The recent executive orders signed by President Trump targeting immigration have instilled widespread fear among undocumented immigrants in California, who are deeply integrated into the state's economy and society. Many are limiting their activities, fearing deportation and expressing anxiety about their future.
Leticia Jimenez anticipates graduating from Cal State San Bernardino this spring with a business administration degree. She arrived in the country without authorization at the age of 2 and spent her childhood working in the Coachella Valley fields alongside her parents during school breaks. While she eagerly awaits the opportunities her degree might offer, a persistent anxiety grips her every time she leaves home. 'I make sure that I say a good 'goodbye' to my parents,' she shared.
'I go out with more fear— anything can happen.' Jimenez, 21, embodies the experiences of millions of undocumented immigrants residing in California, their lives deeply intertwined with the state's economy and social fabric, now shaken by the flurry of executive orders issued by President Trump targeting immigrants. When Jimenez ventures outside, she always carries a red card outlining her constitutional rights—one in her wallet, one in her car, and another discreetly tucked behind her phone case. 'There's a big chilling factor that's going to emerge from this,' stated Manuel Pastor, director of the Equity Research Institute at USC, who specializes in studying immigrants in the state. Approximately 1 in 8 Californians are in the U.S. illegally or live with a family member who is. Most undocumented individuals residing in California, roughly 2.4 million people, have called the state home for over a decade, a significant characteristic that distinguishes California from other regions of the country. A substantial shift in enforcement wouldn't solely impact undocumented individuals but also their families, who are 'citizens or documented immigrant relatives,' Pastor explained. Those within California's most immigrant-dependent industries—manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, and construction—are either curtailing their outings or opting to remain at home. 'People are scared to go to the grocery store,' said a farm labor contractor in Ventura County who works closely with many undocumented workers and requested anonymity due to concerns about reprisal. 'There are migrants who are scared to even go to the hospital to give birth at this point.' Mario Cervantes, a gardener from Mexico who has spent the last two decades in Los Angeles, expressed support for Trump's initiative to deport criminal undocumented immigrants. However, Cervantes, 50, now harbors anxieties that anyone without authorization could be targeted. He entered the country illegally two decades ago and asserts that he has diligently worked and adhered to the law ever since. He initially believed that Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric wasn't directed at individuals like him—until he learned about the president's new executive order challenging birthright citizenship. As he traverses Southern California, mowing lawns and clearing leaves, he intends to remain 'more alert,' particularly in certain neighborhoods. 'If I get deported, there's not much I can do about it at that point,' he confided Tuesday while conversing with a friend on a corner in Wilmington. Nevertheless, he added: 'I do hope he only goes after people who come here to cause problems.' Trump signed a series of extensive executive orders—some of which are likely to face legal challenges—that could drastically alter immigration enforcement nationwide. These orders aim to dismantle the refugee system, make naturalization more challenging for certain individuals, declare a national emergency at the border, and authorize local police to perform some immigration officer functions, a role that California has prohibited. Numerous California elected officials pledged to take every possible measure to safeguard immigrants. Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced Tuesday morning that, in conjunction with officials from 17 other states, his office had filed a lawsuit challenging the attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship. Masih Fouladi, the executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, stated that advocates were prepared for radical changes, but many individuals likely to be affected felt the orders as a profound emotional blow. Fouladi shared that over 1,000 Afghans who had assisted the American effort in their country and had been cleared to immigrate to the United States—many to Sacramento—had suddenly found their travel plans thrown into disarray. 'People are 'freaked out' to say the least,' said Jenny Seon, legal services director for Ahri Center, a nonprofit community organization in Buena Park that serves Korean immigrants and others. 'Very scary times.' There are approximately 560,000 Korean immigrants in California, with about 55,000 undocumented. Her organization has been working with individuals without legal status to prepare for potential deportation, including assisting them in establishing guardianships for their U.S.-born children. 'The community is hearing the message and preparing for the worst,' she stated. 'The immigrant community as a whole is really suffering.' In Koreatown on Tuesday night, immigrants and their supporters gathered at Immanuel Presbyterian Church for a vigil and legal workshop, one of many informational sessions held across the state.
IMMIGRATION CALIFORNIA TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS FEAR DEPORTATION RIGHTS LEGAL CHALLENGES
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