Senator Padilla Raises Concerns Over Trump's Future Policies Toward California

California's Democratic Senator Alex Padilla has expressed concerns about Donald Trump's approach to the state, pointing out potential challenges the state could face based on actions from the president-elect's previous administration.

Padilla on Sunday referred to reports of Trump withholding disaster relief funds from California during his first term, allegedly because the state did not support him in the presidential election, CBS News reported.

Furthermore, Trump in September reportedly threatened to stop federal wildfire aid if he were re-elected.

Padilla's comments came as Governor Gavin Newsom convened a special legislative session to prepare for legal challenges under Trump's upcoming term.

"We're trying to inoculate ourselves from those types of threats," Padilla said, CBS News reported.

Padilla also spoke about the ongoing immigration issue, noting that "we're hearing a lot of bombast from Trump and his allies about the biggest deportation operation in our country's history."

He admitted that the focus should be on violent criminals, but called out Trump for targeting millions of people "indiscriminately."

California is a "sanctuary state," which limits local law enforcement's cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on deportations, potentially setting up conflicts with the Trump administration.

"Let the federal government do the federal government's job, but have state and local officials do the state and local officials' job," he said. "There doesn't have to be a conflict unless that's what Trump wants."

Padilla highlighted California's commitment to providing legal support for communities that might be affected by Trump's plans, reflecting the state's values.

"We embrace our diversity. Our diversity is what has made our communities thrive and our economy thrive. And so, we will assist families against the threats of the Trump administration," he said.

The senator also highlighted California's large immigrant population and the importance of ensuring public safety. He noted that immigrants should feel safe reporting crimes or sharing information without fear of deportation, as this was crucial for effective crime investigation and prosecution.

Last week, a Los Angeles County governing board supervisor, Holly Mitchell, revealed that the county was preparing for the upcoming presidency by passing several motions and allocating millions of dollars to support immigrants and transgender residents, who might face challenges under the president-elect administration.