The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) welcomed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Budget Proposal, unveiled last week. The California budget is a statement of California values and CAIR-CA’s belief that how we invest in the most vulnerable communities in California is a primary indication of those values.
Key aspects of the budget proposal do not include funding for DHS and/or FBI “countering/preventing violent extremism” programs, also known as CVE and PVE programs, keeping in line with the advocacy work and CAIR-CA’s participation with the #NoPVEinCA campaign, in partnership with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus and MPower Change, among others. While we are excited about the success of the #NoPVEinCA campaign’s efforts in curtailing funding in California, we hope to ensure that the coming months of budget negotiations don’t incorporate an uptick in CVE and PVE funding.
In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said:
“These PVE-related programs disproportionately impact Muslims in California’s communities and CAIR-CA aims to continue to work to ensure that there be no added state funding to these programs.
“The budget proposal also makes much-needed investments related to protecting vulnerable communities who have particularly suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes key investments to extend the eviction moratorium and establish a state stimulus for those who qualify for the CalEITC, predominately immigrant workers and families.
“These investments will be critical in ensuring that Californians are able to meet basic needs during these economically precarious times.”
While this initial proposal has a multitude of notable elements as mentioned above, it is imperative to note that many Californians will still be left behind. CAIR-CA urges the state legislature to focus on the campaign to #StopICEtransfers during coming budget negotiations and ensure that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations (CDCR) is not spending resources to voluntarily turn our community members over to ICE when they are eligible for release.
“California must support investment in asylees, asylum seekers, and refugees and newcomers to California during an economically precarious time. As a Sanctuary State, it is our obligation to appropriately invest and protect these populations, an area where the budget proposal falls short,” Ayloush said.