immigration

A group of law enforcement officers in full riot gear stands in formation at night, illuminated by bright vehicle headlights behind them. The officers wear camouflage uniforms, helmets with visors, gas masks, and carry batons. A police vehicle is partially visible in the background.

Justice

Trump’s immigration crackdown upended life in California. It continues as the new year begins

President Trump focused on California first as his administration rolled out its crackdown on unauthorized immigration, sending the National Guard to Los Angeles and carrying out high profile raids throughout the state.

By

Wendy Fry

• December 29, 2025

A person in a green tracksuit holding up a sign saying, “IMMIGRANTS UILT THIS NATION,” while next to a guard railing over a highway in downtown Los Angeles. In the background, cars can be seen driving on the road while crowds of protesters hold up signs and flags on both sides of the highway.

Politics

See the photos that defined California in 2025: A year in CalMatters’ visuals

Each year is unique in the joy, wonder, and heartache it can bring. Each year is the same in that our photographers and visual journalists spend it traversing the state to bring you those moments. We were on the ground in Los Angeles during the Palisades and Eaton Fires and our reporters warned of the […]

By

CalMatters Visuals Team

• December 24, 2025

A small group of people stands outdoors at night, singing from printed sheets during a candlelit gathering. One person holds a flashlight to read, while others hold colorful paper lanterns. Warm light from candles and nearby decorations illuminates their faces against a dark street background, creating a communal, festive atmosphere.

Politics

In an era of ICE raids, a Latino Christmas tradition proceeds with caution

San Marcos residents celebrated the holiday tradition of posadas together while navigating fear and tension caused by increased ICE enforcement.

By

Deborah Brennan

• December 24, 2025

A group of officers, dressed in full tactical gear and wearing face masks, stands in the roadway of a neighborhood street during the middle of the day. In the foreground, we can see over the shoulders of a couple of people as they point to the officers, with one of the officers visible between the two people.

Justice

California is banning masks for federal agents. Here’s why it could lose in court

The Trump administration is suing to block a new California law that would ban federal law enforcement officers from wearings masks on duty. It was shaped by concerns over masked immigration agents in Los Angeles.

By

Nigel Duara

• December 22, 2025

A shirtless person holds up a sign that reads, “We are a nation of immigrants founded by immigrants,” while standing in the middle of a street filled with other protesters holding signs or flags from Latin American countries.

Commentary

When deportation was called repatriation: The US once expelled 1.8 million people to Mexico

Like today, Americans in the 1930s were reeling from economic hard times. Leaders made Latinos scapegoats and deported immigrants and some US citizens.

By Sylvia Zamora • December 11, 2025

Law enforcement officials— dressed in camouflage riot gear and holding clear shields with the "California National Guard" on them — stand guard in front of a building as protesters stand nearby holding signs and flags.

Justice

Judge orders Trump to end National Guard deployment, calls LA mission ‘profoundly un-American’

The new ruling against the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard in Los Angeles comes as courts are considering other challenges to his deployment of troops to liberal cities, such as Portland and Chicago.

By

Nigel Duara

• December 10, 2025

Justice

‘We may be deporting the wrong people’: New poll shows doubts about immigration crackdown

A new poll shared exclusively with CalMatters adds to a slate of recent surveys suggesting Californians’ support is waning for Trump’s harshest immigration enforcement policies.

By

Wendy Fry

• December 5, 2025

A child stands at the front of a street march holding a large poster with a photo of an older person seated outdoors holding a large bouquet of lilies. Above the photo, handwritten text reads “Mi abuelita no es criminal.” People around the child carry additional handmade signs and posters, along with large butterfly wing props. The group appears to be participating in an immigration-related protest or demonstration.

Commentary

After ICE arrests come health scares for the detained

Families of detained immigrants describe what many studies have found: ICE centers are ill-equipped to care for people with chronic illness, causing more suffering and death

By

George B. Sánchez-Tello

• December 2, 2025

A person carries a large plastic bucket filled with produce on their shoulder while working in a field of green crops during harvest. Surrounded by others bending over the plants, the individual wears a long-sleeve shirt, hat, and face covering for sun protection.

Economy

‘They still need care’: Why California migrant workers are avoiding medical clinics

Fearful of sharing sensitive information, California farmworkers started staying away from mobile medical clinics after President Trump took office. “There’s a lot of distrust,” said a doctor in Fresno County.

By

Larry Valenzuela

• December 1, 2025

A close-up view of a table covered with colorful informational materials and stickers related to immigration services and campus organizations. In the center are square stickers for the Undocumented Community Center (UCC), featuring a stylized bird and wavy background. To the left is a pink and teal UCC hummingbird sticker, and to the right are College of San Mateo Bulldogs stickers. Various round buttons, brochures about free immigration legal services, and Spanish-language flyers are spread across the table.

Higher Education

Misinformation spreads as Trump moves to cut aid for some California students

The Trump administration is suing California, asking the state to end its policies allowing students without legal status to access in-state tuition and financial aid. But the administration's legal argument is weak, according to top legal experts.

By

Adam Echelman

and

Mikhail Zinshteyn

• November 26, 2025

Immigration