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
4 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
For some, Latinos will never be truly American
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In a letter emailed June 25 to Sarah McCracken — a tenants' rights lawyer representing the family — urging her clients to drop the suit, Rod Fehlman, who appeared to represent the real estate agent, wrote the following: 'It is also interesting to note that your clients are likely to be picked up by ICE and deported prior to trial thanks to all the good work the Trump administration has done in regards to immigration in California.' The kicker? Every person in that family is a U.S. citizen. The story struck a chord online, with many X and Bluesky users accusing Fehlman of being racist. Some of that anger was even directed at Cal Poly Pomona — on his site, Fehlman states that he is an adjunct professor at the university. In a statement to The Times, a spokesperson for the university said that Fehlman's temporary contract ended in 2013. Yicenia Morales, McCracken's client, told The Times that she felt racially profiled because of her last name. 'It's not fair for him to take advantage of that. I was born here. I have a birth certificate. I pay taxes,' she said. 'I was already depressed over the eviction. Now I'm hurt, embarrassed and nervous as well. Will he really call ICE on us?' Fehlman did not respond to Jack's request for comment, but did speak with the Independent, telling the outlet that his words were misinterpreted. 'My email mentions nothing about Ms. McCracken's client's citizenship,' he said. 'This is an ongoing problem in Southern California and a sad reality that litigants have been picked randomly at Courthouses. It is unfortunate that this comment has been taken out of context intentionally by Ms. McCracken's firm and used to defame my office.' I reached out to Fehlman via email, asking him to clarify the context and provide any evidence he had to prove that Morales and her family were 'likely to be picked up by ICE and deported,' but he did not respond. Although it's unclear whether Fehlman's response was illegal — the State Bar of California bans lawyers from threatening to present criminal, administrative or disciplinary charges to obtain an advantage in a civil dispute — the incident is certainly a sobering reminder that there are plenty of people who will always see Latinos as un-American, and have been emboldened by the Trump administration's attack on immigrant communities to start saying the quiet part out loud. It doesn't matter that the majority of us were born here and primarily speak English. These people don't care that you served your country or that you wave its flag at protests. To them, we will always be Josés or Marias. Join the De Los team Aug. 2 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. as we co-present a free Grand Performances concert headlined by Adrian Quesada, the Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist and one of the bandleaders of Black Pumas. 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. 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Yahoo
5 hours ago
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Opinion - July 2025 is when the Trump era started to end
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But there's something else in the air: Trump looks old. We may have grown accustomed to his ALL CAPS rants, but the physical symptoms are harder to normalize — the swollen ankles. The makeup caked awkwardly on his hands. Taken together — the reality of Trump's lame-duck status, being out of touch with much of his base and now the physical deterioration — we are left with a picture of a man whose once iron-clad grip on his party is finally beginning to loosen. The base might not say it outright. MAGA influencers certainly won't admit it — but they absolutely see it. And more importantly, they're starting to act on it. The jostling has begun. For this reason, it's no longer absurdly premature to start talking about succession. And, for my money, there are three leading contenders. Vice President JD Vance — seemingly the obvious successor — is clearly positioning himself as heir apparent to Trumpism 2.0: similar themes, better vocabulary, a little more polish and (crucially) a future. 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Maybe Trump can ultimately find a way to outrun the Epstein controversy and set the terms for the next four years. And, regardless, he could also play a vital role in picking (or sabotaging) whoever inherits his mantle. But that doesn't change the fact that his era is already ending. The spell is finally starting to wear off. And somewhere, just beneath the surface, it feels like the scramble for 2028 has already begun. The question isn't whether someone can pick up the torch. It's whether that person can prevent the flame from being extinguished entirely. Matt K. Lewis is a columnist, podcaster and author of the books 'Too Dumb to Fail' and 'Filthy Rich Politicians.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
UPI
6 hours ago
- UPI
Trump visits Scotland to see golf resorts, meet with Starmer on trade
1 of 4 | President Donald Trump will travel to Scotland on Friday to visit his golf courses and meet with British Prime Minister Kier Starmer. Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo July 25 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump leaves for Scotland today for a visit through Tuesday to see his two golf resorts and refine the trade deal with the United Kingdom in a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Scotland is the home of Trump's mother, but it's also where he's faced strong protests in previous visits. He plans to visit his Turnberry and Aberdeen golf clubs, and meet with Starmer. Britain and the United States already reached a trade deal in June, but this meeting is to refine it. The deal was to cut tariffs and improve trade between the two countries. As Trump prepares for his Aug. 1 deadline for trade agreements, he's pushing countries to make deals with him to prevent high tariff rates. The U.K.'s agreement kept a 10% universal tariff while lowering tariffs on automobiles and steel. The U.K. said it will open its markets for U.S. agricultural products such as beef and ethanol. Trump has said he will likely meet Starmer at one of his properties. Protests are planned for the visit. The Stop Trump Coalition said it is organizing demonstrations in Aberdeen and in Edinburgh outside the U.S. consulate for Saturday. Its goal is to "defeat the politics of Trumpism, and to promote an alternative, democratic vision of the world based on peace, social justice and international cooperation." Trump opened his Aberdeen course in 2012 and bought the Turnberry resort in 2014. He is opening a second course on the Aberdeen property, naming it after his mother Mary Anne Macleod. The president plans to visit the U.K. again Sept. 17-19. That trip will be more formal as he will meet with King Charles III at Windsor Castle. "He is honored and looking forward to meeting with his majesty the king," said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, calling the trip "truly unprecedented." Trump has called the U.S. relationship with the U.K. "the highest level of special."
