Republicans in Orange County express doubts about Trump's measures aimed at immigrant labor forces
In the heart of California, Orange County has become a hotbed of controversy over President Trump's immigration enforcement sweeps. The county, once a Republican stronghold, has witnessed a wave of protests and criticism from both local officials and residents, particularly in cities with large immigrant populations.
California lawmakers, including those from Orange County, have vocally condemned the aggressive ICE raids, calling for greater protections and criticizing the militarized tactics. Democratic representatives like Rep. Derek Tran from Orange County have expressed being "appalled by this clear violation of first amendment rights," as raids often met with protests. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have also sharply criticized the federal raids, marking an escalation in Democratic engagement on immigration issues.
In Orange County, cities like Santa Ana, a predominantly Latino immigrant hub, have been most affected. The ICE immigration sweeps triggered days of protests downtown, with city officials demanding the removal of National Guard troops from federal courthouses and seeking ways to aid affected families. Santa Ana City Councilmember Thai Viet Phan acknowledged that while some residents support border protection policies, many—including some Trump supporters—are unsettled by aggressive raids at places like Home Depots and car washes.
The county’s response intensified with large-scale protests, such as the “No Kings” demonstration in Anaheim which gathered estimated crowds between 12,000 and 15,000 people rallying against the ICE enforcement tactics. Community organizers emphasized youth leadership and mutual support within immigrant communities as being crucial to resisting these enforcement actions.
The majority of cities in Orange County, particularly those with higher immigrant populations, have had a more muted conversation about immigration enforcement. However, Huntington Beach, a city that declared itself a nonsanctuary city, filed a lawsuit against the state over a law limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
Christopher Granucci, an independent, expressed concern about the indiscriminate nature of the deportations. As a teacher, he has seen students whose parents aren't legal residents or are on a path to obtaining residency. He supports deporting criminals but is troubled by the current deportation process.
Orange County is home to roughly 236,000 undocumented immigrants, the majority of whom were born in Mexico, Central America, and Asia. In areas of Little Saigon, news of the raids has hit the community harder than ever before. Nearly 60% of Orange County residents polled preferred that undocumented individuals have an option to obtain legal status.
In Fountain Valley, Mayor Ted Bui hasn't seen much public pushback for the raids from the Vietnamese American population. However, Tracy La, executive director of VietRISE, stated that people who support Trump's deportation agenda only support it until it affects them.
The updated memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Vietnam in 2020 created a process for deporting such immigrants. Many undocumented Vietnamese residents in Little Saigon were previously not concerned about facing deportations due to a 2008 agreement. However, the recent raids have sparked fear and uncertainty within the community.
Bui's family fled Vietnam and he later became a U.S. citizen. His story is a reminder of the diverse immigrant history in Orange County. Despite the political divisions, the county's residents continue to grapple with the humanitarian impact and community disruption caused by these federal immigration sweeps.
- Despite being a Republican stronghold in the past, California's Orange County has become a center of controversy over President Trump's immigration enforcement sweeps, particularly in cities with large immigrant populations.
- California lawmakers, including those from Orange County, have vocally condemned the aggressive ICE raids, calling for greater protections and criticizing the militarized tactics.
- In Orange County, cities like Santa Ana, a predominantly Latino immigrant hub, have been most affected, with residents demanding the removal of National Guard troops from federal courthouses and seeking ways to aid affected families.
- The county’s response intensified with large-scale protests, such as the “No Kings” demonstration in Anaheim, gathering estimated crowds between 12,000 and 15,000 people rallying against the ICE enforcement tactics.
- The majority of cities in Orange County, particularly those with higher immigrant populations, have had a more muted conversation about immigration enforcement, but Huntington Beach, a city that declared itself a nonsanctuary city, has filed a lawsuit against the state over a law limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
- Independent teacher Christopher Granucci expressed concern about the indiscriminate nature of the deportations, supporting the deportation of criminals but troubled by the current deportation process.
- Orange County, home to roughly 236,000 undocumented immigrants, has seen news of the raids hit the community particularly hard, with nearly 60% of Orange County residents preferring that undocumented individuals have an option to obtain legal status.
- The recent immigration raids in Orange County have sparked fear and uncertainty within immigrant communities, including the Vietnamese community in Little Saigon, who were previously not concerned about facing deportations due to 2008 agreements, but the updated memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Vietnam in 2020 has changed that.
