Last week, a group of California Senate and Assembly Republicans, led by State Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) asked President Trump to focus immigration raids on undocumented violent criminals and urged the President to implement policies that will modernize the immigration process.

The letter sent to the President was signed by six Republican members of the California State Senate and Assembly. The letter was signed by Valladares and five other Republican legislators: Senator Brian Jones (Senate Minority Leader), Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Assemblymember Heath Flora (9th District), Assemblymember Diane Dixon (72nd District), and Assemblymember Laurie Davies (74th District).

“Decades of failed policies have led us to the difficult situation we face today,” said Valladares. “We are now urging the Administration to prioritize public safety, while advancing immigration and visa policies that strengthen our economy, secure our borders, and keep our communities safe.”

The letter stated, “We fully support efforts to identify, detain and deport undocumented violent criminals.” The legislators also conveyed that employers in their districts had concerns about the recent raids, creating widespread fear among workers regardless of immigration status, resulting in many not showing up for work.

The lawmakers continued, “We urge you to direct ICE and DHS to focus their enforcement operations on criminal immigrants and when possible, avoid the kinds of sweeping raids that instill fear and disrupt the workplace.”

The legislators also joined together to call on the President to, “modernize our immigration process to allow non-criminal undocumented immigrants with longstanding ties to our communities a path toward legal status.” In addition, they called for the expansion of the H-2A and H-2B visa programs to authorize more legal guest workers across the entire economy.

The letter stated, “America needs a system that reflects both compassion and lawfulness – one that upholds sovereignty while recognizing the reality on the ground.”

The legislators urged President Trump to, “Focus deportations on criminals and support legal immigration and visa policies that will build a strong economy, secure our borders and protect our communities.”