immigration

A group of law enforcement officers in full riot gear stands in front of a crowd at night, illuminated by bright vehicle headlights behind them. The officers wear camouflage uniforms, helmets with visors, gas masks, and carry batons.

Justice

Federal judge: Continued Border Patrol sweeps in California violated court order

A federal judge rules that the Border Patrol again broke the rules in California immigration sweeps, saying agents acted "without considering or complying with law Congress enacted."

By

Wendy Fry

and

Sergio Olmos

• April 2, 2026

Commentary

How California immigrants and 19th century racism shaped U.S. views on birthright citizenship

The 14th Amendment and some Congressmen's racist views on immigrants shaped prior Supreme Court reasoning that people born here are citizens.

By Brian J. Johnson • March 30, 2026

The back of a person as they stir a pot on a small electric stove inside the kitchen of a market.

Economy

Big change for California small businesses: No more SBA loans for non-citizens

Non-U.S. citizens lose access to SBA funding for small businesses, which provide the bulk of new jobs in California.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• March 30, 2026

A person wearing a black blazer looks forward as they sit at a wooden desk, surrounded by other people.

Technology

After immigration arrests, California lawmakers wonder: Are police telling the feds too much?

Legislators approved an audit of three of the state’s federally-funded fusion centers, citing concerns about civil liberties and privacy.

By

Khari Johnson

• March 27, 2026

A close-up view of a person looking upwards as they lean foward to speak into a microphone. The person has short gray hair and wears a patterned blue and black blazer.

Commentary

Napolitano on the new Secretary of Homeland Security: Be serious, be professional

Homeland Security gets a new leader who'll face many challenges, including ongoing legislative battles over immigration agents' behavior.

By

Denise Amos

• March 26, 2026

A large detention facility complex sits behind tall chain-link fencing topped with coils of razor wire.

Justice

Why a private company is investigating rapes at an ICE detention center instead of the sheriff

The warden at a privately run immigrant detention center in San Diego County has authority to decide how to investigate rape reports there. A county supervisor wants to revisit the agreement giving that power to CoreCivic.

By

Wendy Fry

and

Nigel Duara

• March 24, 2026

Large red flags with a black eagle emblem ripple in the wind above a crowd gathered outdoors, many wearing red shirts and holding protest signs. Trees and a multi-story building rise in the background under a clear blue sky, situating the demonstration in a civic or campus setting.

Justice

Trump administration acknowledges it needs immigrant farmworkers as it moves to cut their pay

The Trump administration handed down a rule that would cut the minimum wage for immigrants with H-2A visas, including farm workers. The United Farm Workers sued, arguing the change would depress pay to all agricultural employees.

By

Sergio Olmos

and

Wendy Fry

• March 19, 2026

A graphic titled “Agents of Chaos” shows masked, uniformed men in military-style gear with highlighted faces, alongside logos for CalMatters, Bellingcat and Evident over a map background with lines pointing toward Chicago.

Investigation

Agents of Chaos: Border Patrol’s year of unchecked force

'The first thing that you do when you give an agent a gun and a badge and the authority over American people is to make sure that they follow the Constitution, period.'

By

Sergio Olmos

• March 17, 2026

A person wearing a colorful ascot and a flannel shirt on a city street, looking off to the side, with trees and buildings along a busy city street softly blurred in the background.

Justice

Teens walked out of school to protest ICE. Police are investigating the adults who helped them

High school students all over California walked out of class in protest over the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement. Police in two cities, conservative Clovis and liberal Los Angeles, issued warnings about potential arrests to adults who helped them.

By

Nigel Duara

• March 17, 2026

A view of four silhouettes, three people and one child, seen through a fence with another chain-linked fence and brick wall in the background. The silhouettes are all walking in one direction towards the right side of the frame, with the fence distorting the view of the frame.

Commentary

I crossed the border alone as a child. Here’s what I learned about family separation

To understand what mass deportations are really about, we must examine the systems that have long separated families of color across the Americas.

By Skye Harris • March 12, 2026

Immigration