Experiences of Transgender and Nonbinary Immigrants in Los Angeles
With Special Focus on Trans Latina Immigrants
October 2025
The study analyzes responses from 98 transgender and nonbinary immigrants who participated in the 2023–2024 LA County Trans & Nonbinary Survey. Findings highlight the experiences of trans Latina immigrants, who made up two-thirds of the sample, and provide comparisons to transgender and nonbinary non-immigrants. Leer en español
Data Points
73%
of trans/nonbinary immigrant respondents live at or below the federal poverty line
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44%
of trans/nonbinary non-immigrant respondents have similar incomes
59%
of trans/nonbinary immigrant respondents had trouble covering usual household expenses
50%
of trans/nonbinary immigrant respondents experienced food insecurity in the past 3 months
47%
of trans/nonbinary immigrant respondents were unemployed
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22%
of trans/nonbinary non-immigrants were unemployed
40%
of trans Latina immigrants reported experiencing homelessness
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19%
of trans/nonbinary non-immigrants were homeless
Executive Summary
The LA County Trans & Nonbinary Survey1 was conducted in 2023 and 2024 to shed light on the needs and experiences of trans and nonbinary people living in LA County. The survey was conducted by the TransLatin@ Coalition and the Williams Institute, in collaboration with the Royal Collection Corporation and the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center (CoNoTEC).
Nearly one-third (30%) of the respondents to our LA County Trans & Nonbinary Survey indicated that they are immigrants. Using data collected from these community members in 2023-2024, we paint a portrait of their experiences, including the demographics, identity documents, happiness, community connectedness, economic well-being, sources of income, employment experiences, housing, transportation needs, health care, and law enforcement interactions of our immigrant respondents.
After the collection of data in the LA County Trans & Nonbinary Survey, the election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States resulted in a shift in federal policy on both immigration and transgender rights,2 likely affecting many of the respondents to this survey.3 In this report, we focus on the experiences and needs of trans and nonbinary respondents prior to the shift in federal policy.
The composition of our sample also enables us to look at some of the experiences of trans and nonbinary immigrants through an intersectional lens. For example, eighty-eight percent (88%) of immigrant respondents to our survey identified as Hispanic, and a full two-thirds of immigrant respondents (67%) identified both as Hispanic and as trans women. Because of the large proportion of trans Latina immigrants in our sample, we chose to highlight, where data permits, findings specific to this population.