President Donald Trump wasted little time renewing his attack on immigrants, both those already in the U.S. and those attempting to come here.
On the first day of his second administration, Trump signed executive orders to bar asylum for people newly arriving at the southern border; end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, even though it is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment; and declare that migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border constitute a national emergency, which would allow Trump to use federal funds to build a border wall without consulting Congress.
“America’s sovereignty is under attack,” Trump said in his national emergency declaration. “Our southern border is overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans.”
Neither Trump’s rhetoric nor the nature of his executive orders surprised immigrant rights groups. Since long before the election itself, those groups, both in California and across the country, have paid scrupulous attention to Trump’s words and to those whom the president has selected to further his anti-immigrant aims.
“I think [Trump and his advisors] have definitely learned from the first go-round, where they were maybe even surprised by winning,” said Masih Fouladi, executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, which advocates for immigrants’ rights. “With things like Project 2025 and the appointments already under way, they are much more organized and a bit more strategic this time around.”
Hours after Trump’s inauguration Monday, Capital & Main spoke with Fouladi about the president’s likely plans on immigration, and how local and statewide California organizations are preparing to respond.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Capital & Main: What are the most immediate concerns, and what’s your battle plan?
Masih Fouladi: We’re working with state officials in Sacramento to make sure that our immigrant communities are as safe as possible from mass deportation. With the threats of taking away pathways to legalization that Trump has already alluded to in his remarks, we want to make sure that the progress we’ve made in California to secure opportunities for all immigrant communities continues to be upheld.
How are you coordinating with support groups across the state?
We did a series of 15 scenario-planning conversations with about 500 individuals, who represent 250 organizations that serve the immigrant community. What was highlighted from those conversations was the importance of keeping the community safe, making sure that immigrant communities have the socio-economic means to continue to support their families in California — and have safe places to meet and be together.
In terms of protecting immigrants from mass deportations, are there laws and policies in California that other states don’t enjoy?
During the last Trump administration, we passed the California Values Act, or SB 54, that enacted protections for immigrants across the state. (Among other things, the bill ensures that no state or local resources are used to assist federal immigration crackdowns.) We also saw things like the no-registry act pass, which made sure that something like a person’s religion cannot be put on a registry, in anticipation of some sort of Muslim ban. And we really invested in legal services at the statewide level, so that individuals can seek pathways to residency and/or citizenship through community-based organizations — and individuals facing detention and deportation can access legal support in hopes of keeping their families together.
Do we in California have a false sense of security because of our history of support for the immigrant community?
I haven’t seen folks act in a way that would indicate that. Even in the lead-up to the inauguration, we saw folks reaching out for information and trying to get a better sense of where they weren’t protected, and where they should seek additional legal counsel on how to protect their families. I think because of the last Trump administration, and their trying in any way possible to come through on their campaign promises, that folks were taking these threats a lot more seriously.
After the results of the November election were clear, you said something to the effect of, “We’ve been here before.” What lessons from Trump 1.0 are useful here?
The last time around, we discovered that we were much stronger together. We had people coming together at the airports and on the streets in Sacramento and at City Hall because of the demonization that Trump was putting forth of many communities of color. There was just a general pushback: “Not in California.” We’re hoping that people come together this time again in similar fashion and push back.
Is taking Trump at his word one of those lessons?
When Trump made promises last time, no matter how outlandish, he would try to push them forward — even if there was no legal basis to do so. Knowing that, and understanding that will be the case this time around, I think we’re a lot more prepared and are finding ways to come together — from a community perspective, a legal perspective, a policy perspective. And that’s why I have hope. We do have lawmakers who were here last time around, and they’ve built an infrastructure that is uplifting of a California for all. I hope that people come together and we continue to push that message forward.
Is it a message you have to keep repeating?
Well, we also have a lot of new state lawmakers who weren’t in office in the last Trump administration. And that’s where we’ve been spending some of our time: in the education of and connecting with individuals, to make sure they understand the long history in California of supporting and empowering immigrant communities.
Is it possible that this Trump administration will be smarter, less chaotic and, therefore, more threatening than his first one?
Yeah. But I will say that they’re still trying to push forward things for which there currently is no legal basis. So in those areas, they are going to face the same challenges and difficulties as before. We’ve learned how to better challenge those policies, as well as how to pass local and state initiatives that support a California for all, regardless of an individual’s status.
In consulting with these boots-on-the-ground support groups, what’s the energy like? Concerned?
There are definitely high levels of concern — but also motivation to get things like “Know Your Rights” information out there to our immigrant communities. That’s in addition to organizations that work with the rapid-response networks across the state, making sure we do whatever we can to respond locally to threats of deportation. It’s about channeling the concern into doing work in the community, for the community, so they can be informed.
Does it feel as though it’s “on,” right now, this minute?
It’s felt like that since the election results came out, honestly. We saw how Trump was quickly recommending people for appointments, and we knew their political history and knew what that meant for immigrants across the country. What we heard in the inauguration speech was pretty much what we expected. Now we’re making sure we get organized with our communities on the ground — that we’re ready.
