Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate supported by President Donald Trump for governor of California, supports legal immigration to the United States and “would not like to see anything like” the violence unleashed by masked ICE agents in Los Angeles and other parts of the “Golden State” during the massive immigration raids in the summer of 2025.

Just days before the June 2 primary election, a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) reveals that five candidates have double-digit support. Democrat Xavier Becerra (23%) and former Fox News host Hilton (20%) are firmly in the lead, followed by Democrat Tom Steyer 15%, Republican Chad Bianco (13%) and Democrat Katie Porter (12%).

The two candidates with the most votes, regardless of their party, will advance to the November elections.

In an interview with La Opinión, Hilton says that he believes in the need for a change in the way California is governed.

“California is the most amazing place in the world,” he says. "I am a proud immigrant, a new American citizen. My parents were Hungarian. They were refugees from communism, and I was born in England," he said.

Hilton moved to California in 2012 with his wife and two children. He has been a professor at Stanford University; founded a business and developed a career in media.

“I have lived the California dream and the reason I am running is that that dream is simply not available to most people,” he says. "We've had one party controlling everything in California for 16 years now. It's been an experiment in a particular form of governance: progressive governance; a form that the party in charge uses to claim to be a model for the rest of the nation."

"But if you look at the facts, it's not a very good model to follow. Let's face it: Today, California has the highest poverty rate of any state. We're tied with Louisiana for first place. We have the highest unemployment rate of the 50 states and, by far, the highest cost of living."

Hilton says that if you break down that cost of living, you find that gas prices are the highest in the country; electricity bills are the highest in history – with the exception of Hawaii; Housing costs are the highest and the homeownership rate is the lowest.

“That's an embarrassing statistic, considering we should think of California as the home of opportunity,” he says, adding that Chief Executive magazine, in an annual survey of business conditions; For the past 10 years, California has ranked 50th out of 50 states.

“When we conceive ourselves as the home of entrepreneurs and innovation—and of all these values—I think it is clear that we need a change of direction and a certain balance in our system,” he says.

"It's not healthy for one party to control everything for such a long period of time, so I'm proposing a plan for positive, pragmatic change to make California affordable. $3 gas, cutting electric bills in half, tax exemption on the first $100,000 of income, and the ability to afford a home—my plan seeks to make California, once again, the best place to start and raise a family, as well as to found and run a business. That's my plan.”

On immigration, which he does not mention in his likely government plan, Hilton said he advocates for legal immigration and the peaceful application of federal laws, and criticized the current system's dependence on undocumented workers and those in California's agricultural sector.

You have criticized California's approach to immigration enforcement and border policy. How would your administration approach immigration differently, particularly with regard to cooperation with federal authorities and undocumented workers who have resided in California for years, and access to education and health services for immigrant families?

“I have clearly stated that I am a candidate of the legal immigrant community and for the legal immigrant community,” Hilton responded. “Many people are being denied access to the basic rungs of that “ladder of opportunity” that we want to see for our immigrant communities here in California.”

"I grew up in a working-class immigrant household in England; I know exactly what that means. My stepfather was also Hungarian and worked in construction. That was my childhood: helping out, making a little extra money on construction sites. My first job was as a project manager for a construction company. So I understand this deeply."

Hilton warns that immigration policy is not the responsibility of the governor, but of the federal government.

“I agree with all the arguments that Democrats have made in recent years about the importance of respecting the electoral results and not undermining democracy,” he added. “The results of the last presidential election were very, very clear: one candidate [Donald Trump], one party [Republican] won all the swing states and won the popular vote with a very defined platform on immigration policy.

“Now, the administration is executing the verdict of the people,” he emphasized.

Indeed, the Trump Administration has used the immigration issue as its main political platform through mass deportations. He promised a million deportations a year.

In fact, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they apprehended more than half a million undocumented immigrants in 2025, and currently make nearly 1,200 arrests daily.

Will you actively work against the results of the 2024 election when it comes to immigration policy?

“Realistically, if you want to be faithful to your principles you should defend the Constitution and the rule of law.”

In Steve Hilton, Californians “would not see anything similar” to the confrontation that took place in Los Angeles last summer with the masked immigration agents, or, even worse, in Minneapolis - earlier this year - with the murders of American activists Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

“That will not happen while I am governor, as we will take an approach based on the premise that all laws must be peacefully enforced; and we will not impede the enforcement of federal immigration laws,” Hilton said.

Since you are in favor of President Trump's law enforcement actions against immigrants, what will your approach be as governor? Because, according to data, around 70% of California agricultural workers are undocumented.

"First of all, I would not characterize the administration's approach as an 'anti' stance on immigrants. Every year we welcome large numbers of legal immigrants into the United States. I fully support that reality. I am in favor of immigration, but this must be legal immigration."

According to Hilton, he has spent a lot of time in California's agricultural belt, learning and living with farmers and farm workers, with whom he agrees that "it is not healthy for our society that so much of it [agricultural industry] depends on the violation of the law, whether by the workers themselves or by the employers."

“This situation is neither good nor healthy,” emphasized the candidate, who described this reality as “the consequence of at least 50 years of policies, in which both Democrats and Republicans have had their share of responsibility” in the hiring of undocumented workers.