Newsom vetoes bill to give mortgage advances to illegal immigrants

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a controversial Democratic bill that would have provided loans of up to $150,000 for illegal immigrants to purchase their first home.

AB 1840 passed both state houses with votes from the Democratic Party, which enjoys a supermajority. Newsom justified his opposition to his own fellow party members in a brief statement, citing funding problems:

Given the finite funding available for CalHFA programs, expanding program eligibility must be carefully considered within the broader context of the annual state budget to ensure we manage our resources effectively.

California Republicans celebrated the news, with Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones noting that the governor had heard the claims of his caucus. "We cannot afford this type of reckless spending. I am grateful that the concerns of the people were heard and common sense prevailed," said Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Kelly Seyarto.

The one who was "deeply disappointed" however, was Democrat Joaquin Arambula, the bill's author. The assemblyman insisted that the goal of his proposal was "fairness," an argument which Republicans had lashed out at, asserting that it would achieve the opposite, taking resources away from law-abiding taxpayers. Newsom avoided commenting on this fundamental issue.

Behind the governor's veto some analysts sense political calculations at the national level. The bill touches on two of the hottest issues in the presidential campaign: illegal immigration and homelessness. Both, according to polls, are weak points that Kamala Harris seeks to reinforce. If passed, the bill could have served the Trump campaign's argument.

Statewide, California has the highest proportion of undocumented immigrants in the country, according to the latest data from the Pew Research Center. It also faces one of the worst housing crises, with high prices and low supply, and high levels of homelessness.