Deportation Economics: How ICE Operations Drain Southern California While Private Contractors Profit
Workshop Description:
The federal government has unleashed a wave of intense immigration enforcement across the nation, with private contractors playing a central operational role. The fiscal consequences are measurable in Southern California: declining sales tax revenues, reduced tourism income, and an eroding property tax base are compounding the budget crises facing the City and County of Los Angeles, the employers of more than 70,000 public sector workers represented by SEIU Local 721. At the same time, a web of private corporations is collecting billions in federal contracts to operate the enforcement machinery causing this damage, many of whom also hold contracts with the City and County. In this workshop, participants will walk through the research methods used to document these contractor relationships, examine how immigration enforcement activity connects to regional economic and employment outcomes, and explore policy levers, including disclosure requirements and contracting standards, that better align public spending with community interests. Attendees will leave with a replicable framework for conducting mutual contractor analysis in their own jurisdictions.
Workshop Leaders:
Manny (he/him) is a researcher in the external department of SEIU Local 721. Prior to joining Local 721, he was a union organizer based in San Diego. Manny holds an MA in Political Science from San Diego State University, where he was a steward for UAW Local 4123.
Yvonne Yen Liu (she/her) is a researcher for SEIU Local 721, a public sector union representing workers throughout Southern California. She has over 20 years of experience as an applied social science researcher for labor unions and nonprofit think tanks. She serves on the board of several progressive organizations and has taught in the gender studies and sociology departments at California State University, Los Angeles and City University of New York.
