The leading Democrats in the California governor’s race would block Trump administration reforms aimed at mitigating the state’s massive illegal immigration problem and would even fight a federal policy prohibiting licenses for truck drivers who can’t speak English.
Billionaire Tom Steyer and former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who lead the other Democrats in the governor’s race, made it clear during the candidate debate in San Francisco on Wednesday that they would fight the Trump administration’s illegal immigration purge, including new language proficiency requirements for truckers.
“I would definitely push back on the Trump administration,” Mr. Becerra said.
He called the language proficiency requirement for truckers and its roadside enforcement by the California Highway Patrol “a reckless policy.”
Mr. Becerra has surged in the polls since former Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, dropped out of the governor’s race this month after two women accused him of sexual misconduct.
Mr. Becerra’s level of support had remained in the low single digits but climbed to 23% in an Independent Voter News survey of likely voters released Monday.
The poll put Mr. Becerra ahead of all other candidates, including two Republicans and Mr. Steyer, who was leading Democrats immediately after Mr. Swalwell dropped out.
A second poll, conducted by Gudelunas Strategies and released Monday, showed Mr. Becerra and Mr. Steyer tied with 15% of the vote.
The June 2 nonpartisan primary will narrow the field to two candidates, who will face off on the November ballot.
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host who has Mr. Trump’s endorsement, is leading or tied for first place in many polls.
The California Highway Patrol began enforcing English-language proficiency requirements for roadside traffic stops earlier this year, following Mr. Trump’s executive order requiring English proficiency for commercial truck drivers.
Democrats running to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom said they oppose the policy.
Mr. Becerra said CHP officers shouldn’t be giving roadside English tests.
“That officer has some explaining to do,” he said after moderators showed a video of a CHP officer quizzing a befuddled immigrant driver at a traffic stop.
Mr. Steyer likened the English proficiency trucker traffic stops to racial profiling “and picking on people based on the color of their skin,” which he said is illegal in California.
Mr. Steyer said his agenda includes policies that would authorize California to prosecute and even imprison Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff.
California, which Gov. Jerry Brown declared a sanctuary state in 2017, provides generous benefits and programs for the state’s nearly 1.8 million illegal immigrants, including legal protection and health care. Migrants are allowed to acquire work licenses and driver’s licenses.
“I have a program for ICE that involves prosecuting them for racial profiling, prosecuting them for violence against Californians, and investigating their detention centers, having legal defense funds for people who’ve been kidnapped and put in those detention centers, and a Know Your Rights PR campaign,” Mr. Steyer said.
Mr. Steyer said the California governor “needs to stand up for California citizens every time.”
The Trump administration began cracking down on immigrant truck drivers after a string of deadly crashes involving people living in the U.S. illegally who did not speak English.
In one of the deadliest incidents, an illegal immigrant trucker made an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway, causing a crash that killed a driver and two passengers in a minivan. The truck driver accused of causing the crash is an Indian national living in the U.S. illegally. He was carrying a valid commercial driver’s license issued in California at the time of the crash.
The driver had failed a CDL test 10 times in 2023 in Washington state but was ultimately issued a CDL in Washington and California.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced in February that the federal government would begin enforcing English-only commercial driver’s license tests.
California had been offering CDL tests in 20 languages. Under the new federal rule, it is transitioning to English-only testing.
The state has issued more than 700,000 active commercial driver’s licenses, including more than 60,000 issued to legally authorized foreign nationals living in America.
In November, the state revoked 17,000 CDLs issued to foreigners after it was discovered that the license expiration dates had passed the drivers’ work visa expiration dates.
No Democrat on the debate stage spoke in favor of stricter rules for CDLs issued to foreigners living in the U.S. legally or illegally.
Former Rep. Katie Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan rejected the need to make sure truck drivers can read English.
Mr. Mahan, who is running as a moderate Democrat, said English proficiency isn’t important for truckers.
“The DMV has exams, and it’s not about whether or not you speak English,” he said. “I represent one of … the most diverse cities and the safest city. What the DMV is responsible for doing is not testing how good your English is. It’s whether or not you’re a safe driver who understands the rules.”
Ms. Porter, a Democrat, was asked whether the English proficiency requirement should be strictly enforced.
“I would absolutely fight the Trump administration, because the job of the California governor is to protect Californians, and right now that includes protecting them from Donald Trump,” she responded.
Ms. Porter said her policies also would include “enforcing traffic laws.” She acknowledged “a need for oversight in California,” but not for illegal immigrant drivers.
“We’ve seen the Department of Motor Vehicles was not enforcing rules around DUIs and drivers who had convictions for that,” Ms. Porter said.
Mr. Hilton polled at 20% in the latest Gudelunas Strategies survey, leading all candidates. His popularity threatens Democrats scrambling to ensure they aren’t locked out of the November ballot entirely.
A second Republican, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, is polling just a few points behind Mr. Hilton, giving the Republicans a rare opportunity to seize both spots on the November ballot. That would guarantee a Republican governor in 2027.
Mr. Bianco said California must stop issuing commercial driver’s licenses to unqualified drivers who can’t read signs in English. The officer in the video administering the English test, he said, probably stopped the driver for violating a traffic law.
“Let’s stop with this whole racism thing and racial profiling and all of this garbage. We have to get over this. You either violated the law or you didn’t,” Mr. Bianco said.
Asked by moderators whether he would require “full compliance” with federal language standards, Mr. Hilton said he had “discussed this” with Marcus Coleman, a Bakersfield father whose 5-year-old daughter was left severely hurt after a migrant trucker carrying a California commercial driver’s license caused a multicar wreck when he sped through a construction zone.
“His daughter is now disabled for life. That’s what we’re dealing with here. It is completely ridiculous that we have people driving on our roads who can’t understand road signs and can’t speak English,” Mr. Hilton said.
“We will not be issuing commercial driver licenses when I’m governor to people who are illegally here and who don’t speak English. That is obvious common sense.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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