Immigration

Immigration has become a central issue in this election, especially holding relevance to California since one in four residents are immigrants, according to the California Department of Justice.

Trump has taken an anti-illegal immigrant approach to handling border policy. In his 2016 campaign, he vowed to use federal funds to build a wall between Mexico and the United States.

A major part of his policy involved separating families during processing at the border in an effort to deter migrants from trying to enter the country.

According to the Washington Post, Harris supports the expansion of legal immigration but has also shown a willingness to be harsh on illegal crossings when they overwhelm border communities.

An attempt at a bipartisan border deal was made by the Biden-Harris administration in February of 2024 when Biden pledged to sign a deal that would provide additional funding and resources to border patrol officers. However, the legislation was stalled after Trump urged House Republicans to vote against it in a political move to have the ability to continue to attack Democrats for their response to the immigration crisis.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, there have been eight million immigrant encounters on the southwest border with Mexico. Under Trump, that number was about 2.4 million.

Kaui said Harris’ proposed policies threaten the safety of border communities and neglect people who have come legally.

“Truth of the matter is, a lot of everyday residents want to feel like they are safe,” Kuai said. “I always worry about what’s going to happen (in southern cities like San Diego) every day, and in the state of California, there seems to be a major shift in prioritization towards people that come here illegally.”

Out of the total $4.9 trillion in government revenue in 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $100 billion in federal taxes in that same year. Amanda Alvarado Ford, deputy attorney of the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, said there are actually certain industries that are supported by migrants, such as farm workers.

“Over 11 million individuals are living here undocumented, many of whom are contributing members of society, paying taxes, and they will never be able to recover their Social Security earnings,” Alvarado Ford said. “It’s a one-way street for them.”

As the daughter of migrant farm workers from Mexico, Alvarado Ford said this issue is personal. Alvarado Ford said some of the anti-illegal immigrant rhetoric Trump has expressed is dangerous to immigrant communities who are simply trying to live their lives and have a better shot at opportunity.

“If we look back at our nation’s history, unless you’re an indigenous person, then all of (our ancestors) have migrated here,” Alvarado Ford said. “Anytime we have a candidate who divides us according to our ethnicity, our nation of origin, religion or any other characteristic that we cannot change within the span of five minutes, that unfortunately can result in certain individuals becoming empowered to act on their divisive beliefs, including acts of hate and violence.”

But not everyone agrees that the United States should make the path to citizenship more accessible. Beach said he thinks it’s important to take into consideration the effect that immigrants have on American citizens.

“Immigration is a good thing,” Beach said. “I think that we, some might say, are a country of immigrants. I slightly disagree semantically, but I think that we should have immigration, and I think it should be like a door which opens and closes to the extent of how much the economy needs it.”

Alvarado Ford said the slow process of getting through the immigration system and into the country separates families for long periods of time.

“I’m looking for a candidate who can create a more effective and timely immigration system,” Alvarado Ford said. “Right now, we have a system where, for example, if you’re from Mexico applying for entry, and you want to petition your sibling to come to the U.S. right off the bat, you’re looking at 25-28 years of wait, which could extend.”

Alvarado Ford said that compassion should be what prevails in border policies.

“We need to remember that someone helped our immigrant ancestors get their start here in society,” Alvarado Ford said. “Perhaps we, as individuals working in today’s economic marketplace, can offer that hand of support to today’s migrants who desperately need assistance.”