Hello and happy Thursday, but the fires continue. There are only four days left until Inauguration Day, but the Trump effect is already in effect.

According to reports, federal immigration authorities conducted a “return to sender operation” last week. El Centro Border Patrol Chief Gregory K. Bovino. Border Patrol agents who are said to be looking for people who have committed crimes have detained immigrants in front of hardware stores and gas stations near Bakersfield and even stopped cars on Highway 99 to ask people to show their documents. I asked for it.

As my colleague Andrea Castillo reported, “immigrant advocates say it was the largest enforcement action in the Central Valley in years,” with between 80 and 180 people arrested. He may have been detained. Exact numbers are difficult to come by. And although this happened while Biden was still in office, this represents a new boldness for local immigration officials who feel empowered to carry out enforcement as they see fit. It may indicate that

Of course, the state Legislature (Speaker Robert Rivas is the grandson of a farm worker) and Gov. Gavin Newsom are all committed to protecting California’s undocumented immigrants as much as possible. But then the fires broke out, and there were political threats to put conditions on aid to the victims.

That leaves some worried that the urgent need to secure federal funding could lead to a softening of President Trump’s immigration plan.

“I have a very clear eye on it,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Humane Immigrant Rights Coalition CHIRLA. “I’m worried because I feel like I can’t quell my desire to do harm.”

She worries that “some Democrats are willing to go along with his brutality.”

Is that it? Sophie’s Choice Is there a possibility for public policy? Here’s what we know:

all in one problem

Already, some Republicans in the state (on social media, of course) are trying to link the fires to immigration issues.

“Democrats claim to spend more than $5 billion a year on health care for illegal immigrants, while cutting wildfire prevention by 80% to $200 million,” the state senator said. Bill Esselli (R-Riverside) wrote on former Twitter.. “This should disgust all Californians, especially those affected by the ongoing wildfire disaster in Los Angeles.”

And, so as not to give in to it, Trump reposted the message on Tuesday. His book Truth Social also links the two issues.

“The real irony… homeowners agree to pay property taxes that go to the fire department. Since LA is a sanctuary city, that money is being diverted to illegal immigrants,” the post reads. It is written. “Illegal immigrants come and set houses on fire, and fire departments don’t have the resources to put them out. Homeowners pay the price for their own destruction.”

This kind of rhetoric is already causing fear in undocumented communities. While Altadena, which has a large Latino population, was burning, social media started buzzing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was conducting a raid nearby, Salas said. Her organization was forced to divert attention from the fire victims to verify the rumors. That wasn’t true. She thinks someone may have mistaken the FEMA truck for ICE. But now, uncertainty permeates undocumented communities.

In her neighborhood near Altadena, where many of her family and friends lost their homes and jobs in the fire, the law already makes undocumented immigrants ineligible for federal aid. Now, she said, they are afraid to even ask private organizations for clothing or food donations because they fear their status will be exposed.

“These are the conversations we’re having right now in the midst of this,” she said. “Our people are losing their homes and jobs and are in deep despair. At a time when the news is telling us that what the President of the United States and this administration want to do is cause more harm to our people. I heard it.’ I’m living it, and it’s very painful. ”

So for Republicans, logic aside, there is little to no connection between immigration and wildfires, and there is no shame in using wildfires to advance immigration policy. And whether they take it further or not, that position has real-world implications.

silence is golden

What does that mean for California policy? Even politicians are probably working to figure it out right now on both sides of the aisle.

The focus today will be on how far Republicans will go with their threat to put conditions on aid to fire victims. And if there are conditions, how hard can California afford to fight when funding is needed so desperately and rapidly?

Even if it’s a battle that the state might ultimately win in court or in the court of public opinion, should fire victims be asked to wait until the situation is underway for help?

We may already be seeing these calculations in action. When it comes to the attack near Bakersfield, I’ve heard state leaders remain woefully silent in public, despite their behind-the-scenes involvement.

Spokespeople for Mr. Rivas and Mr. Newsom said they could not be reached for comment.

But Newsom knows a lot about dealing with Trump from his first four years, so his silence on the issue may reflect some experience. Because if Newsom showed even the slightest bit of sympathy for immigrants, the right-wing troll machine would almost certainly jump on it as evidence that he’s busy supporting criminals while Los Angeles burns. It is.

Another sign that Newsom has a strategy came in an interview he gave on MSNBC about the fires. So he quickly offered Trump credit for the aid. This is similar to how Newsom carefully tried to stroke Trump’s ego during his first term, a tactic whose obviousness nonetheless appears to be having a beneficial effect.

“This is not about me, this is about the people we both represent,” Newsom said. “And I beg desperately [Republicans]. Come out here. Help us, we will help you. you will be exalted. Mr. President, at the end of the day, you’re the one we all call and say, “Thank you.” thank you. Thank you for living according to the values ​​of this country. Thank you for supporting this family and children. ”

Now the waiting game is to see how far President Trump will go with his threats of deportation and conditional assistance.

Talia Inlender, deputy director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law, told me she is hopeful.

“California has a strong track record of resisting federal pressure to cooperate with immigration enforcement,” she said in an email. “We are hopeful that our state will continue to continue in the aftermath of the devastating fires. We believe it is the right thing to do and that recovery and rebuilding efforts will continue to support the many immigrants who live and work in Los Angeles. Because it depends on

And in California, values ​​method, The law, passed in 2017, ensures that no state or local resources can be used to support federal immigration efforts. This rule appears to have held true during the Bakersfield attack, and there is no reason to expect it will not hold true in the future.

But it wouldn’t be all that shocking if President Trump tried to use the fires as a bargaining chip to force California to balance recovery with protecting vulnerable illegal aliens.

Simply because he can do it.

What else to read:

Must read: Immigrant workers lead relief efforts in Los Angeles-area fires
What happened: Crews step forward to fight fire amid ‘particularly dangerous’ red flag warning
LA Times Feature: Want to make your home fireproof? it takes a village
stay golden,
Anita Chhabria