California Anti-Immigrant Activist Robin Hvidston Seeking State Assembly Seat
Robin Hvidston, a longtime anti-immigrant activist, is running as a Republican for a California Assembly seat in District 41.
Hvidston is executive director of the nativist We the People Rising and California state director for anti-immigrant hate group The Remembrance Project.
Her in the nativism movement began in the early 2000s as a member of the Minutemen and 鈥淲e the People Rising 鈥� California Crusaders鈥� (now known as We the People Rising). The Minutemen movement, 聽in 2004, is a civilian group of armed vigilantes that is primarily focused on monitoring the U.S.鈥檚 southern border with Mexico.
Hvidston promises to bring her anti-immigrant agenda to the state house. 鈥淚 support and will be an advocate for the building and maintaining of a border wall to ensure the welfare and public safety of our great state,鈥� she says on her campaign website. In doing so, she is articulating a false narrative promoted by anti-immigrant hate groups, which denigrates undocumented immigrants as inherent security 聽to communities.
In a candidate survey, Hvidston characterizes California Senate Bill 54, known as the California Values Act, as one of the state鈥檚 greatest challenges, writing, 鈥淪ecuring the border should be a number on [sic] priority as well as the repealing of the Sanctuary State Law.鈥�
SB 54 is statewide legislation that prevents聽local law enforcement from using money or personnel to investigate or detain individuals based on their immigration status. The legislation has been a major target of anti-immigrant activists, including聽the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), who argue that sanctuary cities and states have higher rates than non-sanctuary cities and states.
Multiple studies have shown, however, that cities with sanctuary policies actually have lower crime rates than those without such policies. One study conducted by the Center for American Progress and National Immigration Law Center , 鈥淐rime is statistically significantly lower in sanctuary counties compared to nonsanctuary counties.鈥�
Hvidston finished approximately 33 percentage behind Democratic incumbent Chris Holden in California鈥檚 March 3 nonpartisan primary. Since Holden and Hvidston were the top two vote-getters, they will square off in November.
Hvidston鈥檚 history of anti-immigrant protests
As a member of the Minutemen, Hvidston participated in border patrols and served as the group鈥檚 national rally organizer. During a 2005 interview about why she joined the Minutemen, Hvidston , 鈥淟iterally anyone from around the globe can come in and take residence as they see fit, including human smugglers, drug runners and terrorists.鈥� Hvidston鈥檚 comments displayed her belief in a common tactic espoused by nativist groups: utilizing fearmongering and prejudice to rationalize anti-immigrant activity.
In July 2014, Hvidston and members of We the People Rising 聽in a protest which prevented buses carrying predominantly migrant women and children from entering an immigration processing center in Murrieta, California. Members of We the People Rising , 鈥淣obody wants you. You鈥檙e not welcome. Go home,鈥� and 鈥淵ou鈥檙e in contempt of Congress 鈥� criminals.鈥�
At the time, the protest 聽national attention because it occurred at the height of the unaccompanied-minor crisis and there was a 聽in hateful anti-immigrant rhetoric. Murrieta鈥檚 mayor called the 鈥渁 black eye鈥� for the city, but to Hvidston and members of We the People Rising, the event serves as a point of pride.
Last year, Hvidston and others commemorated the five-year anniversary of the protest by gathering at the border patrol facility in Murrieta. The group stood in front of the facility鈥檚 gate with signs reading, 鈥淪TOP THE ILLEGAL BUSES, NOW,鈥� and 鈥淪TOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.鈥�
Hvidston has also shown a persistent willingness to actively operate in anti-immigrant and nativist circles beyond California.
In 2013, Hvidston participated in the Hold Their Feet to the Fire event organized by the Federation for American Immigration Reform ( FAIR ), an anti-immigrant hate group founded in 1979 by white nationalist, eugenicist and founder of the anti-immigrant movement John Tanton . The event brings together conservative radio hosts, anti-immigrant activists and their allies in Congress.
She at a writers workshop in 2017 held by The Social Contract Press (TSCP), a publishing operation聽affiliated with Tanton鈥檚 foundation, U.S. Inc. The yearly TSCP Writers Workshop assembles speakers spanning the white nationalist, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim movements, and some public officials. That year, Hvidston with white nationalist talk show host Nick Fuentes.
Additionally, Hvidston at the anti-Muslim hate group American Freedom Alliance鈥檚 2017 Conference, 鈥淔rom Gold to Dust: The Destruction of California.鈥� Conference speakers and attendants utilized the event to fault immigrants for California鈥檚 troubles. During her comments about We the People Rising鈥檚 grassroots activism, Hvidston praised聽President Donald Trump and then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, stating that their presence in public office was 鈥渧ery empowering.鈥�
Most recently, Hvidston has been principally active through her roles at We the People Rising and The Remembrance Project. The groups often participate in events together.
As executive director of We the People Rising, Hvidston is consistently present at the group鈥檚 various protests. In the past, grassroots activists 聽We the People Rising鈥檚 actions as confrontational, aggressive and disruptive. The group鈥檚 advocacy focuses on attending local and state government meetings in favor of anti-immigrant legislation and against pro-immigrant measures.
For example, in a Jan. 16 email, Hvidston informed supporters that members of We the People Rising and The Remembrance Project attended a Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission meeting. Photographs taken at the meeting show the groups鈥� activists holding up signs reading, 鈥淲e [heart image] ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]鈥� and wearing Remembrance Project T-shirts featuring the pictures and stories of individuals killed by undocumented immigrants.
Another email, dated Feb. 10, notified supporters of an upcoming town hall being held by Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
The email included the logistical information of the event and read in part: 鈥淒EMAND THAT ALL CRIMINAL ALIENS IN LA COUNTY BE TURNED OVER TO ICE!鈥� This type of rhetoric is in line with the anti-immigrant movement鈥檚 鈥渁ttrition through enforcement鈥� , which argues that the relentless enforcement of immigration laws will stifle an immigrant鈥檚 ability to lead a regular life, thereby resulting in the individual鈥檚 decision to 鈥渟elf-deport.鈥�
