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California governor demands more money to fight Trump

California Governor Jerry Brown speaks to reporters during a news conference where he revealed his revised California State budget on May 11, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by AFP)

California Governor Jerry Brown has proposed an increase in funding for the US state’s Democratic attorney general to help combat the divisive policies of President Donald Trump.

Brown sent lawmakers a budget plan on Thursday, calling on the Republican-controlled Congress to allocate extra funds to 30 new positions across the country to fight Trump's executive orders restricting travel from six Muslim-majority countries and the construction of a long wall along the US-Mexico border.

The move comes as Democratic attorneys general across the United States have assumed lead roles in opposing some of the Republican president's agenda.

In the revised budget plan, the California governor proposed a $15 million rise to expand legal services for immigrants seeking legal status in the US as well as fighting deportation.

A 6.5-million-dollar increase was also requested for California's Department of Justice to address "various actions taken at the federal level that impact public safety, healthcare, the environment, consumer affairs and general constitutional issues."

“The department has expended over 11,000 hours of legal work in response to federal issues since Trump's inauguration in January,” Brown’s office stated.

The outspoken governor also took a jab at California House Republicans who voted for the health care bill proposed by the new US president.

“They weren’t sent to Congress just to take orders from that crowd of Donald Trump,” Brown said. “I really don’t understand why those people, particularly in swing districts, are following the dictates of Donald Trump. I think they should think about their constituents, their families. They're going to have to do penance for it."

Since his inauguration, Trump has faced nearly non-stop protests and rallies condemning his divisive rhetoric and controversial immigration policy.

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order to start the Mexico border wall project at the Department of Homeland Security facility in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2017. (Photos by AFP)

Trump's first month in office was dominated by a battle over his temporary travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries and harsh personal criticism of federal judges who blocked his immigration order. The order was later revised.

Building a wall on the US-Mexico border to stop the influx of Hispanic migrants coming from Central America was a hallmark of Trump's presidential campaign.

During his campaign, Trump characterized Mexican migrants living in the US as murderers and rapists and pledged to build a wall that he said Mexico would pay for.


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