In Fresno County, California (KFSN), Republican discussions about immigration reform have been put on hold. Congressman Tom McClintock, who chairs the House Immigration Subcommittee, says his focus is on enforcement.
McClintock said in an exclusive interview with Action News, “The immigration laws we have now are good enough if they are enforced.”
As the chair with jurisdiction over border security and enforcement across the nation, McClintock would be important in reviewing proposed reforms. But he says reforms aren’t needed.
Action News asked, “What have you heard from agents and law enforcement in Central California? What do they say they need?” McClintock replied, “They want the laws enforced. They especially dislike the sanctuary laws in California that stop them from working with ICE.”
Enforcement seemed to increase in Central California even before President Trump was inaugurated. A video of the Border Patrol’s Operation Return to Sender in Kern County from January 7 to January 9 got national attention. In a lawsuit, the United Farm Workers labor union estimates that agents rounded up nearly 200 people.
Action News has spent weeks trying to confirm the number of undocumented immigrants detained or removed, and how many had criminal records before. McClintock’s office and other lawmakers told us to ask the Department of Homeland Security. An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that the government has greatly increased immigration enforcement since January 20 and is now gathering and checking data. The statement said, “Right now, statistics are three months behind and are published quarterly.” There is no complete data for 2025 yet.
Action News asked McClintock, “Are there more operations happening? Will there be more?” He said, “Yes. In fact, the House Budget Committee just passed a budget resolution that will give about $100 billion more for border enforcement. We are very serious about this.”
McClintock thinks it will take years for the government to secure the border. Only then would his committee consider new laws. We asked what those laws could be.
McClintock said, “Instead of paying coyotes a lot of money, a person could make a deposit with the federal government at the border. They would get permission for six months to come to the US for seasonal work. They would be protected by our laws and have legal status. After six months, they would have to go back and get their deposit when they leave.”
Action News asked, “The program you mentioned – would it be for immigrants who want to come to the country, not those already here?” McClintock said, “Those already here who are legal residents are legal. Those here illegally must go back to their country under our laws. If they want to come back, they have to do it legally.”
Labor leaders say this won’t work. Manuel Cunha of the Nisei Farmers League said, “You can’t just do that. You can’t just send them away.” Cunha thinks McClintock’s proposal is a problem. He points to government laws that would stop undocumented workers who have paid federal taxes and into Social Security for years from coming back to the US. Cunha said, “If we send everyone out of the country, all that will be lost. And sending everyone out would be a disaster. If my business closes, all the businesses around me will close too.”
McClintock did say a seasonal guest worker program could be a solution if there’s a need for labor in the future. Federal data shows that nearly half of California’s farm workers might be undocumented. Thousands are in the Valley.
Democratic Congressman Jim Costa said, “If we can’t do comprehensive immigration reform, we should deal with the parts that have support from both parties. I think there’s support from both parties for giving farmworkers legal status.”
Costa also thinks DACA reform could have bipartisan support. He introduced a bill to let undocumented young people become citizens. This bill would have to go through McClintock’s subcommittee.
Action News asked McClintock, “What about the Dreamers who have been protected since President Obama? What’s your solution?” McClintock said, “I think we’ll have to deal with that, but only after our borders are secure and our immigration laws are being enforced.”
While McClintock’s committee won’t consider reforms for now, President Trump has already suggested a plan. He wants to replace investor visas with a “gold card” that would cost foreigners $5 million each and offer a way to get citizenship. The president says he doesn’t need Congressional approval for this.
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