Iliana Perez

Immigration and the California Economy

Andrea Bernstein, Gray Davis, Maria Elena Durazo, Iliana Perez, Perry Wong, Caroline Walker, Krishna Thangavelu

Panelists including Perry Wong, Governor Gray Davis, and Maria Elena Durazo convened to address the economic instability caused by shifting U.S. trade policies under the Trump administration and the looming uncertainty surrounding DACA and immigration reform. The discussion highlighted California's heavy reliance on immigrant labor to fill critical roles in technology and healthcare while warning that the proposed sunset clauses in NAFTA and restrictive immigration enforcement strategies threaten billions in economic activity and workforce continuity. Participants emphasized the necessity of comprehensive legislative solutions to stabilize the labor market against a coming demographic shift as the Baby Boomer generation exits the workforce.