Wasco, Calif. | Nov. 01, 2026, 5:05 a.m. ET | 6 min read

Before federal immigration agents surged in California last year, Marisol Perez wasn’t interested in politics. But when the Trump administration’s immigration dragnet swept the state – in some cases, detaining people with legal status and even U.S. citizens – she paid attention.

Ms. Perez, a teenager, watched the flood of social media images and videos of masked federal agents handcuffing and taking away people who frequently looked like her or her relatives, she says.

Then, a few weeks ago, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials descended on her town of Wasco, a farming community of about 26,000 people. Local police say they are aware of at least two immigration enforcement incidents in the community, though they have not confirmed how many people were detained.

Now, just months after her 18th birthday, Ms.…