There's a long-held belief in the United States that it's a place where everyone has the freedom to succeed.
It's what motivated people like Maria Miranda's parents to leave their home in Mexico with their small baby in the hope of a better life for her.
"They came here hoping that I would get the education I needed to be a professional, that I could be someone who could contribute to the community," Ms Miranda told 7.30.
"I came here as an undocumented child and now I am the elementary vice-president of United Teachers Los Angeles, the second largest education union in the nation.
"I am my parents' American dream."
But as the Trump administration cracks down on undocumented migrants, stages mass deportations and raids workplaces, for many, that dream is rapidly turning into a nightmare.
Ms Miranda now represents teachers and principals who are dealing with an unprecedented and unthinkable situation, especially in Los Angeles.
Last week a family who had immigrated to California from El Salvador called her wanting help. They had been detained, including their children, who are in the first and second grade.
Ms Miranda claims they were denied access to a lawyer and sent to Texas.
"What broke my heart as an educator is that (the father) kept telling me 'my baby got a medal, my baby got a certificate at the end of the year awards, please help us, they deserve my help'," she said through tears.
"It breaks my heart because the small children don't need to earn the right to be free and to live in a safe environment, that should be granted to them automatically."
Ms Miranda hasn't been able to contact the family since.
A city on the brink
The protests in downtown LA that have grabbed so much international attention have at times drowned out the trigger that started them.
Last Friday, dozens of people were arrested in coordinated raids on LA workplaces including a clothing warehouse and a hardware store.
They're part of the Trump administration's immigration blitz, which has so far seen more than 100,000 arrests by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) at courthouses, workplaces and communities across the country.
The raids were wider in scope from previous operations and appear to be a new phase in President Donald Trump's pledge to deport one million immigrants per year.
Having failed to deliver the numbers, the president appears to have settled on delivering a show.
It's put the city, and its estimated one million undocumented residents, on edge.
Immigration attorney Eric Welsh has been fielding calls from terrified clients.
Mr Welsh says it is unfair for a country whose economy is built on immigrant labour to suddenly turn its back on them.
"I have clients who are naturalised citizens who are calling me saying 'am I at risk? Are they going to take away my citizenship?'," he told 7.30.
"Green card holders who don't want to travel because they're afraid they're going to get stopped at the border.
"We have an economy that depends on migrant workers … that's the unspoken truth, but it is a truth we need to acknowledge.
"And we're not doing anything to treat them humanely."
LA joins Newsom in suing Trump
Many of Mr Trump's signature policies have ended up in the courts, and this is no different.
Earlier this week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state was suing the Trump administration, arguing the deployment of troops without authorisation 'trampled' on the state's sovereignty.
The Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto revealed to 7.30, the city will now follow suit.
"The city will be participating in its own name in legal proceedings, whether that occurs by joining in the attorney general's action or by separate action," she said.
Ms Feldstein Soto is the first Latina to be elected citywide, having been born in Puerto Rico — a place once derided by a comedian at a Trump rally as a "floating island of garbage".
She denies the president's election win has given him a mandate for how he's carrying out his immigration blitz.
Trump has no mandate
"He does not have a mandate to conduct mass sweeps," Ms Feldstein Soto said.
"He doesn't have a mandate to override constitutional principles of due process and equal protection, which apply equally to all individuals in the United States, whether or not they have documentation.
"And he certainly doesn't have a mandate to send federal troops into my city."
She's hopeful the situation which has dragged on for almost a week will end peacefully.
"We are at the end of the day all part of the United States of America and so we have to be able to continue to work together, to abide by the rule of law," she said.
"What I will say is the rule of law includes the constitutional limitations on the presidency."
Ms Miranda too has hope — that the American dream is still alive.
"Right now, it's hard to believe in that, but I trust that this government and the citizens of this country are going to do the right thing and this is [just] going to be an ugly chapter in the history of the United States."
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