California City

LAist Studios

Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless. In this new podcast from LAist Studios, host Emily Guerin tells a story of money, power and deception.

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California City

Episodes (32)

Yesterday Imperfect Paradise: Inside an Orange County immigration court. What it reveals about the Trump Administration’s changing policies
Fri Feb 6th Imperfect Paradise: After disasters, California mandates timely reports. Why it matters that more than 100 of them are years overdue
Jan 30th Imperfect Paradise: A Cambodian Genocide survivor was undergoing the legal immigration process and had protections against deportation. So why was she detained by ICE indefinitely?

California City

Feb 13, 2026
30½ minutes
27 MB

As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, we explore what’s happening on the legal side of immigration enforcement. A group of court observers at 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 rapidl...

California City

Imperfect Paradise: Inside an Orange County immigration court. What it reveals about the Trump Administration’s changing policies

LAist Studios

00:00 -29:31