California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the country’s broken immigration system as tens of thousands of migrants gather at the Mexico border and cities from New York to San Diego prepare for the arrival of thousands more.
“He’s done nothing fundamentally to address this issue since he’s been speaker, and frankly, since he’s been in Congress,” the Democratic governor said Friday of McCarthy, a Republican who represents a district in California’s Central Valley.
“So forgive me for being so damn pointed, but we’re as dumb as we want to be as a nation on this,” Newsom said.
He made the comments while unveiling California’s revised budget proposal, forecasting a $32 billion deficit partly due to weaker tax revenue from its wealthiest residents. The expected shortfall has grown by $9.3 billion since Newsom’s initial estimate in January, marking a sharp turnaround after years of surpluses.
Worsening economic conditions, violence and political upheaval in Latin America have led to a rapid influx of migrants at the US border hoping to claim asylum, creating a humanitarian crisis and straining the immigration system.
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The situation is expected to worsen following the expiration late Thursday of a pandemic-era measure known as Title 42 that allowed authorities to quickly expel migrants.
“What’s happening at the border is a manifestation of our failure to fundamentally address the need for comprehensive reform,” Newsom said.
