‘Shock and disbelief': U.S. citizen says ICE arrested her during Santa Ana park raid
The park, with its vast grassy fields, playgrounds and artificial lake, usually bustles with families watching youth soccer games on weekends while push-cart vendors sell ice pops.
'There were families picnicking and spending time together,' Plummer said. 'But it was definitely a quiet day.'
Out of view on the opposite end of the nearly 70-acre park, event organizers, city staffers and vendors welcomed guests to the city-sponsored Juneteenth Festival, which celebrated the end of chattel slavery.
Plummer recounted seeing several vans pull into a big parking lot near where she walked, sometime between noon and 1 p.m. Masked federal agents poured out of the vans wearing tactical gear emblazoned with 'ICE' and made their way through the park.
'They were just grabbing people that were close to them and handcuffing them,' Plummer said.
She stood only a few feet from the sweep, she said, when ICE agents approached and arrested her. Plummer said the federal agents didn't ask any questions before taking her personal belongings and leading her back to their vans.
Plummer, who is half-Ecuadorian, began advising people of their rights after agents handcuffed her. In Spanish, she told those arrested by ICE not to answer any questions and to ask for a lawyer.
Her advice continued after vans transported Plummer and other detainees to an ICE detention facility in Santa Ana. Agents had separated men from women in different vans. Plummer said that at the center she was held in a room without enough chairs for all the women detained. Agents called detainees up one by one.
Plummer said she provided authorities with her identification. After about an hour-and-a-half, they returned her ID, cellphone and released her.
A spokesperson for ICE did not respond to a TimesOC request for comment.
After the raid, which the Daily Journal first reported, Plummer retained legal representation.
'It's pretty clear that it's racial profiling,' Jesse Rivera, an attorney representing Plummer, said of the raid. 'They're going in and just grabbing Latinos. It's a clear violation of these individuals' constitutional rights.'
The raid appeared to have avoided drawing much attention in Santa Ana, Orange County's only sanctuary city.
A spokesperson for the Santa Ana Police Department, which had personnel at the park during the Juneteenth Festival, was not aware of any raids that day.
The Orange County Rapid Response Network, a coalition of ICE watching activists, did receive a tip about the Centennial Regional Park ICE raid, but did not have any photos or videos to put out a confirmed public alert.
As a Santa Ana resident, Plummer reached out to Rep. Lou Correa, a Democrat representing the 46th congressional district, about her arrest.
'Being a U.S. citizen means something,' Correa said of Plummer. 'It means that under the U.S. Constitution, you have rights. Right now, it appears that none of those rights are being respected.'
Correa recently introduced the No Secret Police Act that would require federal immigration agents, such as the ones Plummer said arrested her, to clearly display identification and be banned from wearing non-tactical face masks.
'Having masked individuals not identifying themselves, just jumping [out] at people, essentially racially profiling them, is creating a very dangerous situation here,' he said.
Plummer's arrest is cited in a federal class action lawsuit filed Wednesday against the Trump administration by civil and immigrant rights groups alleging that the raids have, in part, 'led to numerous U.S. citizens who work, reside, or just happen to be in neighborhoods with large numbers of people of color also getting swept up.'
Outside of the class action suit, Plummer, who is the vice president of the Orange County Women Lawyers Assn. and co-founder of the Newport Beach Bock & Plummer firm, is reviewing her legal options following the arrest.
'We're investigating this matter,' Rivera said. 'We're making the determination as to whether or not an action should be filed.'
In the meantime, Plummer is still recovering from the harrowing ordeal.
'I've been going to Centennial Park my entire life,' she said. 'I was in utter shock and disbelief that this could happen to any U.S. citizen.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
7 minutes ago
- Politico
What I heard in Williamsport
Good Monday morning! A federal judge in Pennsylvania plans to issue a decision Wednesday on whether Alina Habba can remain as acting U.S. attorney. I drove to Williamsport, Pa., for court arguments Friday, mainly for the hefty mileage reimbursement (I drive a Prius, so I make out well on those). But the case is more riveting than any Little League World Series game. Judge Matthew Brann seemed to enjoy questioning lawyers, despite saying the case was assigned to him 'for my sins.' New Jersey's federal judges couldn't take the case because they collectively decided that Alina Habba should not be granted indefinite tenure as interim U.S. attorney once her 120-day term expired. Read more about it here. But what really stuck out to me was the Trump administration's argument that this 'constitutional crisis' was brought about by the judges' refusal to keep Habba on the job. The judges, DOJ attorney Henry Whitaker said, 'precipitated this constitutional crisis.' 'The executive branch should have the people that they want doing core executive functions, like prosecuting crime,' he said. Really? Isn't it the Trump administration's end-run around the district court judges' decision to appoint former First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace as acting U.S. attorney instead of Habba that's in question? Maybe the administration's maneuvering is legal. Maybe not. The courts will decide. But you can't credibly blame judges for a constitutional crisis when they're using the power that the law explicitly grants them. Whitaker stressed that it's rare for judges to use that power. And indeed, it does appear rare. New Jersey's judges opted to keep on the first Trump administration's New Jersey U.S. attorney, Craig Carpenito, when his interim term expired. But clearly that says something about Habba's conduct in the office. The judges were obviously not thrilled with it, whether that was for prosecuting and quickly dropping trespassing charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, charging Rep. LaMonica McIver with a felony over allegedly assaulting ICE agents during the scuffle they escalated when they arrested Baraka, or vowing to 'turn New Jersey red.' Attorney Gerry Krovatin, who represents one of the two criminal defendants challenging Habba's authority, put it this way: 'This crisis was caused by appointing someone who has no business being U.S. attorney for New Jersey or anywhere else.' FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ WHERE'S MURPHY? A series of morning media hits to discuss the potential effects of Hurricane Erin on New Jersey, including dangerous rip currents — 94.3 FM at 7:20 a.m., NJ 101.5 at 8:10 a.m. and 96.9 FM at 8:20 a.m. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I've seen it too many times to count. People line up at city council meetings, smiling while they oppose 'those' units. They say it's about parking, density or infrastructure. But really, it's about fear. Fear of change. Fear of the Other. Fear of contradiction — of claiming to be inclusive while acting to preserve exclusion.' — Rev. Eric Dobson, on resistance to affordable housing developments HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Kimberly Wallace Scalcione, Kevin Miller, Claire Heininger Mehney, David J. Taylor. Also, everyone I missed on Friday and the weekend: Jennifer Holdsworth, Christopher Hughes, Lizzie Helck, Chris James, Raymond Saa, Dick Zimmer, Paul Swibinski, Matt Barrett, Elliot Friedman, Carl Bergmanson, Lee Kaufman-Berson, Staci Berger. WHAT TRENTON MADE TRUTH OF DARE — 'Jason 'Jay' Dare, fired New Jersey State Police trooper, loses bid to regain his job,' by The Courier-Post's Jim Walsh: 'An appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a former state trooper from South Jersey who walked away from a mental health facility in March 2023. The Aug. 14 decision shed more light on Jason 'Jay' Dare's troubled record with the State Police ... It said Dare's disappearance from a health care facility in Media, Pa., had violated a 'last chance plea agreement' reached in 2018 to resolve the earlier charges ... In 2015, Dare allegedly hit two parked vehicles and left the scene without notifying police. He pled guilty to motor-vehicle summons in municipal court. In 2016, Dare was arrested after he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident while driving under the influence. He admitted guilt to a DUI charge and his driver's license was suspended for three months. In 2017, he allegedly sent alarming texts to his ex-wife. Dare also allegedly texted a South Jersey police officer, asking for information on acquiring an untraceable gun. Under the 2018 plea deal, Dare admitted guilt to all charges and accepted a 528-day suspension without pay. The ruling said Dare was suspended in March 2023 after suffering 'a mental event' while on duty. He entered the Pennsylvania facility for treatment, was reported missing on March 19, and was found one day later in a nearby home. 'The police intended to charge Dare with burglary and criminal trespassing; however, the homeowners declined to press charges,' the appellate ruling said.' THE PATH TO HELL IS PAVED WITH DECADES OF NEGLECT — 'Why PATH train riders are living through a 'Summer of Hell',' by NJ Advance Media's Larry Higgs: 'This year, it seems to be PATH commuters' turn to endure their own 'Summer of Hell' on the rail line between New Jersey and New York. In recent weeks, PATH riders have been hit with three fires, a derailment and the failure of part of a $31 million infrastructure project that was supposed to make the system more reliable. The latest incident — a fire on Aug. 4 in Newport Station in Jersey City — sent nine people to the hospital. A rider's video showed a train car on fire while agency alerts reported a smoke condition … 'It's been doing poorly, trains are not on time or don't come at all or catch fire,' said PATH rider Dave Hutchinsen of Hoboken … Officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the PATH system, said they are working on communicating with customers and local officials … State Sen. Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson, who represents Hoboken and parts of Jersey City served by PATH, said constituents told him they regret moving here because of how 'embarrassingly unreliable' and infrequent service has been.' MURPHY SEEKS CREDIT — '8 credit upgrades for N.J. in 3 years prove fiscal responsibility works,' by Phil Murphy and Elizabeth Maher Muoio for NJ Advance Media: 'This week, S&P Global Ratings upgraded New Jersey's credit rating from A to A+. It's the state's eighth credit upgrade since 2022 and the third from S&P in that time. This is the latest sign that the disciplined fiscal decisions we've made over the past eight years are paying off. To say this is a sharp reversal — and a massive improvement for the people of New Jersey — would be an understatement. Under the previous administration, New Jersey received 11 credit downgrades that plagued our state and — more importantly — our taxpayers, in the form of higher borrowing costs.' — 'N.J. just got a big credit boost, but experts worry the state is sitting on a financial time bomb,' by NJ Advance Media's Jelani Gibson: 'A higher credit rating usually means the state can borrow money at a better interest rate. New Jersey primarily uses its credit to finance transportation projects, state officials said. Lower borrowing rates could ultimately mean taxpayer savings. However, with the state's surplus slated to dry up by 2028, some critics worry New Jersey's credit rating may decline in the future. The poorer the state's credit rating, the higher the interest rates on transportation projects, advocates say. That could mean state budget cuts or increased taxes to make up for the financial strain in the future. 'This picture right now is a full Jenga tower, but if you start to pull out a couple of the blocks, it's all going to come tumbling down,' said Audrey Lane, president of Garden State Initiative, an economic think tank that maintains an annual database of the state's budget items.' LET THEM PAY FOR A RESERVATION TO EAT CAKE — 'Inside the 'sleazy' world of restaurant reservation trading. Hot tables cost hundreds,' by NJ Advance Media's Christopher Burch: 'Third-party websites are scooping up exclusive New Jersey restaurant reservations and reselling them, creating bidding wars in the process. Think StubHub meets eBay, Jersey dining edition. Guests willing to spent top dollar can cut the line with platforms like Appointment Trader, an online marketplace that launched in 2021 and allows the sale of reservations for restaurants, hotels and bars. Suggested bids for a table for two at red-hot Pasta Ramen, ranked Montclair's best restaurant by range from $145 to $220 on Appointment Trader. Suggested bidding for a table of the same size at Mezcal in Old Bridge, one of New Jersey's best new steakhouses, ranges from $125 to $195 … [A] bill, S4543, would prohibit third-party restaurant reservation services like Appointment Trader. State Sens. Kristin Corrado, R-Passaic, and Sen. Joseph Lagana, D-Bergen, are primary sponsors for the bill.' — 'What Makes Jersey Run: Your growing energy bill is a growing issue in the big governor's race' — Snowflack: 'More musings on the governor's race' — 'Six candidates running for Cranford Board of Education in 2025' TRUMP ERA COUNTY LINE TO BE REPLACED BY COUNTY CRUCIFIX — 'Can NJ churches endorse political candidates? Trump's IRS may end ban, but clergy are wary,' by The Record's Deena Yellin: 'The Rev. Patt Kauffman has never officially endorsed a candidate from the pulpit. But after she speaks, her parishioners know how to vote. The pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ridgefield preaches from the heart 'about how we understand Jesus as one who taught kindness, compassion, care for the stranger and the immigrant in our midst, to be neighbor to one another and to seek peace and reconciliation wherever and however we can,' she said. In the last presidential election, her parishioners overwhelmingly voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, Kauffman said, basing the conclusion on conversations in church, Bible studies and coffee hours. But a federal proposal regarding political activity by religious groups may soon let her more openly back her preferred candidates. Pressed by President Donald Trump and conservative Christian denominations, the Internal Revenue Service is moving to end a 70-year ban on such activity, allowing churches and other religious nonprofits to endorse candidates from the pulpit without fear of losing their tax-exempt status.' — 'Q&A: How private prisons prep for massive expansion, profits' — 'Judge sides with NJ, strikes down Trump rules in Obamacare contraception case' — Opinion: 'N.J.'s GOP congressmen failed to protect Medicaid. Their vote put thousands at risk' — Opinion: 'Booker blocked this bill to aid police in fighting child exploitation. For politics?' — 'Judge orders fix for ICE detention center squalor after Ocean County immigrant lawsuit' LOCAL OUSTED LIBRARY DIRECTOR TAKES BON JOVI'S ADVICE — 'Newark Public Library director fired without explanation after 2 years,' by NJ Advance Media's Steve Strunsky: 'Services, operations and capital planning for the Newark Public Library will not be impacted while its leaders search for an interim executive director after firing Christian Zabriskie from the library's top post, its board vice president said Thursday … The board voted 5-0 with three abstentions and one absence during a brief special meeting last week held for the sole purpose of terminating Zabriskie's tenure after two years … No one said why Zabriskie was being let go, and Cooper did not respond to requests for comment this week. Zabriskie sat silently at the dais with the trustees without saying a word, then left without saying goodbye.' PIPE SCREAMS — 'Haledon vows to 'recoup every single dollar' of $300K spent on water crisis response,' by The Record's Philip DeVencentis: 'The borough has spent at least $300,000 on its response to the weeklong water crisis, but officials said they expect to be reimbursed for those losses. With no emergency declared by the state, the Borough Council took the initiative to declare one itself — passing a resolution on Aug. 14 to attest to the magnitude of the 'unprecedented' water main break that left tens of thousands of people in four towns without running water. Mayor Michael Johnson said steps will also be followed to compensate local businesses that had to shut down. 'We didn't ask for this — no one asked for this — but we had to deal with it,' Johnson said at the council meeting, the first since a 2½-foot pipe ruptured near Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson.' WANAFIGHT? — ''We don't want you or your Portuguese friends.' N.J. town faces lawsuit over housing discrimination,' by NJ Advance Media's Colleen Murphy: 'A federal judge has allowed a housing discrimination lawsuit against the Borough of Wanaque to proceed, ruling that a jury should decide whether town officials showed bias against Portuguese developers. The ruling from the U.S. District Court for New Jersey cited alleged comments from a former borough administrator and claims of unequal treatment as grounds to let the Fair Housing Act claim go to trial … The developers, who are immigrants from Portugal, claim Wanaque officials made it harder for them to complete the project and refused to let them transfer development rights to another Portuguese-owned company … One of the most serious allegations comes from Jacinto Rodrigues, owner of the development companies. Rodrigues testified that Thomas Carroll, who is the former Wanaque Borough Administrator, made comments suggesting the town did not want him or his associates involved in the development. 'We don't want this guy to build the project, and the town doesn't want you,' Carroll allegedly told Rodrigues … Carroll denied allegations that he made discriminatory remarks about Portuguese immigrants.' — 'Montclair man targeted Blacks, Jews in mass emails, authorities say' — 'Boil water notice lifted for half of Paterson as pressure returns for other residents' — 'A media giant is suing [Ridgewood] for refusing to let them build a massive billboard' — 'Princeton officials urge state to pass Immigrant Trust Act in wake of ICE raids' — 'Toms River officials approve township's 1st Orthodox Jewish high school' — 'With season near, Paterson school board votes down Kennedy football coach selection' EVERYTHING ELSE GLOBALIZE THE BUTLERIAN JIHAD — 'Meta's flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. He never made it home,' by Reuters' Jeff Horwitz: 'When Thongbue Wongbandue began packing to visit a friend in New York City one morning in March, his wife Linda became alarmed. 'But you don't know anyone in the city anymore,' she told him. Bue, as his friends called him, hadn't lived in the city in decades. And at 76, his family says, he was in a diminished state: He'd suffered a stroke nearly a decade ago and had recently gotten lost walking in his neighborhood in Piscataway, New Jersey … She had been right to worry: Her husband never returned home alive. But Bue wasn't the victim of a robber. He had been lured to a rendezvous with a young, beautiful woman he had met online. Or so he thought. In fact, the woman wasn't real. She was a generative artificial intelligence chatbot named 'Big sis Billie,' a variant of an earlier AI persona created by the giant social-media company Meta Platforms in collaboration with celebrity influencer Kendall Jenner … Rushing in the dark with a roller-bag suitcase to catch a train to meet her, Bue fell near a parking lot on a Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, injuring his head and neck. After three days on life support and surrounded by his family, he was pronounced dead on March 28. Meta declined to comment on Bue's death or address questions about why it allows chatbots to tell users they are real people or initiate romantic conversations.' IF THERE'S AN ACCIDENT, IT'LL BE F***ED RIVER — 'Owners of former Oyster Creek nuclear plant want to build 4 new, smaller reactors there,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Wayne Parry: 'The company that owns the former Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township says it wants to build four new smaller nuclear reactors at the shuttered site. If approved by state and federal regulators, the devices would more than double the amount of electricity generated there. Officials with Holtec International, the Camden-based company that is decommissioning the Oyster Creek site, discussed their plans Thursday for smaller reactors during a joint hearing of environmental committees from the state Assembly and Senate in Point Pleasant. The plans come as New Jersey is struggling to secure enough energy to meet surging demand and prices … In an interview with The Press of Atlantic City after Thursday's hearing, [Holtec President Kelly] Trice said Holtec has wanted for years to build new nuclear reactors at the Oyster Creek site on Route 9 in the Forked River section of Lacey. 'It's why we bought the Oyster Creek plant,' he said. 'It's a lot easier to build a nuclear plant where a previous plant existed.'' WOMAN WHOSE FALSE SOCIAL MEDIA POST LED TO ARSON THREATS AGAINST A CHURCH IS THE REAL VICTIM HERE — 'Bergen County woman, head of local Moms for Liberty group, removed as Girl Scout leader,' by The Record's Kyle Morel: 'A Bergen County woman and head of an organization known for speaking out against LGBTQ+ lessons and books in schools said she has been removed as a Girl Scout leader in her hometown. Alexandra Bougher, chair of the Bergen County chapter of Moms for Liberty, announced in a series of Facebook posts Aug. 13 that she was informed she was 'no longer needed' as a leader by the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey. Bougher, in a conversation with the following day, said she was removed from the Park Ridge troop along with her daughter, who is not allowed to take part in upcoming trips and events … Bougher, who volunteered with the troop for seven years, said she received an email several days ago requesting a meeting by phone with two officials of the organization. She was told in the meeting that some of her social media posts were 'against the Girl Scout code of conduct,' but the officials would not specify the posts in question … Bougher made headlines in March 2025 with a since-deleted Facebook post objecting to a Pride flag flown by the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Park Ridge. The post led to threats against the church, after which Bougher took down the message.' — 'Historic N.J. airport gate sign from 9/11 donated to flight memorial, honors 'extraordinary heroes'' — 'Passenger may have spread measles at 2 Newark Airport terminals in July' CORRECTION — In Friday's edition, I intended to write that Vin Gopal was the only Democratic state legislator on the last congressional redistricting commission.
Boston Globe
34 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
In Mississippi, one of the neediest states, Trump's federal funding cuts hit with extra heft
Then, in March, EPA terminated the grant 'on the grounds that the award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Holes puncture the stained glass windows of the chapel on Voice of Calvary Ministries' campus in Jackson, Miss. in July. A $20 million EPA grant was supposed to help renovate the century-old former school building before it was canceled by the Trump administration this spring. Julian Sorapuru/Globe Staff Mississippi, a stronghold of President Trump's political power that he won by more than 20 percentage points in 2024, is also one of the nation's Dominika Parry, founder of the environmental justice nonprofit Advertisement Parry is working without pay as a result of the cut and, months later, she remained baffled by it. 'How is this project wasteful in any way?' she asked. 2C Mississippi is with more than 20 other nonprofits and municipalities that also lost grants. Grant cancellations like the resilience hub have become common in Mississippi and across America since the Trump administration empowered the Department of Government Efficiency, under the early leadership of Elon Musk, to implement sweeping spending cuts and funding freezes that have touched almost every federal agency. In a statement to The Boston Globe, a senior White House official said, 'The Trump administration is committed to ending the Green New Scam and restoring American energy dominance. We will no longer fund 'environmental justice' projects in any state.' Debris from two powerful tornadoes in March was still visible in Walthall County, Miss., in July. FEMA aid to the area was slowed by President Trump's reticence to declare a national emergency. Julian Sorapuru/Globe Staff Mississippi receives Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves recently signed a law that would gradually Advertisement But the potential of declining state revenue coupled with the loss of federal funds has Representative Bennie Thompson — the sole Democrat in Mississippi's congressional delegation — worried. 'One of the neediest states will become even needier,' he predicted. 'There's no cavalry to come to help after the federal government.' So far, Republican state officials have largely supported Trump's policies, including the cuts. Mississippi's attorney general, like her counterparts in other GOP-controlled states, has US Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, a Republican, is anticipating continued support for GOP spending cuts among constituents in his deep red state. 'I really think the majority of citizens in Mississippi are satisfied that we've made judicious savings,' he told the Globe, promising federal dollars would still flow into the state via infrastructure funds and military manufacturing contracts. It's Wicker's smiling face that graces a photo hanging on a wall at Community Students Learning Center in Lexington, a small town separated from Jackson by 63 miles of verdant farmland. One of the senator's hands rests on the shoulder of Beulah Greer, executive director of the center. Wicker signed the photo years ago and inscribed it with a message: 'To my friend Beulah Greer with best wishes.' Advertisement Now, Greer is anxious about the future of her nonprofit, which for over two decades has filled community needs big and small, doing everything from helping residents pay expensive utility bills to offering mental health crisis training to local law enforcement . About 85 percent of her organization's budget currently comes from a Department of Justice program None of their grants have yet been cut, but Greer said they were unable to re-apply for next year's funding cycle since DOJ paused solicitation for the grant for months starting in late January following Trump's inauguration. The disappearance of Community Students Learning Center would have ripple effects in the 1,400-person town where Greer and her husband, Lester, are well known as problem solvers. The organization has completed many successful projects backed by federal grants from agencies ranging from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture. The Greers' nonprofit also built five homes in Lexington for purchase at a reduced price as part of a 2010 Department of Housing and Urban Development program for rural areas. 'I had been trying to find a house when somebody told me, 'Go see Beulah and Lester,'' said Lillie Williams, a Lexington resident. That was more than 10 years ago. These days, Williams sits out on her front porch with her nine dogs and enjoys the peaceful woods surrounding her home. Lillie Williams sat on the front porch of her Lexington, Miss., home with two of her nine dogs in July. Williams bought the home over a decade ago from Community Students Learning Center as part of a HUD program selling single family homes in rural areas at a reduced cost. Julian Sorapuru/Globe Staff 'The Bible says to whom much is given, much is required. And I believe what we do is what people ask us to do,' Greer said. Advertisement It's a spirit Greer thinks is currently lacking in her leaders, including Wicker. 'He's working in the political forum, not on what's humanly right,' she said. 'This is hurting his constituents. I feel like he needs to speak up about what's right in his heart.' Greer hopes the Trump administration reconsiders its funding priorities. 'The resources are really squashing the people at the bottom, it's like you're getting mashed,' Greer said. A Trump administration official, she said, should 'come here and look how we're trying to survive, and then you might have a little more compassion.' DOJ did not respond to a request for comment. Mississippi state agencies have also felt the financial effects of federal pullback. The US Department of 'The COVID-19 pandemic is over and the American people have moved on,' the senior White House official told the Globe. 'It's time for the government to move on as well and stop wasting billions in taxpayer dollars.' When the nonprofit lost federal funding through the Mississippi State Department of Health this spring, it was forced to shut down its clinic-on-wheels program that provided sexual health services to medically underserved communities across the state. Advertisement The nonprofit also had to furlough or fire half its staff, according to chief executive June Gipson, due to uncertainty around various other federal grants, such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds that arrived late. They also had a 10-year, $12 million National Institutes of Health grant aimed at Gipson said it was the first time she's had to reduce the organization's workforce since she started leading it more than a decade ago. Even though some of the nonprofit's federal funding remains untouched, Gipson is wary of what's to come. The Mississippi State Department of Health's budget is 66 percent federally funded. 'How do you move forward and trust the federal government at this point?' she asked. Deja Abdul-Haqq, a program director at the nonprofit, who was furloughed until recently, believes 'the entire United States is going to turn into one big Mississippi, riddled with infectious and chronic disease' as a result of the federal government's shifting health funding priorities. The My Brother's Keeper cuts hit close to home for DR, a Jackson resident who has lived with HIV for years and requested anonymity for fear of antigay stigma. He learned he had contracted HIV when he got tested at a state-sponsored STI clinic, known as which is operated by My Brother's Keeper. It was there he met his doctor, Laura Beauchamps. 'She says, 'You now have AIDS.' And Lord knows that's the last thing I wanted to hear,' DR said, his eyes becoming misty. 'She was like, 'It's not the end. We're gonna get you on the medication that you need.'' In the end, DR said, Beauchamps 'was more positive than the virus' and helped save his life physically and emotionally. Today, DR's viral load is so low that it's undetectable and untransmittable. The empathetic, compassionate care DR received at Open Arms is something he hopes other people with HIV get to experience in Mississippi, a state with 'Had it not been for Open Arms, Dr. Beauchamps, and all the other providers, who knows if we would be having this conversation," DR said. 'Or, if I were here, what would my quality of life be like? So, the cuts do not sit right with me. 'The safety net is gone,' he continued. 'If you jump off this ledge thinking that the bungee cord is gonna snap you back up, there is no cord.' Julian E.J. Sorapuru can be reached at
The Hill
34 minutes ago
- The Hill
Texas Democrats fear incumbent-vs.-incumbent brawl after redistricting
Texas Democrats are fretting over a likely primary battle between Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and Greg Casar (D-Texas) as Republicans move toward passing a new congressional map that pits the two incumbents against each other. The proposed map, which gives Texas Republicans five congressional seats, draws the two Democratic lawmakers into one Austin-area district. A matchup would pit the 78-year-old Doggett, who was the first House Democrat to call on former President Biden to drop his presidential bid last year, against the 36-year-old Casar, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus. But in what many Democrats call an ironic twist, Doggett is pushing for Casar to run in the newly redrawn 35th district. The move was perceived by some Texas Democrats as Doggett waving the white flag in the redistricting battle before the new map was officially passed by the state legislature. Additionally, Democrats are voicing concerns that an ugly primary would only seek to benefit Republicans and drain resources that Democrats could be using elsewhere in the state next year. In an interview with The Hill on Friday, Doggett called on Casar to 'explain to voters why I should be ousted and why he is surrendering the district to Trump.' 'It's certainly a battle that is unfortunate to divide Democrats at a time when we need to be united against Trump,' Doggett said. 'But I don't see it as having to be a particularly mean race.' However, when asked whether he plans to spend the $6.2 million he has in the bank, Dogget said he plans to use the resources he has and to be 'victorious.' 'That money was raised for my reelection and I plan to use it as necessary,' he said. The back and forth ensued earlier this week when Doggett argued in an email to supporters that the new 35th district would be based in San Antonio, rather than Austin. Doggett is also claiming that Casar could help sway San Antonio's 57 percent Hispanic population. But in an email to Casar's supporters obtained by The Hill, his chief of staff Stephanie Trinh wrote that Casar's 'focus right now is on fighting the maps and supporting our state legislators who have bravely left the state to slow down Republicans' and that Doggett sent his email to supporters without consulting Casar or his team. 'Other than the fact that Republicans arbitrarily assigned this seat the same number as Greg's current one, there's no reason it would make sense for Greg to run in that district,' Trinh wrote, noting that the merged Austin-based 37th district would include nearly 250,000 of Casar's current constituents and his former city council seat. Casar currently represents the state's 35th congressional district, which includes parts of the San Antonio metro area, as well as parts of Austin. Doggett represents the 37th district, which includes the majority of the city of Austin and some of its suburbs. Under the proposed new maps, the 37th congressional district would become more Democratic while the new 35th district would become more conservative and include less than 10 percent of Casar's current constituents. The new 37th district would include roughly two-thirds of Doggett's constituents, while the rest would come from Casar's Austin-area constituency, including his former city council seat that he held from 2015 to 2022. Casar's supporters note that Doggett has been in Congress for 30 years, having represented the 10th, 25th, 35th and 37th districts throughout his tenure. Veteran Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha called Doggett's insistence on running in the newly redrawn 37th district and pushing for Casar to run in the new 35th district 'so ironic,' given Doggett's calls last year for Biden to drop his presidential bid amid questions about his age and fitness to serve in office. 'There's been frustration, especially after what we lived through after the last election cycle, with candidates not knowing the time to open the door to the next generation,' Rocha told The Hill. 'This would be an easy way for Lloyd to step down,' he added. These frustrations come as Democrats as a party grapple with the issue of age following Biden's decision to step down last year and the death of a number of Democratic lawmakers, who have recently died in office. Democratic activist David Hogg, whose group Leaders We Deserve is dedicated to electing young Democrats, said Doggett should 'take his own advice and pass the torch.' 'Thanks to Governor Abbott being a feckless Trump lackey, two incredible progressives might have to fight over the Austin seat,' Hogg said in a statement to The Hill. 'Greg Casar is 36 and Lloyd Doggett is 78. This isn't complicated, Lloyd should take his own advice and pass the torch instead of tearing down the youngest-ever Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.' But Doggett said his issue with Biden running in 2024 did not have to do with the former president's age, but 'an electability problem' and a poor debate performance against Trump. 'There were many people who were more worried about their careers and offending the Democratic Party establishment who didn't say a word,' the congressman said. 'The fact that I was not starting a career was, I think, an asset in being able to speak truth to power even within my own party.' Doggett is also arguing that the new 35th district presents an opportunity for Casar, given its large Latino population. '[The new district] is a district that is much more Hispanic than the one he has today, 57 percent Hispanic,' Doggett said. 'He is the incumbent. He has the power to bring all of his talent and his resources to bear on this district and demonstrate that we don't have to surrender it to Trump.' But Casar's allies in the Latino and Hispanic community, including in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, are ready to defend him. 2024 Election Coverage 'Suggesting Greg Casar abandon Austin for another district just because of its Hispanic population is insulting and out of touch,' one Latino Democratic strategist told The Hill. 'Lloyd Doggett should be fighting Republican gerrymandering, not telling one of Congress's most effective progressive Latinos to step aside from the community he was elected to serve.' Rocha said the subject has been 'a hot topic in the Latino leaders group chat.'
