Ong on Asian Surname Growth Trends in the U.S.

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New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, reported by the Associated Press, reveals  that Asian surnames are taking the lead as the fastest-growing surnames in the country. While traditional surnames like Smith, Williams, and Johnson still hold the top spots, Asian surnames–particularly Zhang, Liu, and Wang–are quickly climbing the ranks. Representing 7% of the U.S. population, Asians are also the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the country,

UCLA research professor and director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge Paul Ong notes that immigration has been central to this growth. “Much of the growth of the Asian population has been driven by immigrants and their children,” he said, adding that policy shifts could slow that trajectory. “Consequently, when Asians crack the top surname rank will be pushed further into the future.”

Paul Ong on the Raid Podcast Talks Immigration Shifts and the Impact on Communities of Color

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In a recent appearance on the Raid Podcast, Paul Ong, director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, discusses how current immigration enforcement is reshaping both policy and identity in the United States. Drawing on his research on ICE arrest rates and raids, Ong explains that the country is at a pivotal moment, with a significant transformation underway in how immigration is defined and enforced.

He highlights the concept of “othering,” noting that efforts to narrowly redefine who is considered American have evolved over decades and accelerated under the Donald Trump administration. Ong also emphasizes how enforcement strategies, including deportations, are part of a broader political agenda, compounded by limited available data. Reflecting on his own family’s experiences with deportation fears, he underscores the lasting impact of immigration policies on communities of color and the nation’s demographic future.

“I do not see the administration backing away from pursuing mass deportation,” Ong said. “What I do see is them changing their strategies and tactics to minimize the push back.”

Listen to the full podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcast.

Ensuring Rebuilding Efforts Preserve Altadena’s Historically Black Identity

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As Altadena continues to recover from the Eaton Fire that swept through the community in January 2025, residents and local leaders are grappling with how rebuilding efforts may affect the area’s historically Black identity.

A recent discussion hosted by ULI Los Angeles and SoCal NOMA (the National Organization of Minority Architects) highlighted the importance of ensuring reconstruction does not displace long-term residents.

Researchfrom UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute and Center for Neighborhood Knowledge underscores the stakes: decades-long trends show Altadena’s Black population has declined by nearly 30%, and rebuilding initiatives risk perpetuating racial and economic disparities.

Urban Land further cited Paul Ong’s analysis, stating “Black homeowners in Altadena are less likely to own their homes free and clear, and that they face higher housing cost burdens.”

The findings signal an urgent need for architects, planners, and real estate professionals to center equity in redevelopment strategies. By incorporating the insights of UCLA researchers and partnering with organizations like NOMA, stakeholders can support rebuilding that preserves Altadena’s cultural heritage while promoting inclusive growth.

Ong on the Current State of Immigration Enforcement

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On his way to work on January 23, Gerardo Pacheco Oliveros — a construction worker and father with no criminal record — was followed and detained by ICE agents in San Bernardino. He had been driving with his brother, who was released shortly after the traffic stop, while Pacheco Oliveros was taken into custody; his daughter, Arleth Pacheco, said the family did not learn his whereabouts until several days later.

Advocates say his case reflects broader shifts in federal immigration enforcement. Researchers report that detentions of Latino immigrants without criminal convictions have increased sharply, rising to nearly six times the monthly average compared with the final year of the Biden administration.

UCLA Research professor and director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge Paul Ong shared with KVCR News that the increasing arrests, detainments, and deportations of non criminals “reflects a shift in ICE’s strategy, which is targeting a population that’s supposedly a low priority and one that polling shows most Americans believe should have a pathway to legal status.”

Reexamining the “Nation of Immigrants”: The Politics of ICE Enforcement Keynote and Panel Discussion State leaders and advocates confront rising federal immigration enforcement and outline strategies for accountability and community protection.

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The keynote and panel discussion “Reexamining the “Nation of Immigrants”: The Politics of ICE Enforcement” was held on Thursday, February 5, as part of the Luskin Lecture Series, bringing together leading voices in law, research and immigration rights advocacy to assess the changing landscape of immigration enforcement in California. Featured speakers included Attorney General of California Rob Bonta; Ahilan Arulanantham, professor from practice and faculty co-director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy, Paul Ong, research professor and director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, and Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.

In his keynote address, Bonta characterized the current moment as a critical juncture for immigrant communities in the state. He pointed to mounting reports of increased militarization on the streets and described a climate of fear taking hold in neighborhoods. Framing the issue as both a legal and moral imperative, Bonta underscored the importance of protecting the rights of all residents in California, regardless of immigration status, stating that “nobody should be living in fear.” 

With President and CEO of California Community Foundation Miguel A. Santana serving as moderator, the panel discussion shifted to strategy, structural accountability and the broader implications of federal enforcement practices. 

Salas highlighted California’s ongoing legal challenges to federal immigration actions and called for sustained oversight of detention facilities, urging state leaders to “double down on accountability.”

Ong widened the lens, situating California’s response within national trends, he argued that rigorous data collection and impact analysis are essential to demonstrating how state-level protections can mitigate harm to immigrant communities. By quantifying outcomes, he suggested, California could offer an evidence-based model for other states grappling with similar tensions.

Emphasizing allegations of misconduct by federal immigration officers in Southern California, Arulanantham called on state officials to consider criminal accountability where appropriate. 

Following the panel discussion, the forum opened to audience questions that reflected the heightened anxieties around federal immigration enforcement in California. Many questions centered around how the state of California would protect its residents from the threat of ICE, especially on school campuses and in the anticipation of the upcoming Olympics.

The panelists responded by framing community preparedness as a critical line of defense, stressing the importance of people knowing their rights. Attorney General Bonta closed on a note that “we shouldn’t feel hopeless, because we’re not helpless.”

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Northern California Maintains Nation’s Lowest ICE Arrest Rate Despite National Surge Records show low arrest rates in the Bay Area, while border-adjacent regions like San Diego see sharp increases.

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Northern California continues to have the nation’s lowest ICE arrest rate, despite a national increase in deportation activity under the Trump administration, according to a San Francisco Chronicle article. Between January and mid-October 2025, ICE arrested nearly 4,500 people in the San Francisco “area of responsibility,” yielding about 217 arrests per 100,000 noncitizens—far below the national rate of nearly 1,000 per 100,000.

Experts attribute the low rates in Northern California to the state’s sanctuary law, which limits local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, as well as community resistance and supportive local policies. Arrest rates rose slightly, but nearly half of those arrested in the Bay Area had no criminal conviction, reflecting a shift toward “community arrests” as federal authorities attempt to meet deportation targets.

One notable exception is the San Diego area of responsibility, which is composed of San Diego and Imperial counties. The area went from having one of the country’s lowest rates in 2024 to having one of the highest in 2025.

Paul Ong, research professor and Director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, said that’s likely due to those counties’ proximity to the border, as well as their high foreign-born Hispanic populations.Research Professor and Director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge

 

UCLA Report Finds Latino Arrests by ICE Have Skyrocketed Under the Trump Administration’s Second Term

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A new analysis conducted by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs’ Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK) reveals a sharp escalation in immigration enforcement for the first six months of President Trump’s second administration, targeting Latino communities at unprecedented levels. The report was produced in partnership with Unseen, a new initiative dedicated to illuminating the contributions and challenges of unseen Americans through data analysis and community engagement.

The analysis finds that Latinos accounted for nine out of ten Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests during the first six months of 2025. Arrests nearly doubled during Trump’s first 100 days in office and rose even further after senior advisor Stephen Miller announced a daily target of 3,000 arrests. The dataset used in the report comes from UC Berkeley School of Law’s Deportation Data Project.

“The data reveal a clear and troubling pattern,” said Paul Ong, Director of CNK. “Arrests in Latino communities have increased sharply without any evidence linking many of these arrests to higher crime levels. This indicates that ICE operations during Trump’s second term are largely driven by political and demographic targeting rather than just targeting the ‘worst of the worst’.”

Key findings include:

  • Trump’s first hundred days had an average of 558 Latino arrests per day compared with 276 during the pre-Trump period (January 1, 2024 to January 19, 2025). Arrests were heavily concentrated among individuals from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Venezuela, which experienced the most dramatic increase, with a 361% rise in arrests.
  • Community-based enforcement surged under Trump, growing by 255%, a departure from previous administrations, which focused on deporting incarcerated individuals at the federal, state, and local levels.
  • Enforcement increases were greatest in Texas, Florida, California, Georgia and Virginia

“This research reveals a clear shift toward more expansive, militarized and punitive immigration enforcement.” said Sonja Diaz, Founding Director of the Unseen Initiative. “The preponderance of community-based arrests under the Trump Administration combined with the doubling and even tripling of arrests of people of Mexican, Honduran, and Guatemalan descent undermines public trust in law enforcement and jeopardizes public safety for communities across the U.S., not just immigrant enclaves. ”

The complete report, including methodology, is available here.

About the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge The UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge conducts rigorous research on urban inequality, housing, immigration, and demographic change to inform policy and promote social justice.

About Unseen Unseen is a research and advocacy initiative dedicated to making visible the contributions and challenges of Americans hidden in plain sight through data-driven analysis and community engagement.

California vs. Texas: How ICE Enforcement Differs, According to New UCLA Report

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ICE arrests in California and Texas look dramatically different, according to new research from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.

While California has a larger immigrant population, Texas experienced arrest rates three to four times higher, reflecting differences in state cooperation with ICE and broader political climates.

The report notes significant variation in the profiles of those detained. In California, fewer individuals had pending criminal charges, and there were fewer transfers from jails and prisons compared with Texas. California also experienced a higher proportion of arrests among immigrants without prior criminal records, suggesting that state-level policies and political orientations heavily shape ICE enforcement outcomes.

These findings highlight the differences in federal immigration enforcement across states and underscores the importance of considering local policy environments when assessing the human and social consequences of ICE operations.

UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge Reports Surge in ICE Detentions of Asians

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The UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center released a joint research brief, “ICE Detentions of Asians: Increased Numbers and Hardships Under Trump.” The report details the Asian immigrant arrests by ICE surged during the first half of President Trump’s term. From February to July 2025, arrests more than tripled compared to the same period under the Biden administration, rising from 1,054 to 3,705. Arrests spiked in May with Trump’s push for one million deportations annually, peaked in June, and dipped in July under mounting opposition, court rulings, and overworked ICE staff.

Nearly all arrestees (96%) were detained, up from 88% the previous year. Transfers between detention centers also increased, which made it difficult for family members to locate the detainees and to help secure adequate legal counsel. California, Texas, and New York accounted for nearly half of all arrests, with California experiencing a ninefold jump.

Detainee demographics shifted notably: median age rose from 35 to 40, older detainees (55+) doubled their share, and female detainees rose by 471%, climbing from 9% to 14% of the total. Five countries—China, India, Vietnam, Laos, and Nepal—accounted for 82% of Asian detainees.

Despite Trump’s promise to target the “worst of the worst,” most detainees lacked criminal records. By June and July 2025, non-criminal detainees outnumbered those with convictions two to one. The report concludes that “the dragnet is expanding as the Trump administration hires more ICE agents, builds additional detention centers and has a freer hand to make indiscriminate stops that include elements of racial profiling.”

On the Scale of Loss in Altadena and Pacific Palisades

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In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, UCLA Luskin’s Paul Ong provided historical perspective to underscore the scale of loss in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. The director of the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge spoke to CBS Evening News about the thriving Black community that had found a haven in Altadena since the mid-20th century. After the Eaton Fire’s devastation, “Altadena is a litmus test about how committed we are to racial justice,” Ong said. “And I have high hopes that we will respond. But I also have late-night nightmares that things won’t happen the way we want it to happen.” Ong also spoke to the Los Angeles Times for a piece about one of the first Black homeowners in the Pacific Palisades, a single woman who purchased her house in 1967. In 1970, according to Ong’s data analysis, about 20,000 Black women owned homes in Los Angeles County, fewer than 2% of all homeowners in the county, and most would have, at some point, had a man’s name on the mortgage. “Single Black female homeowners were very rare,” he said.

Watch the CBS News interview
Read the L.A. Times story