Why is Border Patrol making arrests all the way in Sacramento?

Let’s dive into some news about immigration and the raids conducted under President Donald Trump’s administration: 

• Border Patrol in Sacramento: On Thursday Border Patrol agents arrested about 10 people at a Home Depot in Sacramento — more than 500 miles away from the border. The operation signals a return of Border Patrol agents in the Eastern District of California, following a federal judge’s preliminary injunction in April to ban agents from conducting warrantless raids in the area. Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed the raid, saying that the agency is trying to dodge the court order. But in an interview with Fox News, U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino said, “There is no sanctuary anywhere. … We’re here to stay.” Read more from CalMatters’ Wendy Fry and Sergio Olmos.

• Cannabis farm raids: The California legal cannabis industry is rattled after federal agents raided two cannabis facilities in Southern California earlier this month and arrested more than 360 people. Glass House Farms operated the facilities and is one of California’s largest licensed cannabis companies. Following the raids, the United Farm Workers union warned workers who are not U.S. citizens to avoid jobs in the cannabis industry. Since weed is still illegal under federal law, simply working in the industry can present criminal pretext for arrests, regardless of immigration status. Though the legal weed market has been struggling in California, it was worth nearly $4.9 billion last year and employed an estimated 83,000 people. Read more from CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff.

• School financial aid: Federal financial aid forms for students require parents to submit personal details that some worry may be used to deport family members. But the number of college-bound students applying for aid this spring with at least one parent who lacks legal status did not decrease as much as some financial aid advocates feared, according to data from the California Student Aid Commission. This is despite the country’s rising number of deportations and the fact that the IRS and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have a working plan to share tax information. State officials aren’t aware of examples of the Trump administration using financial aid data for immigration purposes to date. Read more from Mercy Sosa of CalMatters’ College Journalism Network.

Amid an already crowded field of Democratic challengers, one more is stepping into the ring with hopes to unseat the longest-serving Republican in California’s congressional delegation, reports CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller.

Katherine Aleman is a public school teacher from the Inland Empire, and lists cost of living concerns, veterans’ issues and education as her key platform priorities. In 2020 — despite a nearly 30% Republican voter registration advantage — she successfully ran for Norco City Council and served as the council’s lone Democrat. That victory is one of the reasons why her backers, including former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, say she could win over Republican voters.

As Democrats aspire to retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Aleman joins at least eight other Democratic candidates challenging U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert in one of the most closely watched midterm races of 2026.

Calvert has represented Riverside County for more than 30 years. A Trump loyalist who voted to overturn the 2020 election results, he has a substantial, $2.5 million cash-on-hand war chest and outraised all of his Democratic challengers combined in the past quarter.

Read more here.

The University of California has released a new data tool showing what companies its alumni are landing jobs at and what skills those employers value, writes CalMatters’ Mikhail Zinshteyn.

The tool reveals that tens of thousands of alumni, with a range of academic degrees, have secured jobs at top companies such as Google, Amazon and Kaiser Permanente. Though many hold positions as software engineers and research associates, others are teachers, interns, product managers and more.

The data underscores the benefits of a UC education, during a time when the system is facing major financial threats, including potential federal funding cuts under Trump.

Read more here.

In other workforce news: California Division of Occupational Safety and Health enforces labor rules and investigates workplace accidents and injuries. But a review published last week reports that due to understaffing, the division is failing to thoroughly investigate workplaces and incidents that warrant extra scrutiny. 

As CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang explains, last year Cal/OSHA investigated in person just about a fifth of the roughly 10,000 complaints it deemed valid. In one example, Cal/OSHA declined to investigate an incident because it occurred on a public road, which it considers outside its jurisdiction. But the incident involved workers riding a company vehicle, which is covered by workplace safety rules.

Read more here.

San Mateo County wants to fire its sheriff. The sheriff’s legal team wants that upcoming hearing to occur behind closed doors. An advocacy group said it’ll sue if the meeting isn’t public. Learn more from CalMatters’ Nigel Duara.