Becerra plays race card on LEGAL immigrant Steve Hilton — debate explodes from there

BS BULLETIN:

Democrat Xavier Becerra accused Republican Steve Hilton of welcoming immigrants who “look like you” while wanting to deport immigrants who “look like me.”
Hilton, himself an immigrant and the son of Hungarian immigrants, called the accusation “disgraceful.”
What followed was a furious exchange over ICE, farm workers, Donald Trump and California’s immigration laws.

California’s gubernatorial debate was already heated.

Then Xavier Becerra decided to make it personal.

During Wednesday night’s CNN debate, moderator Jake Tapper asked Republican Steve Hilton whether, as governor, he would direct California law enforcement to assist the Trump administration’s deportation efforts beyond cases involving dangerous criminals.

Hilton said his goal would be to enforce the law while “lower[ing] the temperature” on immigration and prioritizing the removal of dangerous criminals. He also pointed to his own immigrant background.

“I’m an immigrant. My parents were immigrants from Hungary to England.”

Hilton was born in London and moved to the United States in 2012.

Becerra wasn’t buying the immigrant-solidarity pitch.

“California welcomed you into California, and you welcomed ICE mercenaries into our state in return.”

Then came the line that lit the debate on fire.

“You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you but deport immigrants who look like me.”

Becerra is the son of Mexican immigrants. Hilton is white.

Hilton immediately fired back.

“What a disgraceful remark that was.”

He argued that Californians wanted solutions to issues such as cost of living rather than “unpleasant political attacks.”

But Becerra wasn’t finished.

He accused Hilton of wanting to deport California farm workers, while Hilton shot back that Becerra and California Democrats were refusing to enforce existing immigration law.

Then Hilton widened the attack.

“All you ever say is Trump, Trump, Trump.”

Becerra’s response was essentially: Well, yes — because Trump endorsed you.

And around and around they went.

For context, Hilton has said he supports removing immigrants who are in the country illegally and have committed dangerous crimes, while also arguing that California law already permits cooperation with federal authorities in specified criminal cases. Becerra has made opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement a central dividing line in the race.

The exchange was one of the sharpest moments in what is currently the only scheduled televised debate between the two candidates before California’s November 3 election.