Overview
- Porter, speaking at CNN’s gubernatorial debate Tuesday, said undocumented immigrants are one of the only ways California has grown in recent years and endorsed using taxpayer money to cover their healthcare.
- She defended the state’s sanctuary approach by saying California resources should not aid federal immigration enforcement, while Republican rival Chad Bianco replied that people here illegally should not be in the state.
- Recent polling shows her slipping behind the front-runners, with an Evitarus survey published May 2 putting Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton at 18% and Porter near 8% ahead of the June 2 top-two primary.
- The debate put fresh focus on state policy that already expands health coverage to eligible immigrants, with reporting citing an estimated $10 billion in the current budget for this care.
- Context from state data shows a complex picture: the Public Policy Institute of California estimates roughly 400,000 illegal immigrants entered the state from 2021 to 2023, while official figures show only modest overall population growth in that span.