By Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter defended California’s sanctuary state policies during a Tuesday night debate, arguing that state officials should focus public resources on serving residents rather than assisting federal immigration enforcement.
Pressed on whether California should cooperate more closely with federal immigration authorities, Porter framed the issue as a matter of state responsibility.
“It’s the job of the California governor to protect every single Californian,” she said. “The sanctuary state policy is designed to make sure that our state resources, the taxpayer dollars, the public servants that we have, are focusing on doing their jobs, which is not cooperating with the federal immigration authorities.”
Porter then described undocumented immigrants as part of California’s economic and demographic foundation, saying they are residents who help sustain the state.
“These Californians, they contribute to our economy, they pay taxes, and they’re one of the only ways our state has been growing in recent years,” she said.
🚨 BUSTED: Katie Porter accidentally ADMITS California’s population growth is being driven by illegal immigration:
“They're one of the only ways that our state has been growing in recent years!" pic.twitter.com/M3nI7nYLM0
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 6, 2026
The remark drew immediate criticism from Republicans, wrote The Daily Caller, who argued that Porter had said aloud what conservatives have long alleged: that California’s immigration policies are tied not only to humanitarian concerns, but also to the state’s political and economic interests.
California has struggled for years with high housing costs, steep taxes, homelessness, crime concerns, and sustained domestic outmigration. While the state has recently stabilized after pandemic-era population losses, its modest growth has depended heavily on immigration, even as large numbers of residents continue moving to other states.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor, challenged Porter over the public safety consequences of sanctuary policies, arguing that they restrict cooperation with federal authorities and make it harder to remove illegal immigrants who commit crimes.
Porter’s comments are likely to intensify Republican attacks on California’s sanctuary state framework, which has become a defining feature of the state’s resistance to federal immigration enforcement. For Democrats, the policy is often defended as a way to preserve trust between immigrant communities and local government. For critics, it represents a broader governing philosophy that protects noncitizens while imposing costs on taxpayers and law-abiding residents.
The debate over sanctuary policies is also unfolding against a larger economic migration story. IRS data tracking adjusted gross income flows from 2022 to 2023 showed California losing about $12.9 billion in income through domestic migration, while Florida gained $20.6 billion and Texas gained $5.3 billion. Those figures suggest that California is not simply experiencing population churn. It is watching income, taxpayers, and economic influence move to states with lower costs and more favorable business climates as liberal policies have crushed the state.
The primary election is scheduled for June 2.
[Read More: Democrat Slammed For ‘Treason’ After Press Conference]
