Who Is Xavier Becerra? California's First Latino Attorney General Goes To War With Trump

The first Latino attorney general in California is ready for a battle against the Trump administration. Xavier Becerra, a son of Mexican immigrants and former California congressman, joined several Democratic lawmakers in the so-called Golden State who denounced Wednesday President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration.

Becerra was sworn into office Tuesday. The new attorney general is considered the “tip of the spear for California” in regard to the state’s prospective legal resistance against Trump's policies, The Los Angeles Times reported.

“It is important to put these White House executive actions in context. Executive orders do not change existing law. Executive orders cannot contradict existing law. And executive orders can be challenged for violating constitutional and legal standards in their enforcement,” Becerra said in a news release. The statement said the California Department of Justice had a steadfast commitment to “protect the rights of all of its people from unwarranted intrusion from any source including the federal government.”

Trump signed executive orders Wednesday that called for the construction of an U.S.-Mexico border wall, increasing immigration and border patrol security and defunding sanctuary cities from receiving federal grant funding. While the construction of the wall could begin relatively soon, the project’s finances are still tentative. Mexico has rejected Trump’s claims that it will reimburse the U.S. for funding the project, but Trump has said he will negotiate.

"We're going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon, and we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico," Trump said in an interview with ABC News’ David Muir.

While Becerra has publicly voiced his opposition to Trump’s policies, including the president's support for stop-and-frisk policing and a national Muslim registry, advisors have cautioned the new attorney general against suing the federal government “early and often."

“Becerra still holds the power to confront Trump. However, progressives need to manage their expectations and adjust their tactics. Becerra will need to box, not brawl,” former attorney general’s office advisors Michael Troncoso and Debbie Mesloh wrote in an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times. They noted the Constitution gives “exclusive authority” to the federal government when it comes to immigration policy.