Immigration and Healthy Communities

The Partisan Divide on Immigration

California is home to 10.6 million immigrants, making up roughly 22% of the nation’s total immigrant population. An October 2025 survey of over 8,000 California registered voters conducted by the Possibility Lab as part of Berkeley’s IGS Poll shows mixed public opinion on immigration enforcement, with 51% opposing federal actions to reduce undocumented immigration and 61% opposing the deportation of all undocumented immigrants. However, these statewide averages mask a deeply partisan reality: Democrats overwhelmingly oppose current enforcement efforts and express concern about deportations adversely affecting California’s economy and culture, while only a small minority of Republicans share these concerns.

Beyond the partisan split, the survey reveals that immigration policies are hitting home for many Californians: nearly a quarter of voters report that they or someone close to them has been directly affected by current deportation efforts. In addition, approximately four in ten California voters say deportation efforts have made it less likely for people in their communities to send children to school, seek medical care, shop locally, go to work, or participate in community and religious activities.

Read the Report: California Voter Sentiments on the Impacts of Federal Immigration and Deportation Actions

The Intersection of Immigration and Health 

The real-world consequences of immigration policy extend beyond public opinion into everyday life. Research conducted in 2024 with Latino immigrant workers in California’s Inland Empire and Coachella Valley reveals the deep connections between immigration status and overall well-being.

Through focus groups and town halls with over 280 participants, Possibility Lab researchers identified 1,534 “Firsthand Indicators” of health and wellbeing—revealing that health encompasses far more than medical issues for immigrant communities. Economic stability emerged as participants’ top indicator of wellbeing, followed by mental health and access to health services.

The findings also highlight substantial barriers for this population, including limited access to medical care and health insurance, economic insecurity, and lack of accessible educational resources (especially in languages other than English or Spanish). As one participant described: “You work while going to college to pay your medical bills.”

Learn more about developing health indicators with Inland Empire and  Coachella Valley farm, warehouse, and service workers

Immigrants Build California

Finally, Latino workers play a crucial role in California’s economy, making up 39% of the state’s workforce, and one-third of this population is immigrants. These workers are heavily represented in sectors such as agriculture, construction, general maintenance, and food preparation.

The construction sector is a notable example: Immigrants comprise 41% of California’s construction workers and 50% of the state’s craftspeople. With California aiming to build 2.5 million homes by 2032, immigration policies are likely to have significant implications for the state’s ability to address its housing shortages. In 2025, 62% of construction firms reported difficulty filling hourly craft worker positions. Immigration enforcement is one reason that construction firms report difficulty in finding workers, especially those with specific skillsets. 

Community Messengers Build Trust 

California is taking steps to support immigrant communities. During COVID-19, state government agencies recognized that traditional approaches to workplace health and safety education often failed to reach vulnerable populations, including the state’s immigrants. The COVID-19 Workplace Outreach Program (CWOP) distributed funding to community-based organizations who could serve as “trusted messengers,” reaching workers who experience significant barriers to accessing information due to language access, fear of retaliation, or concerns about immigration enforcement.

Between 2023 and 2024, the program (now called the California Workplace Outreach Program) provided more than $25 million to 76 community-based organizations across six regions of California, focusing on high-risk industries such as agriculture, food processing, warehousing, and janitorial services: covering a combined total of 2.5 million California workers. Through these community-based trusted messengers, California  recorded roughly 5 million touchpoints with workers across the state, including about 830,000 in-depth interactions focused on workplace rights and protections.

Learn more about the insights from California’s COVID-19 Workplace Outreach Project and the Trusted Messenger Model

In the coming years, the state will continue to fund organizations who can provide culturally-tailored outreach to immigrants and other vulnerable communities. In addition, the state is building on the success of CWOP by developing and implementing a broader strategy for agricultural outreach and rural strategic engagement. 

As California navigates the increasingly complex intersection of immigration policies and community wellbeing, this much is clear: what happens in immigrant communities can ripple throughout California, shaping the economic health, wellbeing, and social fabric of the state.

To learn more, visit the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab’s People-Centered Policymaking site