immigration

A person wearing a headscarf and face mask drops a pink ballot envelope into an official ballot drop box inside a voting center, with other voters visible in the background.

Politics

California Latinos take pride in casting ballots in person. ICE at polls could deter that

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly warned, without evidence, that immigration agents could show up at polling sites the way they did at the launch for Proposition 50. Community members and local leaders say those fears are real.

By

Maya C. Miller

• October 27, 2025

A heavily armed officer in tactical gear confronts protesters holding signs during a demonstration, with one sign reading “No ICE or troops in the Bay!” and others calling for community protection. A burst of light cuts across the tense scene as onlookers record with their phones.

Justice

Trump calls off expected immigration show-of-force in San Francisco

President Trump name-dropped Bay Area tech executives when he called off an immigration enforcement surge in San Francisco. Gov. Newsom was prepared to sue over a potential National Guard deployment.

By

Carolyn Jones

• October 23, 2025

A silhouetted adult holds a small child while another person stands nearby under the bright afternoon sun, with power lines stretching across a clear blue sky in the background.

Health

Health care costs and mental health access weigh on Californians, poll shows

No surprise that the California Wellness Foundation poll found that nearly 80% of voters are worried by the cost of health care. Mental health access is a worry too – and immigration is worsening the problem.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• October 23, 2025

Attorney General Rob Bonta addresses the media during a press conference announcing new gun legislation targeting the state's public carry laws on Feb. 2, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Politics

Can Trump send the National Guard to S.F.? What California’s AG says about the legal issues

Attorney General Rob Bonta’s team was the first to challenge Trump on taking over control of the California National Guard under a rarely used law that allows the president to do this in times of invasion, internal rebellion or when U.S. laws cannot be executed with “regular forces” — a contested term.

By

Mikhail Zinshteyn

• October 22, 2025

A group of armed law enforcement officers in tactical gear walk along a city sidewalk beside a modern building and palm trees. Their uniforms and body armor display “Border Patrol” patches, and several carry rifles while scanning the area.

Commentary

When ICE comes to a California hospital, nurses and doctors must protect their patients

Federal and state laws impose duties on California's health professionals to protect and advocate for patients regardless of immigration status.

By Kimberly Galindo • October 21, 2025

Detainees, wearing green jumpsuits and holding gray blankets stand in line, inside a detention facility.

Commentary

Immigrant resistance movement forged in California prisons persists decades later

A protest by a Salvadoran immigrant incarcerated in California's Imperial Valley in the 1980s resonates decades later as detained migrants again participate in hunger strikes to bring awareness to the inhumane conditions they face.

By Jessica Ordaz • October 16, 2025

Silhouetted against the light from an open doorway, three individuals walk down a dimly lit hallway. One adult holds the hand of a small child, while an older child reaches out toward them. Rows of mailboxes line the wall, and a potted plant sits near the entrance.

Politics

Newsom signs controversial bill letting relatives care for kids if parents are deported

Immigrants’ rights groups and child advocates say the new law will help parents prepare for emergencies, such as a deportation. It caused a firestorm of controversy among conservative and religious activists who said it would allow adults to traffic kids.

By

Jeanne Kuang

• October 13, 2025

A view from behind of two rows of cars sitting idle during a traffic jam on a road.

Justice

California sues city over surveillance data, warns it can be shared with federal agencies

California limits how police store and share data they collect with automated license plate readers to protect residents' privacy. The state is suing El Cajon, alleging it's misusing that data.

By

Wendy Fry

• October 3, 2025

A child wearing a red hoodie walks alone down a brightly lit school hallway with colorful tiles, surrounded by walls covered in student artwork and classroom projects.

Mental Health

‘Can I just be a kid?’ Students shaken by immigration raids seek help from school counselors

Kindergartners repeat worries heard at home. Older kids text to check on parents during class. Therapists say mental health is at risk now and in the long term.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• October 3, 2025

A wide view of white buildings behind a gray wired fence on a clear day.

Justice

California gave counties power to inspect ICE detention centers. They’re not using it

In the four counties where Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detention facilities, only one county health department conducts the kind of inspections that were explicitly allowed under a 2024 California law.

By

Wendy Fry

and

Jeanne Kuang

• October 2, 2025