The Brief

Increased immigration enforcement across Los Angeles — sweeping workplaces, homes and grocery stores — has left many families worried about their future.

LAist gathered resources and spoke with legal and mental health experts to help immigrant families plan in case a parent or legal guardian is being detained or deported. This guide is meant to be helpful, but please consult a lawyer for legal advice regarding your specific situation.

Create a family preparedness plan

Don’t be afraid to exercise your rights, said Kristen Hunsberger, a managing attorney with Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a nonprofit offering legal services to immigrant communities.

“I know it's a very scary time in our communities and I think a way to push back against that is to feel empowered with your rights, but also to have a plan if unfortunately, something does happen,” Hunsberger said.

The center created a comprehensive checklist (Spanish version) to help families plan for an immigration emergency. This includes:

• coordinating care for your loved ones 
• gathering important documents for yourself and your family 
• finding credible legal counsel 
• updating your emergency contact list  

Hunsberger said a key part of the plan is communication, reviewing it as a family and discussing it in advance with a designated caregiver, as well as your child’s school and doctor.

Read more: Here's what the law says about civil rights — regardless of immigration status

How to plan for childcare if detained or deported

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center, dedicated to educating immigrant communities and those supporting them, created a step-by-step toolkit to help immigrant families navigate emergencies, including several ways families can arrange childcare if a caregiver is detained or deported:

1. The simplest and most informal option is a verbal agreement — asking a trusted adult to care for your child if you’re unable to. This doesn’t require any paperwork. However, the caregiver wouldn’t have the legal authority to make medical or school decisions, which could pose challenges if the arrangement is long-term. 
   
2. Another option is having a trusted adult fill out the Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit (“CAA”). This form allows that person to make certain school-related and medical decisions for your child. The form should be given to your child’s school or healthcare provider. Don't worry, this form will not affect your parental rights, and you will continue to have custody of your child. 
   
3. Guardianship is the most formal arrangement. In this case, the California Probate Court appoints a guardian, who would gain legal and physical custody of your child and can make decisions on their behalf.  

Parental rights are suspended during guardianship, but not terminated. To regain custody, a caregiver needs to file a petition asking the probate court to end the arrangement. The final decision rests with the judge, who decides what is in the best interests of the child.

How to get a child a passport if one parent is absent

This is a frequently searched question online. Parents or guardians seeking a passport for a child under 16 will have to apply in person at a passport acceptance facility, such as a Post Office.

If one of the legal guardians can’t be present to apply for the passport, they will have to complete the Form DS-3053, “Statement of Consent.”

If one of the parents or guardians can’t be located, there’s another form, DS-5525, “Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances.”

Gathering important documents

Gather important documents now in case a parent or guardian is detained or deported. These records should be kept somewhere safe — preferably both physically and digitally — and a trusted person should know where to find the information.

According to the IDLC, here’s what families should have ready:

• Identification documents: Passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, if applicable.
• Financial records: Tax documents, mail from your bank that include your name and address, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) card, if applicable.
• Immigration records: Receipts for applications, copies of visas, permits, or other forms of identification, alien registration number (A-number) and any correspondence with immigration attorneys or agencies.
• Medical information: Health insurance cards, medical records, vaccination cards, a list of known allergies and medications and contact information for your doctor.
• Important contacts: Emergency contacts, children’s teachers, appointed caregiver(s), lawyer.
• Other helpful documents: Proof of U.S. residency indicating how long you’ve lived in the country, such as lease agreements, utility bills, etc.

Find immigration legal services

Hunsberger said in the worst-case scenario, if a parent or guardian is detained or deported, there are legal resource hotlines that families can contact to get resources.

• Rapid Response Legal Resource Hotline helps Southern Californians who were detained: (213) 833-8283 
• LA Rapid Response: (888) 624-4752 

You can also find an attorney in your area at the American Immigration Lawyers Association or the National Immigration Legal Services Directory.

“If they don't have an attorney, at least having the phone number of a trustworthy organization that they can contact,” Hunsberger said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has an online system that can help you figure out if your parent or legal guardian has been detained, although the online locator has had issues.

There are also procedures in place when a parent or legal guardian is detained by ICE, including visitation with their child, coordination of care and participation in any court or child welfare proceedings.

“The rules for family visits are different and vary for each detention center,” Hunsberger said. “Typically, groups of detainees have different visiting hours.”

How to emotionally prepare your child

Suma Setty, a senior policy analyst on the Immigration and Immigrant Families team at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), said she’s concerned about how adverse childhood experiences, or ACES — a framework linking traumatic circumstances during childhood to long-term impacts in adulthood — affect immigrant and mixed-status families during immigration crackdowns.

“There’s been so much research that connects immigration enforcement policies to negative wellbeing outcomes for children,” Setty said. “Even just the threat [of deportation or detention of a loved one] is enough to impact a child.”

That’s why she believes it’s important for parents or caregivers to talk to their children about the possibility of being detained or deported.

Families are likely to experience anxiety, including fear, worry and apprehension during such uncertain times, said Jose Corena, a psychologist and marriage and family therapist at Centro De Bienestar Familiar, a family wellness center providing free or low-cost services. He wants parents to understand that their emotions and behaviors affect their children — whether that’s hyper fixating on social media or isolating.

“The number one tool to deal with anxiety is to be prepared as best as you can,” Corena said.

He emphasizes the importance of having a family plan for worst-case scenarios and to include your child in the process, so they have a sense of agency instead of feeling helpless or hopeless.

Parents or caregivers can use communication tools like art, movement, or therapy to engage with children, such as drawing, dancing, or using puppets.

“Healing strategies [help] reassure the child that [a parent’s] going to be there for them, that they're not alone, such as playing a game, reading a book together, praying together,” Corena said. This is a way to reassure your child that they are protected.

Corena said if there’s changes in a child’s mood or behaviors — eating habits, sleeping patterns, irritability, or social isolation — it is important to consult a doctor or mental health provider to ensure this does not develop into a chronic condition.

Children's books discussing immigration and separation

• Tengo Miedo (I’m Scared) by Marlene Huerta is a bilingual book focusing on coping skills for children of immigrants. The author created a free PDF version in response to heightened immigration enforcement.  
• Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat tells the story of a Haitian immigrant family whose mother is detained in an immigration detention center. To support her young daughter, Saya, she sends bedtime stories on cassette tapes during their separation. In this, Saya discovers the power of her own words. The book is available at the Los Angeles Public Library.   

California voters will advance two candidates for governor to the November election in the most unsettled gubernatorial race in recent memory, concluding a long and winding primary campaign in which Democrats struggled to pick a new leader for the nation’s most populous blue state.

The decision comes at a particularly consequential time for California. Residents face a crushing cost of living, nation-topping gas prices made worse by the war in Iran, wildfire risks that have driven insurance companies out of state, an unstable state budget, impending federal cuts to the state’s expansive health system and an economy dampened by immigration enforcement.

Democratic former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has promised to fight Trump and freeze insurance and utility rates, is the leading Democrat in opinion polls and is favored by much of the state’s Democratic establishment. He appeared in contention to secure one of the top two spots for November heading into Election Day.

Republican Steve Hilton, a Donald Trump-endorsed former Fox News host who has vowed to cut income taxes and slash environmental regulations, was polling in second place ahead of Election Day, having consolidated support from many of the state’s conservatives.

But billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, a progressive Democrat who has self-funded his campaign to the tune of $213 million, was still fighting for one of the top spots. A series of polls released in the final days of the race showed Becerra in the lead with roughly a quarter of likely voters’ support, and Steyer and Hilton locked in a tight battle for second.

Votes could take days or weeks to tally. Pollsters and strategists noted that lingering Democratic uncertainty led some voters to wait so they could back whoever appears to be ahead.

“Those polls could become self-fulfilling,” said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist whose company tracks ballot return data.

The race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits, is the marquee contest on the ballot Tuesday. The seat is considered a shoo-in in November for Democrats, who have nearly twice as many registered voters as Republicans, and holds national importance for the Democratic Party’s pushback to the Trump administration.

It’s also been one of the most unusually open races in recent state history.

No Democratic stars in the race

In contrast to decades of California politics dominated by movie stars, family dynasties and larger-than-life personalities, none of the most recognizable Democratic names jumped into the race.

That led to a crowded field on the left, briefly causing liberals to panic that Hilton and a fellow Republican, the bombastic Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, could each garner more votes than any Democrat, locking the party out of the general election. The state Democratic Party began a public pressure campaign asking lower-polling candidates to drop out. Nearly all stayed in the race.

But when Democratic then-Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out over multiple sexual assault allegations, Becerra was the clear beneficiary, raking in many of Swalwell’s donors and supporters. He’s been surging ever since, successfully dodging criticism of his record. Steyer, who spent $200 million boosting his name recognition through campaign ads, consolidated much of the party’s left flank. Former Rep. Katie Porter, a progressive dogged by allegations about her temperament, fell behind. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate backed by Silicon Valley billionaires, rose from single digits in the polls, but not enough.

Trump’s endorsement of Hilton quickly helped him pull away from Bianco, making it unlikely both Republicans would come in first and second. If Hilton advances to the November election, he faces long odds of being elected against a Democrat.

Both he and Steyer have spent the final weeks of the campaign portraying Becerra as a symbol of the status quo and themselves as agents of systemic change amid multiple state crises, with affordability dominating the race.

For Hilton, that would mean ending 16 years of “one-party rule” under Democrats, slashing spending and reversing many liberal policies such as greenhouse gas reduction mandates, the progressive tax system and parts of the social safety net.

“After 16 years of everything being in one direction, that’s left a lot of people dissatisfied,” he said last week. “Anybody who wants change or balance in our politics, the only choice is for me.”

His name recognition as a former Fox host helped him start the race with a fan base. Nancy LeVesque, a retired salesperson from Roseville, already admired him and said he was an easy choice as she dropped off her ballot at a Placer County vote center on Monday. She liked that he would bring an outsider’s perspective to the governor’s office and a change for those leaving California because of its liberal politics.

“We have lost so many good people,” to other states, she said.

Steyer styled himself as a populist “class traitor” who would force lower costs for Californians by taking on monied special interests like investor-owned utilities, the real estate industry and health insurance corporations. He made a litany of progressive promises on climate change, single-payer health care and raising taxes on the wealthy.

Undecided voter Tina Varnado attended a rally last week for Steyer hosted by her union, which represents home health aides. The South Sacramento resident is a full-time caretaker for her elderly mother and her adult daughter who had open-heart surgery. Between her mother’s social security checks and her pay as her daughter’s health aide, “we do have to spend everything we have every single month” to stay afloat, she said.

“Everything he touched on really touched home for me,” she said after hearing Steyer speak. “If we can lower prices, maybe we can start putting money down on a home for my future.”

Becerra has emphasized his long experience in government, including his lawsuits against the first Trump administration and his time as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary during the pandemic.

That appealed to Evan Cragin, of the California Young Democrats, which endorsed Becerra weeks before his sudden surge. Cragin said he wants the next governor to have government experience to push back on federal “abuses” from the Trump administration.

“Secretary Becerra has done that before,” Cragin said.

Surrounded by supporters at the offices of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California on Monday, Becerra dismissed his opponents’ promises, pointing to past accomplishments including passing the Affordable Care Act and defending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program.

“You can have all these great inflated promises,” he said. “Getting things done is not easy.”

Ryan Sabalow contributed reporting.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

May gray has come and gone, and now it's time for June gloom.

Overcast skies will be present this morning, especially along the beaches and valleys closest to the coast. Otherwise, we're in for a partly cloudy afternoon.

Today's temperatures at L.A. County beaches will stay around 66 to 71 degrees, and reach 76 to 80 degrees for places more inland.

In Orange County, expect similar temperatures with highs from 67 to 74 degrees for Huntington Beach and surrounding areas. More inland areas like Anaheim and Garden Grove will see temperatures of up to 79 degrees.

Moving on to L.A. County valleys, expect high temperatures in the low to mid 80s.

In the Inland Empire, temperatures will range 80 to 89 degrees.

Election Day is here, but now comes the waiting.

Do you have something to watch on Netflix? Maybe you've been meaning to pick up a hobby — how about crochet? Whatever you do, take a deep breath and keep busy because it could be days (or weeks) before we get some California election results.

The state is often knocked by the rest of the country as being "slow" to count votes. But here's the deal: that's a feature, not a bug, of the election system.

The backstory

Things take a while here largely because California works so hard to expand the ways people can vote. For example:

• Californians in recent years overwhelmingly vote by mail — nearly 90% of votes cast in the 2024 presidential election were mail-in ballots. In that same year's primary the percentage was just as high. Those ballots can be postmarked up to and including Election Day. They're counted as long as the ballot arrives within seven days (for the June primary, that's June 9).
• California offers same-day voter registration at any voting center. These new voters must cast a provisional ballot, which is counted once election officials confirm their eligibility (they are overwhelmingly accepted — for example, Los Angeles County reports that historically between 85% to 90% have been counted.
• Voters also have the right to cast provisional ballots if there's any problem on election day — like if poll workers aren't able to void an outstanding mail-in ballot, or if there’s any issue calling up voter information from e-pollbooks. Again (see above), provisionals take longer to process because eligibility has to be confirmed.
• Vote-by-mail ballots require signature matching. When the one received doesn't match the one on file, county registrars must contact that voter to let them know — and give them the chance to correct it.
• And, with more than 23 million registered voters, we're really, really big. In the 2024 general election more than 16 million Californians voted (down from nearly 18 million in the 2020 presidential election). Either way, that’s more people than the total populations of all but three other states.

Why things have sped up, some

But things have sped up considerably in the 30 counties that have adopted a 2016 law called the Voter's Choice Act, including L.A., Orange and Riverside counties. In recent elections, the changes associated with that law — like voters not being locked into a designated polling location — drastically cut down the number of provisional ballots cast, which helped move things along faster than they had before.

A closer look at ballot counting times in California where an increasing number of vote-by-mail ballots has slowed ballot counts.

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Courtesy California Voter Foundation

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Still, accuracy and a commitment to "expanding the franchise" — translation: allowing more people to vote — means the process is not designed to produce instantaneous results.

Why you should take a deep breath Election Night

You'll have to get that endorphin hit elsewhere on June 2.

A few things to keep in mind: You may recall that during the 2024 primary, it took about a week to call the results for L.A. City Council races in District 4, where incumbent Nithya Raman was fighting to avoid a runoff election, and District 14, where challenger Ysabel Jurado wound up overtaking incumbent Kevin de León by just a few hundred votes.

It took an even longer 15 days to call the results of Prop. 1, during which opponents conceded, walked back that concession, and conceded again when the measure won by a razor-thin 0.4% margin. And it took 23 days to call the second-place winner for Orange County's 45th congressional district — it ultimately went to Democrat Derek Tran who went on to beat Republican Michelle Steel in the general election. Tran is now up for reelection and rematch with Steel is considered likely in November.

Depending on how close some of these races end up being, we may face similar waits this election cycle.

TL;DR: Officially, county and state election officials have until July 10 to certify election results — including a mandatory audit that requires hand-counting all of the ballots at 1% of precincts. Nevertheless, you're going to see a lot of national media headlines about California's relative "slowness." Brush it off. We have sunshine, beaches, and a highly enfranchised population.