Undocumented Immigrants in California: Evidence from Local Government Publications
Undocumented immigration is among the most debated public policy issues in the United States. Estimates[1] from the Pew Research Center place the undocumented population at approximately 14 million nationwide as of 2023. California has long been central to discussions around undocumented immigration, the cost to the country, and the benefits of their presence. Since January 2025, heightened federal enforcement activity has renewed attention on how immigration policy is experienced in local communities.
While national debates tend to focus on federal law and presidential administrations, the day-to-day realities of undocumented immigration are faced at the local level. Cities, counties, school districts, health systems, and social service agencies are where undocumented immigrants often face access, confidentiality, funding, and enforcement issues. The California Local Government Documents Collection at the Institute of Governmental Studies Library captures this local perspective over the years through reports, studies, and administrative publications produced by California cities and counties.
Historically, many of these publications focus on the fiscal and service impacts of undocumented populations such as examining effects on education, healthcare, housing, and public safety. These materials provide insight into how local governments assessed needs, costs, and responsibilities in an era before illegal immigration had become as politically contentious an issue as it is today. 
Sacramento City Council. (2017, May 4).
Reaffirming the City of Sacramento’s status as a City of Sanctuary,
clarifying the City’s policies and procedures on the enforcement of
federal civil immigration laws, and repealing Resolution No. 85-973
The collection has also recently expanded to include born-digital materials produced in the current period of intensified immigration enforcement. Newly added documents reflect how local governments are responding in the modern policy environment, including reaffirmations of sanctuary city policies, clarifications regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and guidance related to education and services for undocumented residents. These records document policy positions as they were presented, debated, and adopted in the last few years.
A recent policy brief from the Public Policy Institute of California notes that decades of statewide polling show Californians have shifted away from punitive approaches and increasingly favor policies that allow long-term undocumented residents to remain and participate in civic life [2]. Several of the local government publications in this collection, however, suggest that many cities and counties had already been operating within a framework similar to the one now reflected in statewide public opinion. Across different decades, these documents emphasize access to public education and essential services, limiting the collection or sharing of immigration-related information, and the importance of instituting explicit boundaries around local cooperation with federal enforcement.
San Bernardino County Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator Department
& San Bernardino County Probation Department. (2024, November 19).
Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds (TRUTH Act) Forum (English version).
San Bernardino County
Taken together, these documents form an illuminating record of how local institutions have navigated immigration policy over time. They are valuable not only as policy documentation, but as primary sources illustrating how governance functions under shifting political, legal, and social conditions.
Researchers and members of the public can explore these materials in the California Local Government Documents Collection on the Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/igscalocalgovdocs?tab=collection&query=undocumented&sort=-week
Search Tips: Finding Immigration-Related Local Government Publications
The California Local Government Documents Collection on the Internet Archive includes both historical and recent publications addressing immigration and undocumented populations at the local level. The following strategies can help you locate materials that reflect changing data and resulting policies over time.
Start with broad search terms
Use general keywords such as undocumented, immigration, or sanctuary in the collection search box. Broad searches help surface relevant subject language used across different agencies and time periods.
Review descriptions and subjects in individual records
Click into records and read the description and subject fields. These often provide a context such as agency, purpose, scope of analysis, or policy focus that may not be evident from the title alone.
Try related or alternative terms
Local governments use varied terminology. In addition to "undocumented", try "immigrant", "noncitizen",
"education access", or "law enforcement cooperation" to uncover related materials that may not use identical wording.
Use the year filter to compare historical and recent records
After running a search, narrow results by publication year to distinguish older reports focused on service and fiscal impacts from more recent born-digital materials addressing sanctuary policies, enforcement, and access to services.
Sort results by date to track change over time
Sorting results by newest or oldest first can help trace how local government approaches and priorities have evolved across decades.
Together, these techniques support a focused, iterative approach to exploring how California local governments have documented and responded to immigration-related issues over time.
Keep these techniques in mind when exploring the collection on specific topics!
