Former VP Mike Pence on immigration laws, tariffs

As the featured guest for the Sacramento Speakers Series on January 28, former Vice President Mike Pence discussed a wide range of national and global issues in front of an audience of more than 2,000 people. Before that main event, he had a brief window to sit down with California Politics 360 reporter and event moderator Edie Lambert to talk about issues specific to California. This month in California, watchdog groups are seeing immigration raids continuing in the state, and they’re training people to protest and document those raids. With the shooting of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti by federal officers just days earlier, Pence was asked whether he felt Californians should be concerned. He replied that Americans should expect federal, state and local officials to enforce immigration laws, especially working to deport undocumented immigrants who pose a danger and commit crimes. Pence also believes the shootings of Pretti and Renee Good should be thoroughly investigated. That issue has become a source of conflict between federal authorities and Minnesota state leaders, as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says they were physically prevented from accessing the Pretti shooting scene by Department of Homeland Security personnel, even after obtaining a signed judicial search warrant. The Justice Department has now opened a civil rights investigation into the Pretti shooting, but has so far declined to open a similar probe into the Good case. Pence said while the shootings are tragic, they don’t diminish the need for enforcement. “I think it’s important that we respect the right of peaceful assembly, that we respect the freedom of speech rights of people that may object to certain policies,” explained Pence. “But at the end of the day, I think it’s important that we see officials on both sides of the aisle, in both parties, at every level, to make sure our streets are safe and the law is enforced.” As the California Senate just approved a first-in-the-nation law that would make it easier for people to sue federal officers for constitutional violations, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Pence took a nuanced position. He said it feels personal, as he has family members in law enforcement, and he knows it’s a tough job. He believes that federal officers should be held accountable for wrongdoing and that all police shootings should be fully investigated. However, as California’s Senate Bill 747 now moves to the State Assembly, he has concerns about the potential impacts on all federal law enforcement agencies and warns that it could erode public safety. “The immunity that exists for officers who are doing their duty is a very important part of both recruitment and retention, and I think it needs to be preserved,” said Pence. “I would caution against any erosion of that immunity.” As Californians struggle with affordability issues, California Attorney General Bonta has filed lawsuits arguing that the Trump administration’s tariff policies are unlawful and causing significant economic harm to the state. When asked what states like California can do to counter tariffs, Pence said he opposes the Trump administration imposing tariffs on a vast number of nations, including U.S. allies. He is hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will soon rescind President Trump’s use of emergency authority to impose the tariffs, arguing that under the U.S. Constitution, it’s Congress, not the President, that has the power to tax and impose tariffs. “The American people are beginning to awaken, in the city and on the farm, that despite what the administration has said about foreign companies or foreign countries paying the tariffs, people are realizing more every day that American businesses and American families pay American tariffs,” explained Pence. California may have very little Republican representation in Congress if the district maps approved by voters under Proposition 50 stand up to legal challenges. Out of 52 congressional districts, by some estimates, only four may be held by Republicans after the 2026 midterm elections. When asked whether Republicans on the national level should have done more to fight California’s Prop 50, Pence said he generally believes decisions about running elections should be left to each state. He cited the elections clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says the states should decide the “times, places and manner” of holding elections for senators and representatives. But while he defers to the state decisions on mid-decade redistricting, he would prefer to see political boundaries drawn in a way that gives citizens fair representation. “I think the American people would like to see us move beyond partisan gerrymandering as a rule, and see about creating Congressional districts that are more equitable and let the American people really have a more effective voice,” Pence said.KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel