We began 2025 with uncertainty.
As Donald Trump’s inauguration got closer, El Tímpano’s text messaging (SMS) subscribers, who are mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants in the East Bay, expressed anxiety. For many, the change in presidential power affected their safety, their families, and their future.
“We are very worried about this presidency… We are very aware of what it can and promises to do, and we can only pray to God to protect us,” shared a subscriber from Ashland on January 2, 2025. “They say the law is on our side, but I wonder, if immigration authorities catch us, they have their own laws; they don’t care what the state or the government says, they do whatever they want.”
Listening first is central to our work. El Tímpano’s SMS platform functions as a two-way communication channel, shaped by the questions, concerns, and lived experiences of community members, and as a way to share trusted information and resources in real time. And in the first year of Trump’s second term in the White House, it functioned as a pulse on how his administration’s crackdown on immigration and social services was being felt and experienced by immigrants here in the Bay Area.
In the year since Trump took office, we’ve sent 228 SMS messages to over 6,500 subscribers. These messages shared local news, resources, and opportunities for engagement. In response, we have received more than 5,400 replies and over 340 questions.
Immigration becomes top concern
The day after the inauguration, a message arrived from a subscriber in Oakland, carrying a sense of urgency. They wanted to know where they could apply for a U.S. passport for their U.S.-born child. It was rooted in fear, and the first of several similar questions from worried parents, and one that would continue to surface throughout the year.
In 2025, the main concerns of Latino immigrants shifted from health, housing, and jobs to immigration issues. Subscribers reached out with questions about ICE activity, deportation, citizenship options, legal help, ITIN numbers, DACA, asylum, green cards, and family separation.
President Trump’s extensive use of executive orders in his first days in office, many of which focused on immigration, left our community anxious, fearful, and uncertain. By the third day, he was ordering an additional 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.–Mexico border and announced the rollback of an Obama-era directive that had protected immigrants in sensitive areas such as hospitals, places of worship, courtrooms, and schools.
The rapid policy changes affected Latino immigrants right away. We saw a surge in questions, showing increased anxiety and a need for reliable information. In January, we received the highest number of questions of the year—questions like:
- Are green card holders at risk?
- Is it true that undocumented individuals who have been in the country for less than two years can be deported?
- Where can I find red cards in Oakland?
- What is the Contra Costa County rapid response hotline number?
- Can ICE agents enter schools?
- Where and how can U.S.-born children apply for a passport?
- Where can I get help to become a U.S citizen?
Within weeks, uncertainty began to impact daily life, family routines, and mental health. Concerns about immigration were no longer just legal issues; they became connected to immigrants’ feelings of safety, stability, and dignity, and questions increasingly reflected a need for emotional support.
“I’d like to know if there are support groups like therapy for families who are going through depression and anxiety because of what is happening politically in this country,” a subscriber in Oakland texted on March 26, 2025.
A few months later, a subscriber in San Leandro shared, “There’s a lot of fear of going out and being detained by immigration. I believe, as human beings, that the senators should approve a law that legalizes all people who work and pay their taxes. Many come to work because there are no job opportunities in their countries.”
Targeting immigrant tenants
As Trump’s first year in office went on, the growing fear that so many of our subscribers described showed up in everyday issues, such as housing, health, and finances. This was visible in the story of Minerva, a 61-year-old Oakland subscriber who works part-time as a caregiver. On June 12, Minerva reached out describing a situation where she felt her landlord was exploiting her immigration status
“I would like advice for tenants,” she texted. “It seems landlords are taking advantage of the immigration issue.”
A week later, my colleague Hiram and I visited Minerva at her home to learn more. She showed us a letter from her landlord asking for paperwork to update her rental application, even though her lease was not being renewed. The letter requested different forms of ID, including an updated foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa, a certified I-94 form, and copies of U.S. birth certificates. This came after she reported ongoing maintenance problems, she said. Minerva said her landlord had been trying to sell the home for a while, and she felt this letter was meant to intimidate her and exploit her fear due to the current political climate.
“It stresses me out so much. I feel like she’s harassing me,” Minerva told us. “It’s been 28 years since I came to this country. I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else.”
Economic hardship remains a core concern
Year after year, El Tímpano’s SMS subscribers have consistently asked for resources to help them navigate employment, housing, and healthcare. And while changes to immigration policy and enforcement under the Trump administration generated hundreds of questions, those basic needs remained a common concern, reflecting the ongoing struggle of immigrant families navigating rising costs and limited job opportunities.
“Where can I find work?” is a question we logged over 30 times in the past year.
“I’ve been having a lot of problems lately because I haven’t had a job for two months, and it’s just my children and me,” a Brentwood subscriber told us in August.
“Can you help me with a program for my rent because I don’t have money for my rent. If you can help, that’s what I need most right now, please,” another subscriber from Oakland texted.
“Hello, I’m sending this message because the woman who rents me a room has already returned the house to the owner, and I only have until the 31st of this month to leave. The problem is that I’m a single mother with three children, and I haven’t been able to find a place to live because they’re asking for many requirements that I can’t meet. I need help,” a subscriber in Bay Point shared in August.
Throughout the year, we heard from community members facing employment insecurity, housing instability, and financial stress, often at the same time. Below are some of the most common recurring questions texted in:
- How do I find a trusted immigration attorney?
- What are my rights as a tenant?
- How do I apply for Medi-Cal?
- Where can I get help with food, rent, or utility assistance?
- How do I access ESL classes?
- How do I get help with immigration paperwork?
- Where can I find affordable health care?
- Where can I get help with utility bills?
Medi-Cal enrollment and renewal
As 2025 came to an end, changes in healthcare eligibility taking effect in the new year brought healthcare to the top of the agenda for many immigrants. Governor Newsom and the California state legislature had decided last summer to freeze new enrollments to Medi-Cal for undocumented adults starting in 2026, halting a decade-long expansion of healthcare access. We sent several messages to inform our community about how these changes could affect their access to care.
As December 31—the last day those without “Satisfactory Immigration Status” could enroll in Medi-Cal—approached, 17 subscribers asked about healthcare enrollment or renewal, while others worried about losing their coverage, while others worried about losing their health coverage.
“Will the county continue to offer the Contra Costa Health Plan program?” a subscriber texted in October.
“Will people over 50 also lose their full Medical coverage?” another subscriber asked in November.
“I don’t know if we’ll have a problem [with Medi-Cal], since our renewal is due in April. What could we do in this case? Can you give me some guidance?” a subscriber asked in December.
We also informed the Mam-speaking community, through our Mam-language videos, about the upcoming Medi-Cal changes, which resulted in 39,000 views and back-to-back voicemails from our Mam subscribers requesting assistance for renewing or enrolling.
“I have a question regarding my Medi-Cal. I have not received a renewal form. I would like to get support in any way, just to make sure my Medi-Cal is active. How can I get guidance to make sure it is active?” asked a Mam community member in a voicemail received on December 18, 2025.
El Tímpano’s continued reporting on Medi-Cal and healthcare access for Latino and Mayan immigrants highlights the concerns and experiences our subscribers have shared with us on the topic. Health-related issues have extended beyond enrollment; subscribers frequently inquired about dental care, insurance eligibility, medical debt, and finding providers who accepted new Medi-Cal patients.
The first year of Trump’s new term as president brought about new and increased needs among the Latino and Maya Mam immigrants we serve. Despite the challenges, our community’s responses, stories, and questions each week showed a community trying to manage uncertainty, protect their families, and find solutions where they can.
In 2026, El Tímpano’s messaging and resource sharing will be tailored to reflect the emerging interests and concerns of the Bay Area’s Latino and Maya Mam immigrants. We’ll continue to be the trusted platform thousands of residents rely on, and throughout the year I’ll share insights on what we hear from them.
