As ICE raids increase, some LA immigrants leave the country "voluntarily"

Kevin R. Johnson

27 Nov 2025 — 1 min read

News from Los Angeles, one site of the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign. Immigration lawyers and experts across Los Angeles County report anecdotal increases in people seeking to either return to their country of origin or obtain second citizenship in countries where they have familial ties.

A number of undocumented immigrants are choosing to "self deport" rather than risk detention.

According to USC Dornsife’s California Immigrant Data Portal, nearly 1 million people in the county were undocumented in 2021.

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Livestreamed Conference (No Charge): Got Habeas? New Clinics, Theories, and Developments in Immigration Detention Litigation and Teaching, OCTOBER 9

CONFERENCE: Got Habeas? New Clinics, Theories, and Developments in Immigration Detention Litigation and Teaching, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pacific | King Hall, Room 1001 | MCLE Credits Available | No Registration Fee | Livestreamed. Lunch provided to registrants. Register in advance. Program 10 – 11:30 a.m. Panel

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Human Rights Watch: "To Scare People": US Expulsions of Third-Country Nationals to Countries in Africa

Immigration Article of the Day: Recalibrating the Plenary Power Doctrine After Trump v. Hawaii, Thuraissigiam, and Loper Bright by Abdul Aziz Meslat

Georgetown Immigration Law Journal Call for Paper Proposals Symposium - Spring 2027

Livestreamed Conference (No Charge): Got Habeas? New Clinics, Theories, and Developments in Immigration Detention Litigation and Teaching, OCTOBER 9