28 A Summer of Sovereignty: From Raids to Resilience?
This summer, West Coast sovereignty wasn’t a theory—it was tested.
From ICE raids in Los Angeles, and Marines on California streets, to attacks on our flagship universities, and shakedowns of tech stalwarts, Washington D.C. came hard for our region. But West Coasters fought back—with mass protests, citizen surveillance, social media jabs, ballot initiatives, and new policies that neither submit to democratic decline nor accept caricatures of our challenges.
In this solo episode, Greg Amrofell looks back on the summer of 2025—a season when the West Coast felt the sharp edge of federal overreach. With questions from listeners punctuating a look back at key issues from Memorial Day past Labor Day, Greg explores what happened, how leaders and citizens responded, and what it all means for West Coast sovereignty.
The question: Are we ready to move from resistance to resilience?
The question: Are we ready to move from resistance to resilience?
Highlights
- Raids & Repression: ICE raids in Los Angeles and the deployment of Marines sparked outrage and solidarity across the region.
- Democracy on the Line: Texas redistricting—and California’s tit-for-tat response—show why election design is now a sovereignty issue.
- Universities Under Siege: West Coast higher ed faced fines and federal interference, even as it remained a global hub of research and talent.
- Economic Pressure: The summer saw nationalization of Intel and federal limits on Nvidia’s China business—shaking confidence in innovation and global trade.
- Public Health & Rights: Attacks on gender-affirming care, trans athletes, and reproductive rights forced states to consider their own protective frameworks.
- Bright Spots: Mass demonstrations, strong state policies on climate and housing, and new sovereignty-driven proposals showed the West Coast can lead.
- The Takeaway: Sovereignty is not a slogan. It’s a responsibility—and the West Coast must decide if it’s ready to seize it, or continuing hoping for the best in elections 2-4 years away.
About the Host
Greg Amrofell is the creator and host of Pacific Time, the podcast that asks bold “what if” questions about the West Coast. His approach draws on a career in tech and consulting in which he often had the chance to relax constraints, consider present challenges and opportunities, on the way to designing future possibilities. In podcast conversations that range from city design to public health, redistricting to climate resilience, Greg invites leaders, thinkers, and everyday West Coast citizens to imagine the future an autonomous West Coast would create if we could start from a blank slate.
Greg Amrofell is the creator and host of Pacific Time, the podcast that asks bold “what if” questions about the West Coast. His approach draws on a career in tech and consulting in which he often had the chance to relax constraints, consider present challenges and opportunities, on the way to designing future possibilities. In podcast conversations that range from city design to public health, redistricting to climate resilience, Greg invites leaders, thinkers, and everyday West Coast citizens to imagine the future an autonomous West Coast would create if we could start from a blank slate.
Suggested Resources
- Supreme Court lifts restrictions on ‘roving’ ICE raids in Los Angeles, Politico, Sept 8, 2025
- “Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan is on its way to voters. What you need to know,” CalMatters, Aug 21, 2025
- “Trump seeks $1-billion fine against UCLA. Newsome says ‘we’ll sue” calling it extortion, Aug 8, LA Times
Related Episodes
- Ep 25: Can Better Ballots Beat Bad Maps? With Ashley Brown
- Ep 19: Could Roman Ruins Inspire West Coast Offense?
- Ep 08: Leave America and Discover Ecotopia?
- Ep 01: Reclaiming Democracy: The Case for West Coast Independence
Join the conversation: For the West Coast, what’s the best case and the worst case between now and the new year?
Share your take wherever you follow or send me your thoughts, questions, comments and constructive suggestions to greg@pacifictimepodcast.com.
Follow: Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on Substack; YouTube; BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook. Join the conversation and share it with your neighbors and friends on the West Coast.
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Thank you to:
- Listeners and past guests who submitted questions
- My family and friends helping me keep perspective when paying attention to dark news gets heavy
- Hard-working reporters who have been on the front lines seeking truth startling events on the West Coast: CalMatters, LAist, LA Times, MSNBC, San Diego Union Tribune, The Oregonian, Seattle Times, The Stranger, Portland Mercury, and NYTimes
- South Park, The Daily Show, and Gavin Newsom’s social media team – for serving up clever laughs with withering political satire
- People getting out to protest, patrol, and post
- Producers: Tim Wohlberg, Valerie McTavish