Zócalo Public Square

Donald Trump has said that many immigrants are criminals and security risks, and that in response he is pursuing an “America First” agenda of deporting and banning those migrants whom he claims could pose threats to public safety. What does that mean for Los Angeles County, where more than one-third of residents were born in another country? How has life changed for L.A. immigrants—from the undocumented, to green card holders, to longtime naturalized citizens—as a result of Trump’s rhetoric and policies? These questions took center stage at a Zócalo/The California Wellness Foundation event titled “What Does Trump Mean for Immigrant L.A.?” at The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. Moderator Jennifer Medina, a reporter for The New York Times, was joined by Roberto Suro, director of USC’s Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, James McDonnell, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Stephen Cheung, the president of World Trade Center Los Angeles, and Cinday Carcamo, who co