Sponsored by: Immigration and Healthy Communities

The partisan divide on immigration

California is home to 10.6 million immigrantswhich constitutes approximately 22% of the nation’s total immigrant population. An October 2025 poll of more than 8,000 registered voters in California, conducted by Possibility Lab as part of Berkeley’s IGS survey, shows mixed public opinion on immigration enforcement, with 51% opposed to federal action to reduce undocumented immigration and 61% opposed to deporting all undocumented immigrants. However, these statewide averages mask a deeply biased reality: Democrats overwhelmingly oppose current enforcement efforts and express concern about deportations adversely affecting California’s economy and culture, while only a minority of Republicans share these concerns.

Across the partisan divide, the survey reveals that immigration policies hit home for many Californians: Nearly a quarter of voters report that they or someone close to them has been directly affected by current deportation efforts. In addition, roughly four in ten California voters say deportation efforts have made it less likely that people in their communities can send children to school, seek medical care, shop locally, go to work, or participate in community and religious activities.

Read the report: California voter sentiment on the impact of federal immigration and deportation actions

The intersection of immigration and health

The real-world consequences of immigration policy extend beyond public opinion into everyday life. A 2024 study of Latino immigrant workers in California’s Inland Empire and Coachella Valley reveals the profound connections between immigration status and overall well-being.

Through focus groups and town halls with over 280 participants, Possibility Lab researchers identified 1,534 “First Hand Indicators” of health and well-being—revealing that health encompasses much more than medical issues for immigrant communities. Economic stability emerged as the main indicator of participants’ well-being, followed by mental health and access to health services.

The findings also highlight significant barriers for this population, including limited access to medical care and health insurance, economic insecurity, and a lack of accessible educational resources (especially in languages ​​other than English or Spanish). As one participant described, “You work while you go to college to pay your medical bills.”

Learn more about developing health metrics with farm, warehouse and service workers from the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley

Immigrants built California

Finally, Latino workers play a critical role in California’s economy, comprising 39% of the state’s workforceand a third of that population are immigrants. These workers are heavily represented in sectors such as agriculture, construction, general maintenance and food preparation.

The construction sector is a notable example: Immigrants make up 41% of California’s construction workers and 50% of the state’s tradespeople. With California looking to build 2.5 million homes by 2032immigration policies are likely to have significant implications for the state’s ability to address housing shortages. In 2025 62% of construction companies report difficulties filling hourly positions for craft workers. Immigration enforcement is one reason that construction firms report difficulties in finding workers, especially those with specific skills.

Community messengers build trust

California is taking steps to support immigrant communities. During COVID-19, state agencies recognized that traditional approaches to workplace health and safety education often failed to reach vulnerable populations, including immigrants to the state. The COVID-19 Workplace Outreach Program (CWOP) allocated funding to community organizations that could serve as “trusted messengers” reaching workers who face significant barriers to accessing information due to language access, fear of retaliation, or concerns about immigration enforcement.

Between 2023 and 2024, the program (now called the California Workplace Outreach Program) awarded more than $25 million to 76 community-based organizations in six California regions, focusing on high-risk industries such as agriculture, food processing, warehousing and janitorial services: covering a total of 2.5 million California workers. Through these trusted community-based messengers, California records approximately 5 million touch points with workers across the state, including about 830,000 in-depth interactions focused on workplace rights and protections.

Learn more about insights from the California Workplace Dissemination Project on COVID-19 and the Trusted Messenger model

In the coming years, the state will continue to fund organizations that can provide culturally appropriate outreach to immigrants and other vulnerable communities. In addition, the State builds on the success of the CWOP through development and implementation broader strategy for agricultural outreach and strategic engagement in rural areas.

As California navigates the increasingly complex intersection of immigration policies and community well-being, one thing is clear: What happens in immigrant communities can ripple across California, shaping the state’s economic health, well-being, and social fabric.

To learn more, visit the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab’s People-Centered Policymaking site