Immigration fears spark emergency meeting in Sussexes’ neighborhood ahead
of Trump–King Charles summit
As former President Donald Trump prepares for a high-profile meeting with King
Charles this September, unease is spreading in Montecito—home to Prince Harry
and Meghan Markle—amid a surge in immigration enforcement across Southern
California.
According to the Montecito Journal, a July 15 emergency meeting was convened
by the local city council and the 805 Immigration Coalition to address rising
fears over increased ICE operations in the area. The meeting follows a wave of
activity in Santa Barbara County and Los Angeles as part of Trump’s renewed
immigration crackdown.
Trump, who has pledged to launch what he calls the “single largest mass
deportation programme in history,” has reportedly instructed federal agencies
to intensify efforts across key regions—including upscale communities like
Montecito.
Harry and Meghan, who relocated to the quiet Californian enclave after
stepping back from royal duties in 2020, now reside there with their two
children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. Their usually tranquil
neighbourhood is now experiencing a rise in community concern as political
tensions escalate.
The heightened atmosphere comes just as King Charles and Trump recently made
overlapping visits to Scotland—though they did not meet at the time. A formal
audience between the monarch and the former U.S. president is expected during
Trump’s State Visit to the UK in September.
With immigration fears gripping their community and a politically charged
royal meeting on the horizon, Harry and Meghan find themselves living at the
intersection of global headlines once again.
