Pietruszka said he only hires builders here in the country legally, but that he also relies on companies that employ highly skilled, undocumented labor. Many of those workers are now no-shows because they are fearful of the ramped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

The Central Valley is home to hotly-contested seats in both the House of Representatives and California Legislature. Some state Republican lawmakers in a letter last month urged the president to direct immigration authorities “to avoid the kinds of sweeping raids that instill fear and disrupt the workplace,” including farms.

Continuing its feud with California, the Trump Administration has pulled $4 billion in federal funding from the state’s high-speed rail project, citing missed deadlines and cost overruns.

California’s governor keeps talking about creating new House seats in response to a Texas gerrymander. But the gambit could backfire on Democrats.

Newsom criticizes Trump's National Guard deployment. July 17, 2025. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Ang