Telepeer

New Democrats in OC’s swing districts break from party majority on immigration bills

February 4, 2025

Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has wasted no time pushing forward his aggressive immigration agenda, delivering on one of his key campaign promises.

For Orange County’s newest House Democrats, Reps. Dave Min and Derek Tran, that means being thrown into the political deep end, facing tough votes on immigration enforcement right out of the gate.

In their first weeks in office, Min and Tran have had to navigate a series of high-stakes votes, including legislation that expands immigration enforcement powers and makes it easier to deport noncitizens convicted of certain crimes. These measures, part of a broader Republican push on border security, have divided Democrats and put lawmakers in swing districts in a tough spot.

That includes Min and Tran, who broke with most of their party to support the Laken Riley Act, which gives ICE the power to detain undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes and allows states to sue the federal government over immigration enforcement decisions.

It’s one of the most controversial measures of Trump’s second term yet, and the first bill to receive his signature since he retook office. Experts say it’s just the first of many immigration-related bills to come.

Tran attributed his “yes” vote on the bill last month to concerns from constituents.

“My neighbors’ concerns on issues of public safety and immigration reform are my concerns, too,” Tran said. “I voted to ensure that those committing crimes, no matter their immigration status, are held to a standard of justice under the law — including individuals who assault law enforcement officers or violently harm others.”

When asked why Min supported the bill, his spokesperson, Hannah Rehm, simply said, “In Congress, he is going to continue to prioritize the safety of his Orange County constituents.”

But when it came to a bill that makes it easier to deny entry to or deport noncitizens convicted of crimes like sex offenses, domestic violence, stalking, child abuse or violating protection orders, called the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, Min and Tran split. Min voted against it, while Tran supported it.

When pressed, Tran said he is “proud to be supported by law enforcement and proud to stand with them in keeping our communities safe.” And during a press conference last month to discuss the potential fallout from the Trump administration’s recent actions, including a freeze on federal grants and loans, Tran, again, said it’s important to hold people accountable, regardless of their immigration status.

“My parents were Vietnamese refugees, so the situation that our immigrant community is going through is something I deeply care about,” Tran said. “But at the same time … we’re going to hold those individuals accountable for crimes that they committed, whether they’re documented or undocumented.”

But Min, who voted no, said the bill could make all noncitizens, even those here legally, vulnerable to deportation and ineligibility to enter or remain in the U.S.

Nearly 73% of Democrats voted against the Laken Riley Act and 67% against the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, including Reps. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, and Linda Sánchez, D-Whittier — both in safe Democratic districts.

Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, who represents a competitive district, supported both measures. Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills, also voted “yes” on both.

Min and Tran represent districts with large immigrant populations. In the 45th District, nearly 40% of residents are immigrants, while in the 47th District, about 27% are foreign-born.

While early in their Washington tenures, their votes reflect the political realities they face in competitive districts, said Louis DeSipio, professor of political science and Chicano/Latino studies at UC Irvine.

Beyond immigration, the two have also weighed in on other contentious bills, including a measure to sanction the International Criminal Court over its warrants for Israeli leaders and legislation restricting transgender women and girls from participating in school athletics programs designated for females. On both issues, Min and Tran voted “no,” in step with the majority of the House Democratic Caucus.

On immigration, however, DeSipio said Min and Tran may, at least for now, be focused on appealing to moderate and swing voters.

“I think there was a constituency consideration, or a campaign consideration, in that these are very competitive districts,” DeSipio said. “The signal that they are sending is that they’re concerned about immigration and hear the anger that President Trump is articulating.”

The 47th Congressional District is nearly evenly split between registered Republicans (34.87%) and Democrats (34.83%), with nearly 24% registered as having no party preference. In the 45th District, Democrats (37.07%) outnumber Republicans (33.05%), and just over 24% registered as no party preference. Tran won by only a razor-thin margin over Republican Michelle Steel in the 45th District in November.

A UC Irvine poll released just before Inauguration Day showed that a majority of Orange County residents support a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants.

Nearly 60% of those surveyed back the idea, but almost half of White respondents said they prefer deportation, while nearly 75% of Latinos support legal status. The poll, conducted from Nov. 12-18 online, surveyed 838 adults living in Orange County and has a margin of error of 5.5%.

A key factor will be how far immigration enforcement is actually pushed — whether that includes raids in schools and churches or the military’s involvement in detention efforts.

“I think there, Min or Tran will be unlikely to support those sorts of efforts and would use the power that they have as appropriators to stop those efforts,” DeSipio said.

Rehm, Min’s spokesperson, said while the Irvine Democrat supports a strong border, he “opposes ICE raids in our communities and the use of military personnel in our civilian society.”

Tran, in a statement, said he is “closely monitoring ICE activity across Southern California.” He said he is concerned the Trump administration “appears to be focused on indiscriminately targeting innocent families that have lived and contributed to our communities for decades instead of rightfully focusing on deporting individuals who have committed violent crimes and actually threaten our public safety.”

Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said Democrats, including Min and Tran, are united in wanting a secure border but also an immigration system that works, which includes ensuring public safety.

House Democrats’ focus, Clark said during a recent trip to Orange County, is on “having safe communities and also making sure that our immigrant population is not allowed to be demonized, and that while all of us say if there are criminals in our immigrant population, nobody is arguing with deportation.”

“But that does not allow people to redefine communities of people who are hardworking and taxpaying as all being criminals,” Clark added.

Tracy La of VietRISE, a progressive organization that advocates for the Vietnamese immigrant community, expressed sharp disappointment, specifically with Tran’s decision to vote in support of the two measures.

“It contradicts what he ran on. We are counting on him to have a more nuanced understanding of the working-class communities he represents,” she said.

However, DeSipio said these early votes won’t define their stance on immigration.

“Though an important sort of benchmark,” these early votes on immigration “isn’t going to be the final word,” he said.

“Congress will be talking about immigration repeatedly. A pattern will develop one way or another about how they’re addressing the concerns of their immigrant constituents, and, for that matter, their native-born constituents,” he said.

Orange County Register

News Details

New Democrats in OC’s swing districts break from party majority on immigration bills

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS