Los Angeles County GOP chair Roxanne Hoge, a legal immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, has accused pro-sanctuary Democrats of creating a ‘two-tiered’ justice system designed to trap Latinos and immigrants in a ‘permanent underclass.’ In an interview with Fox News Digital, Hoge, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1976, argued that despite Democratic claims to be the party of the immigrant, their policies are designed to keep Latinos and immigrants down. She criticized the California government for its handling of immigration issues and for fostering a system that allows criminal behavior to flourish while punishing those who follow the law. Hoge’s comments come amid growing controversy over sanctuary policies in California, which have been criticized by some for enabling illegal immigration while providing protections for undocumented individuals.
The debate over sanctuary policies has intensified in recent months, with critics arguing that these policies create a divide between legal and illegal immigrants, leading to a two-tiered legal system. Hoge’s comments add to a growing trend of conservative criticism of Democratic immigration policies, which they claim have led to the exploitation of immigrant workers and the erosion of law and order in major cities like Los Angeles. She pointed to recent incidents, such as the discovery of nine unaccompanied migrant children during an immigration enforcement raid at a state-licensed cannabis facility in northern California, as evidence of the failures of sanctuary policies. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott noted that the facility was under investigation for child labor violations, highlighting the concerns about the treatment of minors in such environments.
Hoge also accused Democratic politicians like Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass of manipulating immigrant populations with fear tactics linked to former President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement actions. She cited a recent case in which a Mexican illegal immigrant named Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon allegedly faked her own ICE kidnapping, which was widely reported by media outlets and even promoted by Bass as an example of the Trump administration promoting fear in immigrant communities. Hoge argued that such incidents are the result of the political strategies used by Democrats to push their sanctuary city policies, which she claims have the opposite effect of what they intend. She warned that these tactics are contributing to the creation of a permanent underclass of immigrants who are trapped in a system of discrimination and exploitation.
While Hoge’s comments reflect a strong conservative critique of Democratic immigration policies, they also highlight the broader national debate over the role of state and local governments in immigration enforcement and the treatment of undocumented immigrants. Critics argue that sanctuary policies undermine federal immigration laws and create a system where illegal immigrants have more rights than legal citizens, leading to a breakdown in the rule of law. Proponents of sanctuary policies, on the other hand, argue that they protect vulnerable individuals from being deported and provide a safety net for those who have settled in the U.S. and contribute to the economy. The controversy over sanctuary policies has become a key issue in the broader political landscape, with implications for the treatment of immigrants and the future of U.S. immigration policy.