Across the Central Coast, tens of thousands of U.S. citizen children cannot access the stability their citizenship promises because their parents are undocumented. In 2021, 28 percent of all children in Santa Barbara County, 19 percent in Ventura County, and 11 percent in San Luis Obispo County lived with at least one undocumented parent. Among Latinx children, the rates were higher: 41 percent in Santa Barbara, 30 percent in Ventura, and 24 percent in San Luis Obispo.

A parent’s undocumented status means a U.S. citizen child may go without healthcare because enrolling triggers fear of detection. They may live in overcrowded housing because their family cannot access subsidies. They may skip school events where ID checks happen. They grow up knowing that any interaction with government systems could lead to a parent’s deportation. The fear is not theoretical; it shapes daily decisions about whether to seek help.

These children are U.S. citizens. Ensuring they can access healthcare, stable housing, and education without putting their families at risk is not immigration policy. It is fulfilling the promise of citizenship for children who already have it.

Insights & Analyses: Central Coast

• Among the tri-county region, Santa Barbara County has the highest percentage of children living with one or more undocumented parents (28 percent), followed by Ventura, where 19 percent of children live with one or more undocumented parents. 
• In Santa Barbara County, 41 percent of Latinx children and eight percent of Asian American children live with one or more undocumented parents.
• In Ventura County, the percentage of children living with one or more undocumented parents is highest among Latinx and Asian American children with 30 percent and 18 percent living with one or more undocumented parents, respectively. 
• About one in ten children in San Luis Obispo County live with one or more undocumented parents (11 percent).