Following last night’s historic wins for the Democratic Party, voters are expecting elected officials to follow through on their campaign promises. For groups who’ve been helping immigrant communities amid surges of enforcement, the election signals a potential moment for major change.
Democrats have secured the House and Senate after the 2026 midterm elections. Previously, Republicans controlled both chambers. This year, about 45% of registered voters believe immigration is one of the most important issues facing the nation, according to an Associated Press poll.
Immigration enforcement has swelled since June 2025, aligning with some of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises. Within the last two years, almost 15,000 people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Southern California were deported, according to a UCLA and UC Berkeley study. Los Angeles in particular has seen the most arrests in the region.
Nationally, nearly 66,000 people are in detention as of July, with 70% having no criminal record, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The noncriminal majority is a split from some of Trump’s pledges to deport non-citizens with criminal backgrounds.
Following the midterms, officials such as Governor-elect Xavier Becerra and Congressman Robert Garcia have said they plan to combat the federal government’s immigration agenda.
“The California dream is universal. It’s non-negotiable. And yes, it is undeportable,” Becerra said in his gubernatorial victory speech.
Monarchs Del 805, a Central Coast-based mutual aid group within the 805UndocuFund, has been providing families with basic needs for the past year. The largely volunteer-based organization sees firsthand the impacts of increased enforcement. Those on the ground, such as volunteers Anita Vazquez and Julie Hanson, said that the election results are just the beginning.
“I feel like a lot of us felt like we could breathe for a second,” Vazquez said. “There’s a possibility for change, not that there is a guarantee of change, and I think that’s the hardest part for us. [It’s] like there’s no end in sight for what is happening.”
These volunteers see the impacts of immigration enforcement every day. Hanson said the organization has helped several toddlers whose parents were both taken.
“The government is creating these situations where they’re tearing families apart and providing no support, even though these children are citizens,” Hanson said.
Both volunteers say they hope voters stay civically engaged past the election by volunteering with mutual aid groups and donating.
“These families can’t wait until something is implemented or changed,” Vazquez said.
USC Price professor Dowell Myers said it will take time before the new Congress carries out meaningful changes to immigration policy, considering next year’s fiscal budget is already set. One way Congress can contest current policies is through hearings.
“I would think that they’re going to focus on aspects of the Trump administration where he’s really overstepped his bounds and where he has misjudged the nature of the problem and where there’s been the most publicity of abuses,” Myers said.
He spoke about the larger impact of deportations and how it can destabilize communities beyond the families who are directly impacted.
“It’s not good for society to lose the workers who provide needed services. I imagine that would be the topic for holding a hearing, and just to investigate what is the cost to communities,” he said.
The Public Law Center, a nonprofit legal organization in Orange County, offers services to people regardless of immigration status. CEO Monica Glicken said the organization hopes yesterday’s election results are a turning point.
“Regardless of which party controls Congress, the low-income communities we serve need to see greater accountability in immigration enforcement, stronger due process protections and that the wheels of lawful immigration get moving again,” said Glicken in a statement. “We all need a system that works—one grounded in fairness, dignity, and justice rather than fear and unpredictability.”
Edited by Fashion Castillo and Leo Li