*Illustration by Celia Jacobs.
We're Here to Protect and Serve Immigrants, Not Help ICE Deport Them
The LAPD Wants Immigrants to Know Their Rights, Trust Officers, and Report Crime That Matters
Given the history of our City and our Department, the Los Angeles Police Department makes it a priority to build relationships with our diverse communities.
Since last November’s election, and the widespread protests and fears we’ve seen and heard in its aftermath, we’ve had to step up relationship-building and do even …
To Make California a True Democracy, Give Non-Citizens the Right to Vote
If You Root for the Dodgers, Pay Taxes, and Battle Traffic, Are You Any Less Californian Than Me?
President Trump claims that California allowed millions of non-citizens to cast ballots in the 2016 elections. This allegation, while totally bogus, has put California and its political leaders on the defensive. They are forced to respond as Trump and his allies use the lie to justify a new federal commission devoted to making it harder for all Americans to vote.
Californians should go on offense—by embracing Trump’s ugly lie and transforming it into a beautiful civic truth. Let’s make our state more inclusive and more democratic—by guaranteeing non-citizens the right to vote in our …
How Airports Became the Battleground for Deciding Who Belongs in America
At LAX, Attorneys, Protestors, and Customs Officials Struggle with Trump’s Travel Ban on Muslims
At 3 p.m. on January 28, 2017—the day after Donald Trump signed an executive order banning travel to the United States by …
What Is It Like to Be an Immigrant in L.A. in the Trump Era?
In a City That Welcomes Newcomers, Opportunities Still Abound—but Fear and Uncertainty Are Rising
Photo
How Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Drove My Generation into Politics
Trump’s Cynical Policies Make the Same Mistake That California Republicans Made 20 Years Ago
It’s often said that California is just like America, only sooner. We confront the same issues as the rest of the nation, just earlier. Perhaps no issue exemplifies that …
"I grew up on the border, where life is kind of fluid."
Photo
A Hate Crime Exposes Deeper Rifts Between Asian Americans
Koreans, Filipinos, and Indians Have Too Much in Common to Fracture Themselves Along Ethnic Lines
Of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant actions, the best known are the barring of immigrants and refugees from Muslim …
The Economic Cost of Isolating Immigrants
Hostility Toward Newcomers Has Always Hampered Investment, Innovation, and Growth
Trump’s immigration policies are a problem for the U.S. economy, and in ways you might not think.
Whether it’s crime, security or jobs—Trump has openly and repeatedly linked many of the supposed woes of the nation to immigrants, fanning the xenophobic flames that exist at some level in all societies. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the strong anti-immigrant rhetoric has already slowed the pace of immigration into the United States, whether legal or illegal. And now Trump is working with two senators to slow immigration even more. The RAISE Act (Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment) would cut by more than half the number of immigrants legally allowed to enter the nation annually if it ever became law. …
Why an Undocumented College Student Left California for Indiana
The Golden State Values Dreamers Like Me, but the Hoosier State Put Graduation Within Reach
I’m one of the young people covered by President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows people who immigrated with their parents before they were 16 to live and work …
As Trump's Policies Harm Immigrants, How Can Local Efforts Best Help?
In a Perilous Era, L.A. Needs to Draw on Its Strengths to Preserve Them
Even by the tumultuous measure of Donald Trump’s first months in the White House, none of the new president’s policies or rhetorical outbursts has been more bitterly divisive than his stand on immigration. …
L.A. Once Feared and Criminalized Immigrants. Have We Changed?
Police Departments, Law Firms, and Courts Are Challenging Washington’s Power to Punish
We here in Los Angeles are familiar with the use of fear as an instrument of public policy. Whether it was the LAPD’s occupation …
"Fascism is creeping up on the American people."
Photo
Want to Protect Immigrants? Help Integrate Them into Our City.
Local Jobs, Language Skills, and a Path to Citizenship Are the Best Defense Against Anti-Immigrant Fervor
Is it any wonder that immigrant Los Angeles finds itself in the eye of Tropical Storm Don?
President Trump has stormed in with …
As Trump Targets Immigrants, Their Families Are Pushing Back at the Ballot Box
Running for Office and Backing Progressive Causes, They’re Solidifying the State’s Political Map
Since the onset of the Trump era, we’ve been witnessing a very strong and measurable response by immigrants in Los Angeles. This response includes Latino, Asian, and other immigrants. It’s evident in civic participation and in opposition to Trump immigration policies—as well as to the broader anti-immigrant atmosphere that the Trump administration is fostering. …
Punished by the U.S. and Persecuted by Iran
Iranian Americans Have Thrived Since Fleeing the Revolution, but Their Freedoms Are Now Restricted
Ever since the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79, Iranian American immigrants, including the large number of us living here in Los Angeles, have been personally feeling the effects of the rising and falling tension levels in …
I Survived the Gangs and the Border Crossing—but Trump Has Put New Obstacles in My Path
A Young Undocumented Salvadoran Immigrant Won't Quit His Dream of Becoming an American
If you quit today, everything you did yesterday will be wasted. …
"Being treated as a second-class citizen made me want to fight."
Photo