Overview:
California alone is home to over 10.4 million immigrants, with 27% of the state's population being foreign-born and 46% of children having at least one immigrant parent, according to a 2024 fact sheet from the Public Policy Institute of California.
In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory this week and his promises to take a harsh stance on immigration, multiple community and immigrant rights organizations held a news conference Friday, reinforcing their commitment to supporting immigrants in the Central Valley.
Representatives from the seven organizations in attendance reaffirmed to immigrant communities in Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley that they will continue to support them and stand against anti-immigration legislation.
“We will do everything in our power to protect our immigrant families,” said Sukaina Hussain, deputy director of strategic initiatives for the California Immigrant Policy Center.
“We will educate, we will inform, we will organize, and we will oppose anti-immigrant policies at every level,” Hussain added.
In 2023, Trump said he would end birthright citizenship if elected, a direct challenge to Section 1 of the 14th Amendment that virtually guarantees legal challenges to his promise.
His vow to end birthright citizenship is just one of many plans Trump has to crack down on immigration, with mass deportations of millions of immigrants being one of the president-elect’s main campaign promises.
Friday’s news conference was hosted by a coalition immigrant rights organizations, which include:
- California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC)
- Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC)
- Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO)
- Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF)
- Education & Leadership Foundation (ELF)
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
- San Joaquin College of Law (SJCL)
Part of the news conference was also dedicated to acknowledging immigrants who’ve lived under the Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which has left them in legal limbo for more than a decade. Trump has promised to rescind DACA.
“We hear and see all the dreamers that live in constant fear that all they’ve worked for and all they know can suddenly get taken away,” said Priscilla Ramos, project manager of advocacy & community organizing for ELF.
“Now, with the new Trump administration, these fears only intensify.”
The speakers also urged immigrants in the community to reach out for resources and legal support from their organizations, reminding them that they need not battle alone.
“There are many organizations like ours that are dedicated to standing by you, advocating for your rights, and providing the legal support that you need,” said Jessica Jaramillo Perez, a senior staff attorney at San Joaquin College of Law.
California alone is home to over 10.4 million immigrants, with 27% of the state’s population being foreign-born and 46% of children having at least one immigrant parent, according to a 2024 fact sheet from the Public Policy Institute of California.
