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As federal agents conduct aggressive and deadly immigration raids across the U.S., CalMatters’ Wendy Frye and Natasha Uscategui-Liggett report that their sweeping in San Diego increased the number of arrests and put the residents on their toes.
Between May and October 2025, immigration arrests in San Diego and Imperial counties increased 1,500 percent, according to government data analyzed by CalMatters. During that period, federal agents arrested more than 4,500 people, compared to fewer than 300 during the same period the previous year.
By September, the number of arrests in the two counties exceeded immigration arrests in the Los Angeles area, a much larger area that President Donald Trump targeted last summer and later sparked a high-profile dispute with California authorities when he deployed the California National Guard.
Although some San Diego residents say the presence of immigration enforcement agents has not yet reached the level of a federal siege, immigration advocacy groups are aware of the spike in arrests. Arrests have been made at courthouses, Home Depot parking lots, nearby schools, neighborhood restaurants and more.
Arrest data also shows that agents are no longer focusing on people with criminal records: Only 25 percent of people arrested between May and mid-October had prior convictions. In the last year of former President Joe Biden’s term, that number in the same time frame was over 60%.
- Andrea Guerreroexecutive director of Alliance San Diego, a civil rights organization: “They’re just putting numbers on a scoreboard. And they’re doing it in a way that’s not just irresponsible, it’s inhumane.”
More on immigration: To curb immigration enforcement in California, Democratic lawmakers are proposing a number of new bills. Member of the LA Assembly Jessica Calosa on Tuesday introduced a measure that would ban rental car companies from renting vehicles to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
There are also bills to tax profits from immigration detention centers, keep ICE out of courthouses, and more. Read more by Cayla Mihalovich and Maya C. Miller of CalMatters.
Meeting basic needs: In California, a state of plenty, too many people struggle to access water, food and public safety. How do we fix this? Read innovative ideas from three experts, thanks to our partners at the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab, at CalMatters Knowledge Center.
Other stories you should know
State officials are defying the federal mandate
Officials at the California Department of Public Health must prove they are US citizens by April 10 using a federal vetting system — a directive that has drawn pushback from some employees and union members, CalMatters’ Khari Johnson writes.
New state health department employees must now prove their citizenship by filling out a federal form. But now the department is asking them to enroll in E-Verify, a program administered in part by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Health department leaders said a background check on its 4,000 employees was needed to secure federal funding, according to a memo obtained by CalMatters. But amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, the Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which represents the department’s roughly 3,000 employees, called the policy “unnecessary” and raised concerns about the accuracy and security of E-Verify data.
The politician makes a big promise, who foresaw it?
Tom Steyer, billionaire environmental activist and former hedge fund manager, is running for governor of California and promises reducing residents’ electricity bills by 25%.
How realistic is that?
As CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang explains, in a state that has the second-highest electric bills in the country, Steyer is running ads saying “if we break up these monopoly power companies, we’ll lower costs.”
But during a news conference this month, Steyer said he’s not actually fighting to “break up” large utilities. Instead, he wants to lower rates by forcing utilities to choose cheaper ways to protect their infrastructure from wildfires; enable neighborhoods to more easily adopt solar energy; and provides customers with more options for purchasing power.
Meanwhile, utility experts caution that increased competition won’t necessarily lower customers’ bills. Gary South, a Democratic strategist who worked with former Gov. Gray Davis, is also skeptical. In the 1990s, the state undertook efforts to deregulate electricity, which led to out-of-state companies buying power plants from utilities, manipulating electricity supplies and driving up prices.
- south: “We’ve seen this movie before. It’s a reckless promise that any candidate can make.”
Finally: Could Fewer Stairs Improve California Housing?
Culver City is the first city in the state to allow single-stair mid-rise apartment buildings. CalMatters’ Ben Christopher and Director of Video Strategy Robert Meeks have a video segment on why supporters say the move it can speed up housing construction and reduce costsas part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.
SoCalMatters airs at 5:58pm weekdays on PBS SoCal.
California voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Two bills pushed through the Legislature this week that were mostly performative: One proposal related to ICE is likely unenforceable, and another bill weakly addresses California’s housing crisis.
Labeling students from schools that serve students with high needs because being less college ready is inherently misguided, and instead colleges should partner with K-12 schools to help break down barriers, writes Michal Kurlanderprofessor at the University of California, Davis, and director of the Faculty of Policy Analysis for California Education.
Other things worth your time:
Newsom is banking heavily on Trump’s goodwill to reduce the CA budget hole // A politician
CA’s economy is threatened by its foreign-born population down 1.5 million amid Trump’s policies. // Los Angeles Times
California Republicans sound mixed and muted response to Alex Pretty’s ICE shooting // The Sacramento Bee
How past ICE funding voted change the CA race for governor // Los Angeles Times
CA bill would ban ICE agents from teaching and police work // San Francisco Chronicle
The brutal conditions in ICE’s California City detention center // The New Yorker
Who decides when a home is safe? CA Bill Says Science, Not Insurers // New York Times
Trump, GOP leaders step up attacks over the Palisades fire while California wildfire aid is in limbo // San Francisco Chronicle
GOP gubernatorial candidate Hilton would extradite California abortion doctor to Louisiana // KQED
