Inside an Orange County immigration court. What it reveals about the Trump Administration’s changing policies
Imperfect Paradise
LAist Studios
4.5 • 535 Ratings
🗓️ 13 February 2026
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, we explore what’s happening on the legal side of immigration enforcement. One group of court observers at the Santa Ana Immigration Court is trying to help immigrants and asylum-seekers who appear there get a fair shot under the law.
LAist Orange County Correspondent Jill Replogle tells us about her experience following the court observers and how what’s happening in these courtrooms determines the fate of undocumented immigrants across the U.S. We also discuss how immigrants, lawyers, and even judges are trying to keep up with the administration’s rapidly evolving immigration policies.
Read more of Jill's reporting at LAist.com.
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Transcript
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| 0:33.9 | This is in Perfect Paradise. |
| 0:35.5 | I'm Nereida Moreno. |
| 0:40.0 | As a federal government escalates its large-scale immigration raids and protests intensify nationwide, |
| 0:46.7 | we ask what is happening on the legal side of immigration enforcement when those facing deportation |
| 0:52.2 | have their day in court. This week, we continue our coverage on Imperfect Paradise of the Trump administration's |
| 0:58.2 | immigration crackdown and the reverberating consequences. |
| 1:04.9 | To get a look at the reality on the ground, we take you inside an immigration court in Orange |
| 1:09.6 | County where a group of volunteer |
| 1:11.4 | court observers are doing what they can to bear witness and help immigrants and asylum seekers |
| 1:16.5 | get a fair shot under the law. We'll discuss how what's happening in these courtrooms is determining |
| 1:22.2 | the fate of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and how everyone involved in the legal system, |
| 1:27.3 | from immigrants to lawyers to judges |
| 1:29.2 | are struggling to keep up with the Trump administration's evolving policies. L.A.'s Orange County |
| 1:35.0 | correspondent Jill Replagal has been reporting on this story and she joins us now. Hey, Jill. Hi, Norena. |
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