Xavier Becerra, Longtime Champion of Californians’ Rights, to Serve as State’s First Latino Attorney General

LOS ANGELES — Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Rep. Xavier Becerra to serve as California’s next attorney general. Brown nominated Becerra, who currently represents California’s 34th congressional district, to fill the position left vacant by Kamala Harris, who recently was elected to the U.S. Senate. The nomination is subject to confirmation by the state legislature. Below is a statement from Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center:

“Rep. Becerra has long been a champion of the rights of all Californians. As he worked in Congress to improve access to affordable health care and better economic safety nets, he fought to ensure that immigrants’ needs were not ignored. More importantly, Becerra stood up for California’s right to enact policies that are best for our state. When California applied for a state innovation waiver to allow all state residents to purchase health insurance through the Obamacare marketplace at full cost, he voiced his support.

“More than ever, we need state and local leaders to fight against a federal government agenda that is anti-worker, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, and anti-Black. Californians know that our diversity is our strength, and we have enacted policies to reflect those values. We look forward to working with Becerra to defend the rights of all our residents, regardless of where we were born, how much money we have, or how we identify.”

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