Law abiding members of the Sacramento legislature are not allowed to be member of the Latino Caucus. Why? Because the GOP legislative members believe in the Rule of Law and making the State safe. The Latino Caucus is actually the Crime Supporting Caucus, financed with our tax dollars. They are lawless.
“State Senator Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, noted the California Legislative Latino Caucus has never allowed Republicans to join in its 50-year history. And now that President Donald Trump is in office and has carried out his campaign promise of mass deportations, Gonzalez signaled protecting undocumented people is where the caucus is drawing the line.
“That literally is everything this caucus stands for and is the one thing we 100% support together,” Gonzalez told KCRA 3 in an interview on Thursday. “I haven’t heard one of them speak against the Trump administration’s actions. So, I’m waiting for that quite frankly.”
Someone should sue to end this hate group operating inside our Legislature.
Leader of California Latino Legislative Caucus confirms Republican Latinos are still barred from joining the group
Ashley Zavala, KCRA, 2/6/25 https://www.kcra.com/article/california-latino-legislative-caucus-republican-latinos/63693860
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Despite having a record number of Republican Latino state lawmakers serving in the California Legislature this term, the Democratic leader of the capitol’s Latino Caucus confirmed they are still excluded from joining the group.
State Senator Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, noted the California Legislative Latino Caucus has never allowed Republicans to join in its 50-year history. And now that President Donald Trump is in office and has carried out his campaign promise of mass deportations, Gonzalez signaled protecting undocumented people is where the caucus is drawing the line.
“That literally is everything this caucus stands for and is the one thing we 100% support together,” Gonzalez told KCRA 3 in an interview on Thursday. “I haven’t heard one of them speak against the Trump administration’s actions. So, I’m waiting for that quite frankly.”
The California Latino Legislative Caucus is a powerful group of lawmakers who often successfully get new state laws passed, and resources approved that are meant to benefit California’s Latino community.
Regardless of President Donald Trump’s immigration-related campaign promises that Democrats warned could shatter families, violate civil liberties and upend the economy, many Latinos voted for him anyway. Forty-five percent of Latinos supported Trump in the 2024 election, which is a record high for a Republican presidential nominee, according to NBC News polling.
Trump flipped 10 counties in California that had supported Joe Biden in 2020. As a result, more Latinos than ever are now Republican state lawmakers in California. Assemblymembers Jeff Gonzalez and Leticia Castillo unexpectedly flipped two seats in the lower chamber from blue to red.
The other Latino Republican state lawmakers include State Senators Rosilicie Ochoa-Bogh, Suzette Valladares and Marie Alvarado-Gil (who switched her party affiliation last fall). Along with Castillo and Gonzalez in the Assembly, there’s Assemblymembers Josh Hoover, Juan Alanis, and Kate Sanchez.
There are 35 Democratic Latino state lawmakers who make up the Latino Caucus.
“It’s not about not letting them in or barring them,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a Democratic caucus. I wouldn’t ask as a Democrat, even though I’m Latina, to be part of the Republican caucus.”
Gonzalez would not say if the possibility of expanding the caucus was part of any vote or discussion among the Democratic Latinos after the election when KCRA 3 asked.
“Let’s think about the history of immigration,” Gonzalez said, pointing to mass deportations carried out by different administrations throughout the last half century. “For 50 years this issue has been hanging over them and who has been there for them? Mostly Democrats.”
In the interview, KCRA 3 noted nothing about the Latino Legislative Caucus’ mission statement mentions anything about being Democratic and asked if the group will be clear moving forward that it is solely intended to advocate for Democratic policies and elevate Democratic Latinos.
“Sure, we can absolutely do that,” Gonzalez responded. “Everything is very fluid this time. We obviously went through an election where we realized we have to stand strong on our values.”
Bipartisan caucuses exist in California’s State Capitol. The largest group is the California Women’s Legislative Caucus, which is made up of both Democrats and Republicans. The group’s mission is similar to that of the Latino caucus, but for women and children.
When President Trump was first elected and the justices he appointed helped overturn Roe v. Wade, the women’s caucus made access to and protecting abortion a major priority. The group did not kick out Republicans in the process.
When KCRA 3 asked Gonzalez why the women’s caucus has been able to remain bipartisan and what keeps the Latino caucus from expanding she replied, “Our bylaws are very simple, when this caucus was founded 50 years ago, we had five members that were Democrats.”
“Just because you’re a Latino doesn’t mean we share the same values necessarily, we are not a monolith,” she said. “They can absolutely create their own caucus.”
When redirected back to the topic of the women’s caucus and how women are represented in one major group, but now Latinos may see their representation group fractured because of party differences, KCRA 3 asked Gonzalez if she was ok with that.
“I’m ok with having a caucus that will stand against mass deportations against our communities. If you’re against that and you’re willing to stand up against that, absolutely, let’s talk,” Gonzalez said. “But if you’re not willing to do that, I don’t know why you would want to be in our caucus to begin with.”
