Will Rep. David Valadao serve his constituents or continue funding ICE? | Opinion

Will Valadao serve his constituents or ICE?

“Central Valley families demand Rep. David Valadao oppose $880B Medicaid cuts,” (fresnobee.com, June 6, 2025)

Rep. David Valadao already voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, handing the Department of Homeland Security $170 billion for immigration enforcement, including $75 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alone, with no comprehensive accounting of how it’s spent.

Valadao’s votes have consequences, and they are hitting our community directly. ICE deportations in California have increased by 78% since President Donald Trump took office, and federal courts have found that ICE is detaining U.S. citizens and noncitizens with lawful status based solely on appearance.

Central Valley families are paying the price. Escalating ICE enforcement across California is linked to rising unemployment and job loss. Some 27% of households are struggling to meet basic needs, and mass deportation is projected to cost the average family $2,150 more per year by 2028.

Valadao can help keep money in Central Valley families’ pockets, or he can write DHS another blank check.

Luis Ojeda

Interim organizing director, ACLU of Northern California

Attack ads

“California race for Congress escalates with attacks invoking Epstein and Chavez,” (fresnobee.com, May 22)

The ads attacking Randy Villegas are some of the most vile and misleading ads I’ve ever seen in a local election. It’s obvious to me that Dr. Jasmeet Bains is exploiting the pain and trauma of survivors for a political leg up. We all know that politics can be a dirty game, but this crosses the line.

Our community deserves leaders we can trust — who won’t distort and twist facts solely to get ahead. I trust Villegas.

Jesse Aguilar

Bakersfield

Reject Newsom’s proposal

“It’s another difficult budget year in Fresno, mayor says. But less ‘tension?’” (fresnobee.com, May 16)

On May 20, I stood on the steps of the State Capitol with thousands of my fellow SEIU Local 2015 long-term care workers. We marched to send a clear message to Gov. Gavin Newsom: do not balance the state budget on the backs of vulnerable seniors, people with disabilities and the caregivers who keep them safe.

The governor’s May Revision aims to fix a state deficit by shifting 100% of the cost of in-home supportive services care growth directly onto counties like Fresno. This is a dangerous, unfair cost-shift. When a vulnerable resident in my Northwest Fresno neighborhood qualifies for more medical or physical care hours, our local county budget will be forced to shoulder that financial burden alone.

This creates a terrible incentive for the county to restrict care hours and hurts our ability to negotiate fair, living wages for providers who are already struggling. Sacramento must fully reject this cost-shift.

Kimberly Becerra

Fresno