CALIFORNIA — On June 18, 2025, 17 members of the California Senate and 14 members of the California State Assembly wrote and signed a letter addressed to nine members of the California Republican Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C.
The letter urges these members to ask the president to stop targeting immigrants, who pay taxes and work hard, for deportation in Los Angeles and across California. The lawmakers argue that this targeting is significantly harmful to the economy.
The letter requests that the Republican Congressional Delegation bring the issue to the president’s attention. While the president announced that undocumented immigrants who committed violent crimes or were members of violent gangs would be the focus of deportations, the letter points to recent efforts against businesses in Los Angeles and California farms that have instead targeted peaceful, hardworking immigrants.
According to the letter, these immigrants are positive contributors to California’s economy. NBC News reports that 50 percent of those targeted have no criminal record, convictions or charges.
The letter notes that California, like much of the nation, depends heavily on foreign-born labor. An estimated one in five jobs nationwide are filled by people born outside the United States. In California, that figure is one in three.
Industries that most commonly rely on foreign-born labor include homebuilding, construction, tech, leisure and hospitality, healthcare, and agriculture.
The letter cites a study indicating that ongoing deportation efforts could cost California approximately $275 billion. It also highlights that undocumented workers contribute about 5 percent of the state’s GDP and pay an estimated $8.5 billion annually in taxes that fund public services they cannot access.
It states that one in four Californians are immigrants, totaling about 11 million people. Of that number, roughly 1.8 million are undocumented.
Among those 1.8 million undocumented residents, 25 percent are homeowners, and 75 percent have lived in the United States for at least 10 years. The lawmakers emphasize that immigrants targeted by the president’s deportation policies are not criminals or gang members, but rather essential contributors to California’s economy.
The letter cites the Wall Street Journal, noting that recent deportation sweeps stem from dissatisfaction within the Trump administration about the current deportation numbers.
Stephen Miller, architect of the president’s immigration agenda, reportedly advised Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to “just go out there and arrest illegal aliens,” without concern for whether they were gang members. According to the letter, Miller even encouraged targeting places like Home Depot and 7-Eleven, where people often gather to find day labor.
The letter also highlights what the legislators see as a positive shift, pointing out that some members of the House Republican Caucus have expressed concern that the deportation efforts have gone too far.
The letter concludes with a call for the Republican Congressional Delegation to urge the president to end these deportation efforts targeting taxpaying immigrants.
