A ‘big, beautiful' disaster for immigrant families
It doesn't stop there. The bill imposes
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Appeals of immigration decisions now cost $900, up from $110. For many immigrants, these fees represent an 'unaffordable price tag on due process,' Heidi Altman, vice president of policy at the National Immigration Law Center,
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Then there's
'The Big Ugly Bill is incredibly irresponsible,' Héctor Sánchez Barba, president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota, a Latino advocacy organization,
The sweeping law, which also includes
What this law enshrines is not reform but punishment — it's criminalizing immigration to the fullest extent possible, monetizing some legal rights, and prioritizing cruelty over common sense. It is a legislative embodiment of Trumpism: performative and punitive.
For immigrant families, the 'big, beautiful' promise has revealed its true face, and it surely is an ugly one.
This is an excerpt from
, a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García.
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Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
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Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Texas Democrats meet with Newsom to stop Trump's push to ‘rig' the 2026 election
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The move is part of a gerrymandering effort pushed by Trump to prevent the GOP from losing control of the House of Representatives next year. If Democrats take the House, they could derail the president's agenda, which has so far included a crackdown on undocumented immigrants, tariffs on imports, rescinding efforts to combat climate change and undercutting state protections for the LGTBQ+ community, among other policy priorities. Newsom has threatened to mirror Trump's tactics and said he's in talks with leaders of the California Legislature to redraw the state's congressional districts to favor electing more Democrats and fewer Republicans. Texas Democrats, who said they traveled to California to meet with the governor and explain the state of play in Texas, pledged do everything in their power to push back against Trump's plan. 'We're going to use every tool at our disposal in the state of Texas to confront this very illegal redistricting process that is going to be done on the backs of historic African American and Latino districts,' said Texas state Rep. Rafael Anchía. Another group of Texas lawmakers are expected to meet with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in Chicago. Changing the maps to benefit Democrats is a massive departure from California's work over the last decade to remove political partisanship from the redistricting process. California voters in 2010 gave an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission the power to determine the boundaries of voting districts for the U.S. House of Representatives instead of leaving that authority with the state Legislature. To redistrict before the midterms, the most legally sound option is for state lawmakers to send a constitutional amendment to voters that seeks to allow changes to the voter map outside the boundaries of California's independent redistricting process. The vote would need to happen in a special election before the June primary. Newsom has said he's also exploring a potential legal loophole that could allow the California Legislature to redraw the congressional maps themselves with a two-thirds vote. The governor's office said state law charges the redistricting commission with crafting new maps after a census, which is conducted about every 10 years. But they say the law is silent on everything that happens in between that time period. Newsom's lawyers believe it could be possible for the Legislature to redistrict congressional seats mid-decade on its own without going to the ballot. The governor's call to fight Trump using his own gerrymandering tactics has drawn a mixed response. Newsom argues that Democrats will continue to lose if they remain the only party that plays by the rules. But others worry about the integrity of electoral outcomes across the nation if political parties in every state resort to naked political gamesmanship to gain control. Texas Republicans have long been accused of crafting political maps to dilute the power of Black and Latino voters, which led to an ongoing lawsuit from 2021. Newsom's effort in California would effectively seek to increase the share of Democrats in Republican-held districts. Redistricting experts in California say redrawing the maps in the Golden State could create the potential for Democrats to flip at least five of the seats held by GOP incumbents. Democrats may have the potential for greater gains from gerrymandering, particularly in places such as California that have attempted to practice nonpartisan redistricting, compared to states such as Texas, where maps are already drawn in favor of Republicans. 'It should be no surprise to anybody who covers Texas that every decade since 1970 Texas has been found to discriminate against people of color in its redistricting process,' Anchía said. 'In trying to do this, it is going to create great harm, not only to the people we represent, to the voters of the state of Texas, but also potentially to all Americans,' he said about Trump's plan. It's common for the party in control of the White House to lose seats nationally in the first election after a presidential contest. Republicans hold majorities in the Senate and the House, and losing power to Democrats could be detrimental to Trump's presidency. Trump's job approval rating dropped to a second-term low of 37% in a Gallup poll conducted earlier this month. The dip is just above his lowest approval rating ever of 34% at the end of his first term. 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NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Hispanic colleges targeted by lawsuit push back in court
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Los Angeles Times
13 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
For some, Latinos will never be truly American
A month ago, my colleague Brittny Mejia reported on the growing fear many U.S.-born Latino Angelenos feel due to the endless barrage of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids being carried out in their neighborhoods. 'You're scared to be brown,' said Jackie Ramirez, a radio host for 'The Cruz Show' on Real 92.3. 'You're scared to look a certain way right now.' On Wednesday, The Times published a story by staff writer Jack Flemming that certainly validates that fear. At the heart of it is a Latino family who is suing their former landlord and a real estate agent over what they claim was an illegal eviction from their Baldwin Park home last year. 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Last month, Quesada put out 'Boleros Psícodelicos II, ' a follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2022 album of the same name that features vocalists Mireya Ramos, Gaby Moreno, Cuco and others. The record, which fuses psychadelia with traditional Latin sounds, has been on repeat at my household ever since its release — 'Bravo,' recorded with iLe from Calle 13, is a top tier hater track sung from the perspective of a spurned lover. Kicking off the night will be El Marchante (6 p.m.), a dynamic project that pays tribute to Latin American and Caribbean music through live events, and will be followed by Explorare (7 p.m.), a musical collective that got its start at a monthly residency at the Chinatown bar Melody Lounge. Quesada will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m. Since 1987, Grand Performances has hosted free outdoor performances. The organization's focus is on giving a platform to global and local acts. Previously, acts such as Stevie Wonder, Aloe Blacc and Ana Tijoux have participated in its programming. Last year, we co-presented a free concert featuring jazz and pop singer Daymé Arocena. The De Los team will be there starting at 5 p.m., and we'll be giving out free posters and other goodies to Latinx Files subscribers. You can RSVP for the event here. Alex Evans, co-executive director and head puppeteer at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, guides a dragon as Juanita y Juan — the duo formed by legendary Chicano punk rockers Alice Bag and Kid Congo Powers — perform their 'loud lounge' sounds for children and their parents at The Ford Theater in Los Angeles, on Sunday July 20, 2025. De Los editor Suzy Exposito spoke to Bag and Powers about introducing punk to kids, their 2025 album, 'Jungle Cruise,' and how to find comfort in such challenging, dark times. 'It's very easy to become despondent and overwhelmed. 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