NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, and nowhere is that more true today than in California, where first-generation immigrants make up more than one-quarter of the population, more than in any other U.S. state, the Los Angeles Times has reported.

More than half of California, and 62 percent of Los Angeles County, is either foreign-born or has at least one immigrant parent, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census data.

"Immigrant communities are understandably scared and bracing for the worst when Donald Trump takes office next month," noted the report. "Deporting immigrants is at the very top of the president-elect's 20-point agenda, which promises to seal the border and stop the migrant invasion, and carry out the largest deportation operation in American history."

With these clouds on the horizon, it's critically important to recognize the role immigrants play in communities, said the report, adding that immigrants have always been the lifeblood of the nation and a source of growth, diversity and innovation.

"There are more than 11 million first-generation immigrants in California from all backgrounds and walks of life, from the working and middle classes to the highest echelons of society," stressed the report.

As the state with the world's fifth-largest economy, California would be among the hardest hit by the proposed policies. The people who could be swept up by mass deportation plans include teachers and coaches, child-care providers and home health and long-term care workers, it added. Enditem

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