The Brief

Panic has continued to spread through immigrant communities across California ever since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in the light of his promises to conduct mass deportations.

Some immigrant families say this sense of fear is already affecting their daily lives — and heightened by frequent rumors of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sightings locally.

Concerns have also been stoked by the new administration’s reversal of a 2011 Department of Homeland Security policy that kept immigration agents away from “sensitive locations” like schools and churches.

According to the California Immigrant Data Portal, in 2021, 20% of minors in the state – around 1.8 million people – were either undocumented or living with someone undocumented. This was true for 32% percent of Latino teens and children, and 19% of Asian American youth.

So if you are part of a family that has been affected by the administration’s deportation plans, keep reading for how experts and advocates recommend parents and guardians can talk to young people about their rights when it comes to immigration enforcement — and how to prepare for worst-case scenarios.

Bear in mind that this is not legal advice, and it’s always recommended that you consult an immigration attorney for guidance on your family’s specific situation.

What does a ‘family preparedness plan’ look like?

Kristina Lovato, the director of the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare Initiative at UC Berkeley, said that it’s “really important” for every family who could be affected by immigration enforcement to have what agencies and organizations call “a family preparedness plan” in case of an emergency.

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has a thorough tool kit with guidance on ways to prepare for such a scenario, focusing on a care plan for children.

For example, ILRC suggests that parents should identify a trusted adult to take care of their kids, in case they are detained or deported. (There is a possibility that a child may end up in the child welfare system after a parent is detained or deported.)

There are three avenues to designate a trusted adult to care for for your child:

• Find another adult who can verbally agree to take care of your child in a situation where you cannot. The downside of a verbal agreement is that the trusted adult may not be able to make certain decisions for your child, like medical decisions, in the event that their parent or caregiver is deported.
• Complete a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit so that the trusted adult can also make school and medical decisions on behalf of your child. This option does not impact your parental rights.
• Have the court appoint a guardian for your child by filling out a GC-211 form. This new guardian can, in certain situations, make more decisions than an authorized caregiver on behalf of your child, and the guardianship can also be made conditional, to “kick in” if a parent or caregiver is deported. This route does not take away your parental rights, but it does suspend them by granting legal custody of your child to someone else — making it “a serious decision” to embark on, notes ILRC, and one which should be accompanied by legal advice.

In any case, parents or caregivers should let their children know about their plan, recommends ILRC — telling them exactly who they would stay with if they were not there.

The toolkit also suggests documenting your child’s medications and medical conditions, such as allergies, and giving a copy to their school, and another to the adult you designated as an emergency caretaker.

Regardless of your child’s nationality, advocates suggest making sure they have a passport.

What should families know about ICE in schools?

Be familiar with California policy

Since the election, California has prepared to challenge Trump administration actions the state deems illegal. And while ICE can still operate in California, the state is not providing resources to them for immigration enforcement, except for cases of detaining people convicted of serious crimes.)

“No matter who is in the White House, in California, we will continue to lead with California values,” State Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a December news release. “My office will continue to use the full force of the law and every tool at our disposal to protect the rights of California’s immigrants – and we need staff at these critical locations to do the same.”

“We cannot let the Trump deportation machine create a culture of fear and mistrust that prevents immigrants from accessing vital public services,” said Bonta.

California law limits state and local participation in immigration enforcement activities. Bonta’s office updated its official guidance surrounding immigration enforcement in the state, stipulating that state courthouses, public healthcare facilities and public schools are required to adopt these policies “or equivalent policies.”

The state’s updated guidance for staff at schools and campuses asks that they do the following:

• Notify the local educational agency administrator of any immigration officer’s request to enter campus.
• Ask to see — and make copies or notes of — the officer’s credentials, including name and badge number; the phone number of their supervisor; any documentation that allows school access, like a warrant.
• Document the actions of any officer who enters the premises without consent.
• Notify children’s guardians as soon as possible of ICE activity, and do so before an officer questions or removes a student for immigration-enforcement purposes (“unless prevented by a judicial warrant or subpoena”).
• Notify the California Department of Justice of any attempt by an immigration officer to access a school site or a student by emailing immigration@doj.ca.gov.

According to the state attorney general, your family and your children have the right to:

• A public education, regardless of a parent or caregiver’s immigration status.
• Have documents remain private and protected by schools, which can only be released by guardian permission or in response to a court order or subpoena.
• File a complaint or report a hate crime.

If anyone in California suspects that a school or its staff are assisting ICE, state Bonta urged them to report these concerns to his office.

Know your right to remain silent

An ICE agent can approach a minor in a public space to ask questions or ask for their identification, said Lovato. But in this case — and almost all cases with law enforcement — the young person should know that they do not need to respond to any questions, according to legal experts.

Advocates counsel that children should not run away, and try to stay calm.

“A minor can state that they want to remain silent until they speak with a lawyer,” Lovato said. “Do not answer any questions about your birthplace, immigration status or how you’ve entered the United States.” Lovato also recommended not giving an ICE agent “any personal information about yourself or anyone in your family.”

Advocates say it may also be helpful for a child to carry a card that details their rights with them when they go out. You can find a printable version from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

KQED also has a guide on what advocates and legal experts say you can do during ICE encounters, which includes details like how to tell an ICE agent from a police officer and what advocates recommend you do if ICE knocks on your door.

If it is safe, legal experts say your child can also attempt to record ICE’s actions. KQED also has a guide on your rights when recording officers.

What can ICE do with children?

ICE is obligated to hand children over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement — part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — within 72 hours. (This rule has, however,  been violated before.)

If you are looking for a minor who has been detained, you can call, text or message through WhatsApp the Office of Refugee Resettlement at (800) 203-7001 or email information@ORRNCC.com.

If your child is 18 or over, you can use ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System to search for them. According to the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, it might take a few days for a person to show up in this ICE database. If this person has still not shown up in the database after those few days, you can contact advocacy organizations like Freedom for Immigrants through their form online or call (209) 757-3733.

Other organizations that support children include Legal Services for Children, Kids in Need of Defense and the Immigration Center for Women and Children.

Nicole Vara (left), with the Latino Task Force, stands with a group of elected and public safety officials, labor leaders, and community members fill the steps in front of City Hall in San Francisco on Jan. 28 during a press conference to reaffirm San Francisco’s commitment to being a Sanctuary City.

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Beth LaBerge

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How should you talk to your kids about ICE in the news?

Lovato studied the impact of deportations on Los Angeles families during the first Trump administration. She said many young people in these families faced an “ambiguous loss” after seeing a parent forcibly separated from them, coupled with the uncertainty of when they may be reunited.

“It’s a type of loss that is often unnoticed by the general public,” she said. She also noted many children in the study who had seen their parents deported then experienced anxiety that they themselves — or other family members — would be next, even if they had documentation.

It’s easy for young people and children to pick up on any tension around them — and kids “overhear everything,” said Ioanna Angelakis, a marriage and family therapist based in San Francisco.

“They might hear [something] in a certain way that they can’t understand and they can’t process,” she said. "This stress can appear in different ways for kids, like acting out in school.”

Because of this, she said, parents and caregivers should try to explain things to their child in age-appropriate language. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has this advice on how to explain traumas, especially in schools, to different age groups. KQED also has multiple guides on how to talk to children when the news is disturbing.

Some concrete advice advocates suggest for parents and caregivers:

Reassure your children

Angelakis said that while it may be difficult, parents need “to get their own fears under control.”

She said that parents should explain to their children — even if they’re teenagers — that their family will “continue to protect them” and will do everything they can to “make sure that the kids remain safe.”

“There is no easy solution for all of this, and it is truly terrifying if a family is in danger,” she said. But Angelakis said that a parent’s reassuring tone can help children from developing tremendous anxiety — or from mirroring their family’s stress.

Tell your child you have a plan

Angelakis said parents should try “putting some containment” on the anxiety their child is feeling, and let them know that “our family has a plan and we’re doing everything that we can to stay safe.”

These plans would include the back-up childcare and guardian situations suggested by the ILRC.

Tell your child they don’t have to say anything to law enforcement

Like adults, children have the right to remain silent when interacting with ICE under the law.

What’s more, for some children, advocates acknowledge that going to a police officer or providing information to people or schools might not be helpful for them or their families. This can be the case for a child from a mixed-status family, or a young person whose community has historically experienced violent responses from the police.

Lovato explained that immigration organizations have been encouraging parents to tell their kids and engage in a household practice of “saying no to ICE. Actually verbally, reciting it and practicing: just saying no.”

Regulate your own anxiety

Angelakis said in many situations, fear is warranted and rational — since for so many, ICE headlines hit close to home.

But she emphasized that parents should try to regulate their response when talking to their children. A way for guardians to check on their own anxiety by consulting with other trusted people in their life, and make sure they are not getting “caught in [their] own head,” said Angelakis.

This includes “making sure you breathe right,” she recommended. And that “we pass on the relevant information to the child” in a way that isn’t “skyrocketing anyone’s anxiety.”

Ways advocates suggest you can do this include:

• Having your child express their feelings, but not letting them try to comfort you.
• Giving a child some positive forms of control, like deciding what to have for dinner or choosing a game to play.
• Being a role model on how to handle distress and conflict, like making sure anger looks “in-control” rather than “out-of-control.”

Angelakis said that while families can also try to limit their news intake, she acknowledges that many families are hearing about “terrifying” situations which are hard to ignore.

“It’s really important that we do have these conversations with kids, and [that] we do minimize any kind of anxiety evoking or anxiety increasing conversations.”

But she emphasizes: “Kids are pretty incredible. And super resilient and awfully smart.”

This story contains reporting by KQED’s Tyche Hendricks and Ki Sung.

These days, mochi might bring to mind the ice cream selection at Trader Joe's or the cute, shaped donuts at Mochinut, which have made the chewy rice cake an L.A. favorite.

But for more than 1,000 years in Japan, at this time of year, fresh mochi has been celebrated through mochitsuki — a rhythmic New Year's ceremony in which steamed glutinous rice is pounded with wooden mallets into smooth, elastic cakes symbolizing good fortune.

Yama Sushi Marketplace is turning this tradition into a public celebration with a free mochitsuki event Saturday at its Koreatown location. (The marketplace also hosted two previous events, one Dec. 20 at the San Gabriel location and the other last Saturday in West L.A.).

The ceremony

Scott Kohno, CEO of Yama Sushi Marketplace, grew up eating mochi and attending mochitsuki festivals around Los Angeles. He describes the spectacle as "like a dance."

The two-part process requires pounders wielding mallets and turners flipping the rice between strikes, demanding rhythmic precision to avoid injury. Attendees at the Yama events can try their hand at pounding.

Cultural significance

The New Year marks the biggest holiday celebration in Japanese culture. In Japan, Oshogatsu is observed Jan. 1, with the main celebrations beginning on New Year's Eve and continuing through the first days of January.

Traditionally, Mochitsuki is celebrated chiefly through community events, but many families also rely on store-bought mochi rather than pounding their own.

Kodama Taiko performers demonstrate the rhythmic "dance" of mochitsuki, synchronizing the pounding and turning of steamed glutinous rice.

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The word mochi comes from the Japanese word motsu, which means "to hold," Kohno said. "And so it's very symbolic: holding onto good fortune for the coming year.”

The ceremony holds personal meaning for Kohno, who recalls participating in mochitsuki throughout his childhood. For him, the pairing of mochi and the new year represents a time of reflection — acknowledging his staff and customers while looking ahead.

The demonstration held at Yama will be led by Kodama Taiko, a performance group that has brought mochitsuki to various Southern California communities for several years.

A partnership of legacy brands

This year, Yama is partnering with Fugetsu-Do, the historic Little Tokyo mochi shop founded in 1903 and now in its third generation of ownership under Brian Kito, whose grandfather, Seiichi Kito, started the business.

Kohno sees the partnership between the two businesses — Yama has operated for more than 40 years — as a continuation of Japanese community resilience in Los Angeles.

The partnership feels personal for Kohno, who grew up eating Fugetsu-Do mochi and now sells its products at Yama.

"These two legendary brands coming together, we think it's a natural fit," he said.

An attendee tries his hand at pounding mochi during Yama Seafood Market's Dec. 20 mochitsuki demonstration in San Gabriel.

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The events pair taiko drumming with rhythmic mochi pounding, offering a celebratory experience most attendees will witness for the first time. For Kohno, these gatherings serve a larger purpose: bringing the community together while passing traditions to future generations.

"I hope that the customers really can understand that Japanese food is beyond just the tasty dishes, that there's a lot of symbolism tied to the culture behind it," he said.

More info:

Yama Sushi Marketplace will host a free mochitsuki demonstration Saturday: Yama Seafood Market, 3178 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles (Koreatown), 11 a.m.-noon

For more information, visit yamasushimarketplace.com

One advantage of being someone who writes about food is getting to talk to people involved in L.A.'s food scene — from chefs to restaurateurs to frequent diners. That gives me insight into what trends are bubbling up and likely will come into full view this year.

Last year, I predicted the Manhattan cocktail and pavlova desserts would make a comeback and Orange County's dining scene would gain momentum. This year's forecast includes a range of predictions, from personal-sized treats to low-alcohol craft beers to diasporic cuisines ready to take center stage.

Desserts

Individual cake slices will be the hot new treat in 2026 — a perfect, commitment-free indulgence for one or two.

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Sam Lashbrooke

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Personal cake slices: Forget the whole cake. Expect individual slices to be the hot new treat — a perfect, commitment-free indulgence for one (or two).

Cinnamon rolls: The breakfast pastry, whether homemade or from your local bakery, will dominate social media feeds and the baked goods conversation.

Walk-in-only reservations

While restaurant reservations aren't going away, a new crop of restaurants will be less dependent on online bookings or will host only a few seatings per meal. This helps combat revenue loss from no-shows, reduce third-party platform fees and enable more precise staffing and inventory management.

All-day cafes with restaurant and nightlife elements

Your favorite coffee shop will also serve lunch and dinner, staying open late for drinks, thereby maximizing its concept to appeal to a broader range of customers.

Drinks

The cappuccino is making a comeback in 2026, with its carefully crafted 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk and froth.

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The year of the cappuccino: Move over, latte. The sophisticated cappuccino is making a comeback. With its airier texture and perfect 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk and froth, it's a balanced coffee choice that emphasizes traditional craft over the milk-heavy lattes that have dominated American coffee culture.

Low-ABV beers: We've seen low-alcohol wine and liquors in previous years, and now it's beer's turn to be in the spotlight. As more people prefer lighter-style beers, both independent brewers and larger brands will offer additional lower-alcohol options for consumers looking to avoid hangovers.

Kevin Lee at work behind the bar at Tokyo Noir, hand-carving the ice that defines his cocktails’ texture and clarity.

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Wonho Lee

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Artisan ice: In cocktail bars, expect more attention to ice in various forms, including shaved ice in different types of drinks, plus imported ice from other countries featured in cocktail menus.

Health and wellness

High-fiber vegetables like broccoli, carrots and leafy greens will get new attention in 2026 as the fibermaxxing trend emphasizes gut health.

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Inigo De La Maza

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Fibermaxxing: Fiber is set for a big year. The trend emphasizes gut health and is popping up everywhere — in high-fiber foods like beans, lentils, artichokes and brussels sprouts that will get new attention, as well as an additive in pastas, drinks and snacks to boost fullness. It aids digestion, stabilizes blood sugar and helps lower cholesterol.

Smaller portions: Driven partly by the rise of GLP-1 medications, expect smaller meal sizes everywhere — from fine dining to fast food. Del Taco recently launched a $2.99 "Micro Meal" designed specifically for lighter-eating lifestyles, featuring deliberately small portions: a mini beef and cheddar burrito, seven to 10 fries and a single donut bite. It signals what's to come.

Cuisine from diasporic communities

We'll see a bigger emphasis on diasporic communities — populations displaced from their homelands through conflict, colonization or forced migration, as opposed to voluntary immigrant communities. Southern California's restaurant scene and cookbooks will spotlight Cambodian, Haitian, Palestinian and Puerto Rican cuisines — all shaped by displacement, conflict and colonial histories.

If there were more fitness instructors in the world like Creeper, getting in shape would be a lot more fun.

The satirical character, played by Frankie Quiñones, leads inspirational workout routines such as a CholoSpin class where scenarios like running out of beer at a barbecue push you to peddle harder because “we don’t want fools to start fighting each other."

Creeper has a spiritual side, too, with motivational wellness messages like “How to get rid of all your dumb energy … because sometimes life can get weird, homie.”

Quiñones has been creating content as Creeper for 15 years now, and he’s still finding new ways to keep the character fresh.

In Hulu comedy special Damn, That’s Crazy, which came out in October, Quiñones explained that he started developing characters when he was a kid as a form of personal escapism and based them on those around him. Quiñones' father was a big inspiration for Creeper’s sense of style.

“My dad was an old school cholo. Dickies creased, Chuck Taylors, white tee or the Pendleton,” Quiñones says in the special. “Always had the palm comb with the three flowers. Always had a lowrider.”

Quiñones added that he was around “the positive side of the culture” growing up in Los Angeles and that his dad is “one of the most positive men” he knows.

Quiñones’ childhood influences still are at play in his latest web series, Creeper’s Crib.

Growing up, Quiñones watched Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the whimsical 1980s children’s program that was populated with puppets and hosted by Paul Reubens’ performing alter-ego, Pee-wee Herman. Quiñones loved the show and grew to identify with Reubens as his own career advanced.

“When Creeper went viral, a lot of people were like, 'You should just do that.' … I was like, maybe that's going to be my career. I'm just gonna be this character. Am I okay with that or do I want to go another direction,” Quiñones said.

In releasing a new comedy special and launching Creeper’s Crib in the same year, Quiñones is saying he doesn’t have to choose.

Puppet sidekicks Rudy and Pantufla in Episode 6 of "Creeper’s Crib."

Pantufla the puppet

Creeper’s Crib follows the Pee-wee format in that there are vignettes, colorful characters and, of course, puppets! But let’s be clear: It’s not a kid’s show. Creeper still is the host, and his humor is good-natured but definitely adult-themed. Like featuring the dating exploits of the puppets.

A partially animated, talking hot water heater named Rudy is a frequent character. But Pantufla, the soft-spoken slipper, often steals the show. Even he is looking for love on websites like IfTheShoeFits.com.  

While Rudy is louder and quicker to react, Pantufla is the tranquil sidekick, commenting from his perch atop Creeper’s couch.

“He's like this spiritual guide, like, a chill-a** dude,” Quiñones said. “[Pantufla is] how you say slipper in Spanish, but it's such a funny word to me. That came because I have a bunch of sets of pantuflas for Creeper, like the Deebo slippers. And they wear out and they start opening up. … And it just came to life.”

Creativity took hold, and a torn-open slipper became a talking character.

“It's funny because people love Pantufla,” Quiñones said. “I got messages from this middle-aged white lady in Wisconsin. She's like, 'Oh, honey, I love Pantufla and the sound of his voice.'”

Creeper’s Crib features a special guest every episode with new installments on YouTube every other Monday.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2026 with some new year’s resolutions of our own. Each week, we’ll share some of our LAist staff’s plans to see new things coming to L.A. this year — and spots we’ve had on our list for ages but just haven’t had a chance to check out yet.

Major Gifts Officer Malka Fenyvesi vows to get to a film screening at Vidiots, check out a Griffith Park Star Party, and go for a hike at the magical Vasquez Rocks; reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez plans to head to the beach for the annual Grunion Run and make the trek up to bucolic Modjeska Canyon, north of Mission Viejo. Watch this space for more excellent suggestions — and don’t worry, we’ll keep everyone honest on their resolutions!

If your resolution is to get out and see more local music, you can’t go wrong with Licorice Pizza’s pick for Saturday night, when Huntington Beach punk rockers T.S.O.L. play the Regent Theater.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can check out a special illustrated project documenting the memories of Eaton and Palisades fire survivors, and don't forget to catch up on our favorite Explore L.A. stories of 2025.

Events

Roaring Twenties on Two Pianos

Saturday, January 3, 2:30 p.m. 
Old Town Music Hall 
140 Richmond St., El Segundo
COST: $25; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Agile Ticketing Solutions

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Musicians Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi will take you on a tour through the Roaring '20s (the 1920s, that is, I don’t know what we’re calling the current '20s just yet…) with music from jazz to Broadway on two pianos at the historic Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo.

Oddities and Curiosities Expo

Saturday and Sunday, January 3-4
L.A. Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa St., Downtown L.A. 
COST: FROM $15; MORE INFO 

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Big Event Media

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Missed the chance to kick off last year with a taxidermy class? 2026 is your year. Head to the Oddities and Curiosities Expo to connect with other folks who are fascinated by the obscure and creepy, delve into antique collections, meet horror enthusiasts and just be surrounded by the weird and wonderful for an afternoon.

Winter Fest O.C.

Through Sunday, January 4
O.C. Fair Center 
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
COST: FROM $24.99; MORE INFO

It’s your last chance to pretend like we have snow in the winter here. The O.C. Fair Center hosts the annual Winter Fest, complete with snow tubing, a snow play area, fireside igloo drinks, carnival rides and more.

Dirty Projectors

Saturday and Sunday, January 3-4
Blue Note 
6372 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 
COST: FROM $37.54; MORE INFO 

David Longstreth of Dirty Projectors performs at El Rey Theatre in 2018.

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Oliver Walker

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Indie rock trio the Dirty Projectors kick off their short residency at the Blue Note Saturday, with an early and a late set each night. Founder David Longstreth has been delving into the world of orchestral music with his 2024 release Song of the Earth, as well as movie scores, with two feature film projects in the last two years alone. Expect a mix of the band’s hit early 2000s sound and new material.

Star Wars (Episodes IV, V, VI)

Saturday, January 3
The Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
COST: FROM $12; MORE INFO

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20th Century Fox

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If you’ve never seen the original Star Wars trilogy on the big screen (or maybe your kids haven’t), there’s no better opportunity to make a Star Wars nerd out of someone you love than taking them to the Egyptian for a triple feature.

Santa Monica Airport Antique Market 

Sunday, January 4, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Santa Monica Airport, Interim Open Space
3233 Donald Douglas Loop S, Santa Monica
COST: $5; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Santa Monica Airport Antique & Vintage Market

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Find whatever was missing from your holiday haul with a trip to the twice-monthly Santa Monica Airport Antique Market. Treasures abound — who knows what you’ll find that you definitely must have?

Dessert Hands-On: Pannetone at Eataly

Sunday, January 4, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. 
Eataly at Westfield Century City
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City
COST: $60.29; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Eataly

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Christmas may be over, but winter baking has just begun. Learn how to make your own classic Italian panettone at Eataly.

Queer-guided birdwatching & friend-making outdoor gathering

Sunday, January 4, 2:30 p.m. 
Stoneview Nature Center
5950 Stoneview Drive, Culver City
COST: $17.85; MORE INFO

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Hongbin

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Unsplash

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We all became amateur birdwatchers during the pandemic, but now you can make it less of a solo pastime by joining this queer community-building event at Stoneview Nature Center. You’ll get an intro to birdwatching from an experienced guide and make some new friends.

Freak Scene with DJ Jenny LSQ

Friday, January 2, 7 p.m. 
Sid the Cat Auditorium
1022 El Centro Street, South Pasadena
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Dice FM

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Step out to the new Sid the Cat Auditorium in South Pasadena for a dance DJ night at Freak Scene.