Hot Takes: CA Senator Padilla Tries Fear-Mongering Over Illegals 'Afraid' to Pick Produce; X Sounds Off

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

Democrats still seem to have lost the plot on our nation's border crisis and illegal aliens.

California Sen. Alex "Jose" Padilla continues the fear tactics that have unfortunately worked in the past on illegal immigration, including against establishment Republican lawmakers, at times. Anyway, this time, he was reacting to a news story out of Oregon about seasonal fruit pickers "afraid to go to work":

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He promised to go after criminals. Instead, he’s targeting the essential workers who put food on our tables—and crippling the agricultural industry in the process.


READ RELATED: Camarillo Cannabis Farm Co-Founder Donated 10K to Governor Gavin Newsom

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To be clear, the story in question is about one single farmer who spoke to KPTV about the illegals he knowingly employs:

As originally reported by OPB, Ian Chandler of CE Farm Management said he started the harvest season with about half of his 120-person workforce.

“Our harvest workforce is primarily immigrants, the majority are from Mexico originally and they are skilled workers who come up every single year,” Chandler said. “A lot of people feel scared because of their ethnicity, which is an unfortunate thing.”

The fear over ICE raids has reduced labor industry-wide, Chandler said. As a result, he and the remaining workers have not been able to pick all of the cherries before they become too sweet or even shrivel up.

Chandler goes on to tell the reporter that his farm will have to tighten its belt "over the next year," and "[h]e and his wife are even looking for second jobs to make up for the loss."

Call me heartless, but what exactly did he think was going to happen when he chose to break federal law and depend on dozens of illegal aliens to keep his family business afloat? Also, people are not "scared because of their ethnicity" -- and anyone who is has been scared by liberals like Sen. Padilla, who know better.

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People on X let the senator know what they think of his posturing by sharing the story, with one person kindly taking the time to alert the DHS to the farmer's plight:

And this person had a novel suggestion on how to make sure farm workers show up:

Another commenter wondered if the good senator could "clarify" his position:

Senator Padilla, can you please clarify…

Are you saying that you support Big Ag conglomerates exploiting desperate people via long, hard, dangerous and laborious work for less than minimum wage with zero health benefits provided???

And while not having as many people from other countries picking fruit and vegetables might raise the prices, it's okay with Kevin Dalton because slave labor is bad:

And there's the other part that the Democrat lawmaker lies about: Trump promised during the 2024 presidential campaign to embark on a massive repatriation effort. This is what we voted for -- Pres. Trump cleaning up Biden and the Democrats' mess, as Truth Ninja316 said: [Warning: coarse language]

Sounds like your party should have worked in Congress to set up a program to bring workers in legally. Instead they didn’t do jack s**t and flung the border gates open allowing for every fruit picker, 10 gang members, children, drug dealers, child molestors and human traffickers. Look in the mirror. Trump is cleaning up YOUR mess.


RELATED: Watch: Alex Padilla Has a Meltdown Over JD Vance Calling Him 'Jose'

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Assistant U.S. Attorney General in the DOJ's Civil Rights division, Harmeet Dhillon, rightly calls him out over Dems' pushing these "manipulations" on the American people over and over again: 

That's going to leave a mark, ouch. In addition to them calling a candidate for president a Hitler wannabe and nearly half of American voters, wannabe authoritarians and racists, this could backfire on the leftists, too. Reap what you sow, Dems. The 2026 midterms are coming up faster than you can say, "Maryland man." 

While this farm grows a very different kind of, well, produce from cherries, the same sentiment applies here: Protecting people used for illegal slave labor is what the Democrat Party stands for - and don't let them tell you otherwise.

Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.

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