel members, repeat offenders: Zero tolerance. Mandatory deportation with criminal prosecution where applicable. Monitored until removed and added to a national security watch list.
This triage system balances fairness with security. Physical detention is costly — hundreds of dollars daily per detainee — while GPS ankle monitors cost less than $10 daily. These digital fences save taxpayer dollars while ensuring compliance. Failure to check in or tampering with a tracker results in immediate deportation. This is not harshness but accountability, a concept foreign to Mr. Newsom’s administration.
As a veteran, I am appalled that we deport service members over minor bureaucratic errors while Mr. Newsom’s policies shelter cartel-linked illegals with free flights to sanctuary cities. California’s leadership has inverted justice, prioritizing those who break our laws over those who defend our nation. This is not about race or prejudice; it is about sovereignty. Nations such as Japan and Israel enforce their borders without apology. Why does California act as a charity for lawbreakers?
Mr. Newsom and his Democratic allies have failed Californians. Their sanctuary state experiment has made our communities less safe and our systems more vulnerable. We need decisive action, not excuses. We need triage, not talking points. And we need a government that places its citizens above those who flout our laws.
The threat is within, and it is time to tag, triage and deport the dangerous. California’s future and America’s security depend on it.
• Kate Monroe is a California native, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, the author of “Race to Save America,” CEO of Vetcomm and founder of Border Vets.
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