Californians consider undifferentiated immigrants as essential to the economy, discovers the survey

While President Trump is launching a repression against unauthorized immigrants in the United States, a new survey reveals that a majority of Californian voters support social services for all low-income residents, regardless of immigration status.

Unlike the anti-immigrant rhetoric emanating from the White House, the survey of 800 California voters depicts a population that values ​​the contributions of immigrants, whatever the legal status, and thinks that their well-being is linked to a well-functioning state.

Californians “understand what a vital role plays immigrants to guarantee that we all have a quality of life, and they want to ensure that basic fundamental services such as access to health care are maintained for everyone,” said Miguel Santana, president and executive director of California Community Foundation, who commanded the survey in partnership with other foundations.

The survey revealed that more than two -thirds of the respondents support allowing all residents of the State to buy health insurance through covered California, regardless of immigration status. Currently, unauthorized immigrants are not eligible to buy a plan on the state health insurance market.

Almost two thirds of respondents, 64%, support food assistance to all low -income families, regardless of parents’ immigration status. Currently, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for the California food coupons program, but they can ask for help on behalf of their children born in the United States.

The survey has also revealed that 57% of respondents support continue to allow all eligible low-income residents to access medical care via Medi-Cal, the State’s Public Health Insurance Program for the poor, regardless of their immigration status.

Last year, California became the First state of the nation Provide health insurance to all low -income undocumented immigrants. This expansion is blamed, in part, for the costs of Medi-Cal in balloon well above the original budget estimate.

As part of the non -partisan investigation, David Binder Research, based in San Francisco, interviewed voters by mobile, fixed and online phone, in English and Spanish, between March 19 and 24. Among the respondents, 47% identified as Democrats and 28% identified as Republicans, generally reflecting the California electorate.

Research has revealed that even moderate voters and Swing in California consider undocumented immigrants as essential to the economy and are concerned about the economic benefits of Trump’s promise to make mass deportations, said sounder David Binder. Participants expressed their concerns that raids targeting agricultural workers will increase the prices of the grocery store and that large -scale deportations will decimate small businesses and make houses more expensive.

“They fear that mass deportations will cause disturbances in their daily routine,” said Binder, whose research cabinet is also surveying for Democratic candidates. “They will say:” I am really nervous about it, because it can end up costing me and my family. “

This feeling highlights a broader truth in the Golden State: immigrants are essential to the economy in California, where around 10.6 million people – or 27% of all residents – were born abroad in 2023. It is the highest share of any state and more than double the rest of the country, according to the California Public Policy Institute. About 1.8 million immigrants living in California – around 17% – were undocumented in 2022, according to the Pew Research Center.

Unauthorized immigrants represented around 7% of the state labor in 2022, according to the Pew Research Center, certain sectors being deeply dependent on this workforce. According to UC Merced Research, at least half of the 255,700 agricultural workers in California are undocumented.

California Survey has brought a different tone from several national surveys that have found that the American public generally supports immigration policies in the Trump administration. A walk CBS News / Yougov PollFor example, 58% of Americans approve the administration program to expel immigrants in the country without authorization.

California Survey, on the other hand, revealed that around 6 out of 10 voters argue, ensuring that all Californians have access to a regular procedure, that this person is undocumented or has criminal convictions. This could indicate that the Trump administration’s efforts to supervise its expulsion strategy as a public security initiative have “fallen flat” with California voters, according to the research summary.

“Instead of mass deportations, Californians want to further integrate immigrants, regardless of their legal status, in the fabric of our state,” Tom Wong, Director of US Immigration Policy Center told UC San Diego, who was not involved in the investigation.

MASIH FOULADI, Executive Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center immigrant rights group, said the investigation was affirming the efforts that defenders are growing in Sacramento, including increased funding for immigrant legal services and protection for healthcare access.

“This shows that the inhabitants of California still believe in a California for all,” said Fouladi, who was not involved in the survey.

This article is part of the time ‘ Actions report initiative,, funded by the James Irvine Foundationexploring the challenges faced by California’s economic divide.