CHIRLA defends Becerra from Steyer’s recent attack ad

The CHIRLA Action Fund held a press conference on Monday to refute the accusations against Xavier Becerra, the candidate for California governor they recently endorsed. 

Becerra’s past performance as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HSS) has been questioned by other candidates. Over the weekend new political attack ads by billionaire and candidate Tom Steyer surged accusing Becerra of mishandling the reunification of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant minors with their families.

CHIRLA Action Fund, the lobbying and political campaigning organization, called Becerra a champion, experienced and the most qualified candidate to become the next governor of the golden state. 

The leaders said this was expected to happen as Becerra started rising in the polls about two weeks ago. But also agreed it is irresponsible for any candidate who pretends to lead California to make these accusations because of his misunderstanding of immigration. 

They said there has been cruelty and misinformation towards the immigrant community and while they expect opponents to challenge Becerra, they condemned the attacks based on Trump's lies, or by using vulnerable immigrant children as political pawns. 

Angelica Salas, director of CHIRLA Action Fund, said all the participants endorsing Becerra know their work because they have worked directly with immigrant communities and specifically with unaccompanied minors. She said Steyer originally invested in the creation of the detention centers and years later Trump started using them to detain immigrant families and children. 

“He cannot run away from that,” said Salas. 

On the other hand, she said, when Becerra became the HHS secretary he worked everyday trying to undo the harm created because of the immigration system and tried to support the children.

“I worked with Xavier Becerra and our local officials to welcome thousands of unaccompanied minors in both Long Beach and Pomona,” Salas said. “He wanted our unaccompanied minors to be treated with dignity and care, and for them to be treated as the children they are.”

Salas demanded Steyer to take down the campaign ads attacks and run a campaign of decency. 

Sergio Rascon, Business Manager of the Laborers Union and President of Local 300, said Becerra is the one who has stood and supported immigration. 

“We came on board early with Xavier [Becerra] and one of the reasons is because Xavier was in labor, Local 185 in Sacramento along with his father,” before becoming a politician, he said. 

He called Becerra an “honest, sincere and humble” person. 

“And remember, he was also considered to be one of the highest ranking, if not the highest ranking Latinos in Congress,” he said.  

Martha Arevalo, executive director of the Central American Resource Center Los Angeles (CARECEN-LA), said it is shameful that a billionaire who became rich at the expense of families’ separations criticizes people with the record of Becerra. 

“Who is Tom Steyer? He has never been part of our community. He has never been a champion for immigrants,” she said. “As Latino voters we are smarter than that. We are not going to be fooled by these lies, by somebody that is a billionaire and became rich out of the suffering of our community.” 

Standing by his word 

In response, to the political campaign, Ariana Andrade, Steyer’s spokesperson said that many people like journalists, other Democrats and cabinet peers have said it on record. 

“With stakes this high, California families cannot afford to trust his leadership or someone who refuses to be accountable or take responsibility, especially when it comes to protecting our kids,” Andrade said via email.