Republican Gov. Candidate Steve Hilton Targets Becerra Over Migrant Children Container Site

Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor, held a campaign kickoff in Boyle Heights on July 22, aiming to rally working‑class Latino voters. He denounced Democratic policies, referencing the nearby Lineage Logistics cold‑food storage warehouse fire as a symbol of what he called “Democrat failure.” Hilton will face Democratic nominee and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in the November election.

During the campaign, Hilton released a three‑minute video that shows footage of more than 200 migrant children gathered at a container storage site used during Becerra’s tenure as health‑and‑human‑services chief. The video includes an anonymous whistle‑blower’s claim that Becerra knew about the placement of the children and that staff who raised concerns were fired. Hilton posted the video on X, asserting that the incident reflects a cover‑up by the former secretary.

The accusations focus on the handling of unaccompanied migrant children under the Biden administration and are intended to make the issue a central theme of the California gubernatorial race.