California Taxpayers Face $1 Billion High-Speed Rail Detour for Cesar Chavez Monument

California taxpayers could pay roughly $1 billion for a detour in the state's high-speed rail project. The detour aims to keep construction away from a monument honoring Cesar Chavez, the late labor leader accused of sexual abuse.

Top California lawmakers did not respond to questions about whether taxpayers should fund the billion-dollar detour. The California High-Speed Rail Authority estimated the cost at close to $1 billion in 2020, adjusted for inflation.

Universities and others stripped honors from Chavez after reports emerged of him sexually abusing and grooming minors and adults. One victim was 13 years old at the time, and another became pregnant twice after encounters with him.

The state plans to change Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day following the scandal.

The United Farm Workers union, which Chavez founded, called the allegations "profoundly shocking" and canceled its annual celebrations honoring him earlier this year. The Cesar Chavez Foundation also canceled events, describing the claims as "disturbing" and saying it was "deeply shocked and saddened."

The Cesar Chavez Foundation lobbied for the detour, called the "Refined Cesar E. Chavez National Monument Design Option." It shifts the rail track three-quarters of a mile from the monument's boundary, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The 187-acre monument, managed by the National Park Service, holds the graves of Chavez and his wife. It marks the site where he started his labor movement. A single freight track already loops around it, carrying dozens of trains daily and creating a constant rumble for visitors.

Adriana Rizzo of Californians for Electric Rail questioned the need for the detour. "I have been to the monument," she told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It is right next to a freight corridor." She asked why the quieter, less-polluting high-speed train had to stay out of sight.

California High-Speed Rail Authority board director Ernest Camacho said, "This is a billion dollars we don’t have. There are a lot of other things we need. If there is a better route, we’re always open."

Board director Martha Escutia added she is "always willing to reopen current commitments to ensure we get the best savings for taxpayers."

Overall project estimates exceed $200 billion, though the rail authority told CBS47 and KSEE24 the figure is closer to $125 billion.

Fox News Digital contacted Gov. Gavin Newsom's office and other leaders about scrapping the detour, given actions to remove Chavez honors. None replied by publication.