Immigration and California families

California is home to many families with different immigration statuses. Many US citizens live with family members in “mixed-status” families who

  • have a green card or a visa but aren’t US citizens, or
  • who are undocumented.

Californians may have questions about public programs, their families' mixed immigration status, or what federal immigration policies mean for their daily lives.

These resources can help answer those questions. The resources are for families and groups that engage immigrant families, such as schools, local governments, and community organizations. For local government entities seeking technical assistance, including how changing immigration rules affect Californians’ eligibility for public programs, you may reach out to the state’s Council on immigration issues at immigrantintegration.initiatives@gobiz.ca.gov.

We will continue to update these resources when new materials become available.

Read more information about the Council

Who are immigrant families in California?

Millions of Californians live in families with immigrant family members. Immigrant Californians:

  • Are documented. Over half are US citizens. Others have a different documented status from the U.S. government, like a green card, a work visa, and some have temporary protections like TPS (Temporary Protected Status) and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). California is also home to refugees and vulnerable populations in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons. The federal administration has taken actions to start revoking some immigrants’ temporary legal status, facilitating more deportations, and increasing scrutiny within the immigration legal process. Families with questions should consult a qualified lawyer for advice. There are resources below about legal services and how to avoid fraud.
  • Have kids. About half of all kids in California have at least one immigrant parent. One in five (20%) California children live in mixed-status families. Mixed-status families are families whose members have different citizenship or immigration status, like a US citizen child with an undocumented grandparent or a mom who has a green card (lawful permanent resident). The well-being of children has been impacted by escalated immigration enforcement. The resources listed below can help families.
  • Are business owners or workers. Immigrants are 38.6 % of entrepreneurs, 39.4 % of STEM workers, and 35.0 % of nurses in the state. Many immigrants work in agriculture, manufacturing, construction and general services industries. Many businesses and immigrants in key sectors are affected by the change in federal immigration policies, which also affects the economy. The resources listed below provide information for businesses and workers.
  • Contribute to the economy: In 2021, immigrants contributed $51.4 billion to California's state and local taxes and $81.8 billion to federal taxes and had $354 billion in spending power. The Bay Area Council found that mass deportations in California could result in a $275 billion loss to the state’s economy and a $23 billion reduction in annual tax revenue. The loss of immigrant labor would delay projects (including rebuilding Los Angeles after the wildfires), reduce food supply, and drive up costs.

Information and resources

People at immigration office filling out the documents

Information for Californians related to Immigration Enforcement

Trump’s militarization of Los Angeles has also led to increasingly concerning tactics by federal immigration enforcement, including violating the law and people’s constitutional rights to meet the federal government’s goals to detain and deport as many people as possible.. That’s why it’s important to remember the following if you are affected by a federal immigration action:

  • You can observe and record public immigration arrests, but stay calm and at a safe distance to avoid risk to yourself and others.
  • Do not interfere or argue with federal agents. Physical obstruction or verbal escalation can put your safety at risk and may lead to criminal charges.
  • Agents don’t need a judge-signed warrant to arrest someone in public — but do need one to enter non-public areas of private property.
  • Prepare yourself and your family in case you are arrested. Memorize the phone numbers of your family members and your lawyer. Make emergency plans if you have children or take medication.
  • Even if you believe your rights are being violated, don’t argue, resist or obstruct the officer. You can verbally assert your rights in a calm and clear manner.
  • Violence is never the answer, and assaulting a federal agent or obstructing an arrest is a crime.
  • If you believe your rights were violated, you may contact qualified legal counsel and organizations such as the ACLU.

For more information on helpful community resources, the Governor’s Office has released new fact sheets here in English, Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, Filipino, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Tagalog, Ukrainian.

Immigration legal help

Legal help may be available from nonprofit organizations. Visit Service Provider Contact Information (Department of Social Services) or https://www.immigrationlawhelp.org/ for more information.

Be sure to avoid fraudulent immigration legal services. This includes non-attorneys who make promises about immigration benefits. Review more information from the California Department of Justice in English, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Hand of employer at the desk reviewing documents

Information for CA Employers and Businesses related to Immigration Enforcement

Female and male workers looking at the open laptop with cargo containers in the background

Information for CA Workers related to Immigration Enforcement

A young person with darker tan skin looks at a globe.

Access to Public Education and Protections for Students and Families

Non-discrimination

All students, including those who are undocumented or come from immigrant families, have the right to:

  • attend public school
  • participate in school activities
  • receive a quality education without discrimination

Safe school environment

  • Immigration enforcement: Schools are generally prohibited from voluntarily granting immigration enforcement officers access to campus. They need a judicial warrant or court order. 
  • Personal information:  Unless explicitly required by law, schools are prohibited from
    • requesting social security numbers
    • inquiring about the citizenship or immigration status of students, their parents, or guardians.
  • Sensitive Areas: After the Department of Homeland Security rescinded the Sensitive Areas memo, schools are no longer out of reach for immigration enforcement activities. California schools still promote safe school environments and follow model policies, as dictated by AB 699 (2017). The Governor recently signed legislation that establishes baseline expectations to keep people safe, laying out that:
    • Families should be notified when immigration enforcement comes on school campuses, and establish that student information and classrooms are protected from ICE — and require a judicial warrant or court order to be accessed.
    • Emergency rooms and other nonpublic areas in a hospital are off limits to immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant or court order, and it clarifies that immigration information collected by a health care provider is protected as medical information.
    • Law and immigrant enforcement officers must be identifiable by name or badge number, and exceptions to that must be clearly established — masks are not to be worn except when absolutely necessary.
    • Impersonating a federal agent is a crime.

In 2024, Governor Newsom sent a letter to school leaders affirming California’s commitment to a safe environment for all students, including immigrant students and students from immigrant families.

Also in 2024, Attorney General Bonta issued updated guidance and model policies to assist California’s K-12 schools and higher education institutions in responding to immigration issues:

CA Department of Education Toolkit:

CDSS administers the California Newcomer Education and Wellbeing (CalNEW) program, through 21 public schools in California.

Confidentiality of student information

Schools must protect the privacy of their students. Schools are prohibited from sharing personal information about students or their family members for immigration-enforcement purposes. Immigration authorities must have a court order or judicial subpoena to receive information.

Overhead view of a support group of 6 adults sitting together indoors.

Support for Mental Health and Against Discrimination

CalHOPE Warmline

The CalHOPE Warmline provides telephone and text-based services in English and Spanish. For callers that need services in another language, the CalHOPE Warm Line provides telephone-based (not text-based) services through a third-party interpretation service (Language-Link). They offer telephonic interpretation in over 240 additional languages. The CalHOPE Warmline phone number is (833) 317-HOPE (4673).

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Lifeline offers interpretation in 240 languages through Language Line Solutions. There is also a national 988 site in Spanish.Individuals can call or text 988, press 2, and get access to a Spanish-speaking counselor 24/7.

Mental health flyers and resources

Community Hotline to Report Hate

All victims and witnesses of hate incidents and hate crimes can report and are eligible for free hotline support services. Visit California vs Hate or call 833-8-NO-HATE. California vs Hate is not affiliated with law enforcement, and you can report anonymously. If you are in present danger, call 911.

Report Discrimination

If you or someone you know has been the victim of discrimination, you can File a discrimination complaint. The Civil Rights Department may be able to help. They also provide general information and fact sheets online about civil rights protections for the public. The Civil Rights Department has other resources for immigrant families.

A mixed family with a mom, dad, and 3 kids smile at each other in front of a house.

Federal Immigration Changes Affecting Families

The federal government has confirmed that they are increasing data sharing between federal agencies and the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement entities. This includes information for individuals enrolled in Medicaid in all states.

For more information:

Statement From the Department of Health Care Services on the Federal Use of Medi-Cal Data and Member Privacy
A mom hold a toddler girl (both Asian) outside. The mom holds a toy airplane.
A mixed family with a mom, dad, and 3 kids smile at each other in front of a house.
A woman with brown hair smiles at an older woman with white hair.