Editorial: Immigrants are California's lifeblood. They need support now more than ever

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. And nowhere is that more true today than in California, where first-generation immigrants make up more than one-quarter of the population, more than in any other state.

More than half of California, and 62% of L.A. County, is either foreign-born or has at least one immigrant parent, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census data.

Immigrant communities are understandably scared and bracing for the worst when Donald Trump takes office next month. Deporting immigrants is at the very top of the president-elect’s 20-point agenda, which promises to “1. Seal the border and stop the migrant invasion” and “2. Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.”

The incoming administration has pledged to use the military and mass detention camps to deport millions of immigrants in the country illegally along with U.S. citizens in their families, to remove the temporary legal status for millions of immigrants, to reinstate Trump’s Muslim ban and to end birthright citizenship. These and other policies, if carried out, would tear apart families and communities and harm the economy.

With these clouds on the horizon, it’s critically important to recognize the role immigrants play in our communities.

Immigrants have always been the lifeblood of the nation and a source of growth, diversity and innovation. There are more than 11 million first-generation immigrants in California from all backgrounds and walks of life, from the working and middle classes to the highest echelons of society. That includes powerful figures like L.A. Archbishop José Gomez, L.A. Unified Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, labor leader Ada Briceño and some of the world’s most influential business executives, such as Google’s Sundar Pichai and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, who are all immigrants.

As the state with the world’s fifth-largest economy, California would be among the hardest hit by the proposed policies. The people who could be swept up by mass deportation plans include teachers and coaches, child-care providers and home health and long-term care workers. California’s farms, which provide more than one-third of the nation’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts, are sustained largely by immigrant labor — at least half of the state’s farmworkers are undocumented — as are many other parts of the state’s economy such as construction and service work.

Aside from the economic damage, the suffering inflicted on immigrant families and their children from draconian policies would be immeasurable. Immigrant rights groups are now reactivating many of the assistance programs they put in place to deal with deportations during the first Trump and Obama administrations, including “know your rights” workshops that assist immigrants with legal responses and support. Some are creating programs that help parents make contingency plans for their children in case they are detained. Some are planning marches to rally support.

Local leaders, including the Los Angeles school board and the City Council and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, have taken steps to reaffirm sanctuary policies, which restrict cooperation with federal officials on immigration enforcement. Local governments have boosted funding for legal services and made other commitments to defend immigrants and their families from the Trump administration’s proposed plans. But they may well have to do more to fight back against anti-immigration excesses and use their power to protect children and families.

Everyday people can also make a difference, even in small ways, by supporting immigrants’ rights groups, volunteering to help permanent residents apply for citizenship and calling their members of Congress to demand action to protect immigrants. They can show up at rallies, protests and local government meetings to stand up for immigrants and their families in the face of dehumanizing attacks.

If the incoming administration turns its plans into a reality, it will become clear to all — including to those who were drawn to the campaign promise of a crackdown on immigration — that what hurts immigrant communities will injure everyone. At that point, the responsibility will rest with all of us to speak up and defend the most American ideal of all: That this country was built by immigrants seeking better lives and they have made America stronger in every way.