Latest news with #majority-Latino
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Unrest in LA: Donald Trump sends in troops to control immigration protests; Governor Newsom calls move 'inflammatory'
National Guard troops arrive in Los Angeles on Trump's orders to quell immigration protests (Picture credit: AP) National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles early Sunday under the direct orders of US President Donald Trump, marking an extraordinary move to assert federal authority amid escalating protests against immigration raids and triggering fierce political and legal pushback. Trump deployed 2,000 troops from the California National Guard without Governor Gavin Newsom's request, the first such action since 1965, according to the New York Times. That year, President Lyndon B. Johnson federalised the Guard to protect civil rights marchers in Alabama. 'This move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions,' Newsom said, calling the order a misuse of military power that erodes public trust. He later warned on X, 'Federal authorities want a spectacle. Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.' As per news agency AFP, helmeted troops carrying long guns and travelling in armoured vehicles were seen in Compton and downtown Los Angeles, areas where protests had intensified after federal immigration agents carried out sweeping raids, arresting over 100 people in majority-Latino neighbourhoods. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Windows Users Don't Forget To Do This Before Sunday Read More Undo Confrontations broke out in Paramount and Compton on Friday and Saturday, with federal officers firing tear gas and flash-bang grenades at demonstrators. In Compton, a protester holding a Mexican flag stood in front of a burnt-out car spray-painted with anti-ICE slogans. The unrest prompted US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem to defend the action, telling CBS' Face the Nation, 'The National Guard are specifically trained for this type of crowd situation.' Meanwhile, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth warned that active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton were on high alert and could be deployed if violence escalated. Trump justified the federal activation of the Guard under Title 10, USC 12406, which allows such deployment if there is a 'rebellion' against federal authority. 'To the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion,' his directive stated. But critics see the move as an overreach. 'For the federal government to take over the California National Guard, without the request of the governor, to put down protests is truly chilling,' said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, as quoted by The New York Times. California Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, speaking on CNN, accused the administration of targeting peaceful protests. 'We are having an administration that's targeting peaceful protests... The president is sending the National Guard because he doesn't like the scenes.' Republican leaders backed Trump's actions. House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed concerns on ABC's This Week, saying Newsom had shown 'an inability or unwillingness to do what is necessary.' He added that the potential deployment of Marines was not 'heavy-handed.' The deployment drew comparisons to Trump's handling of protests during his first term. In 2020, military helicopters were used to disperse demonstrators in Washington, DC, protesting police violence. As per news agency AP, protests continued late into Sunday evening outside federal buildings and near the Metropolitan Detention Centre. Police declared unlawful assemblies in some areas and made arrests, while authorities in Paramount erected barbed wire to prevent crowd surges. Fernando Delgado, a 24-year-old protester, was quoted by AFP as saying, 'These are injustices. Those detained are human beings just like any.' Senator Bernie Sanders posted on X, 'Conduct massive illegal raids. Provoke a counter-response. Declare a state of emergency. Call in the troops… Unacceptable.' Despite the backlash, a CBS News poll conducted prior to the unrest showed that a slight majority of Americans still supported Trump's immigration crackdown.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
AG Ellison condemns federal raid in Minneapolis
Federal officers drive down Lake Street following a raid at Las Cuatro Milpas in Minneapolis, Minnesota Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison condemned Tuesday's militarized federal law enforcement action in Minneapolis, saying 'it seemed like the point was to inflict terror and fear into the community.' Dozens of armed federal agents from multiple agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, raided a Minneapolis taco restaurant Tuesday in a majority-Latino neighborhood that was rocked by protests against the police murder of George Floyd five years ago. Minneapolis police were also present. The raid was Minnesota's first under President Donald Trump's Homeland Security Task Force, which he established via executive order on the first day of his second term, according to a statement from ICE, which called it a 'groundbreaking criminal operation.' 'If they want to inflict fear, and they wanted to discourage cooperation, they achieved both those goals yesterday,' Ellison said Wednesday in an interview with States Newsroom. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the raid was not related to immigration enforcement, but 'a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering.' But information was sparse on the scene. Hundreds of immigrant rights activists and neighbors surrounded the restaurant, yelling at officers and attempting to block their armored vehicles. Many officers wore face coverings and camouflage fatigues, and some refused to identify which agency they were with. Officers used chemical irritants and piercing sirens to disperse the crowd. No one was arrested during the raid, Frey said Tuesday. Ellison said he was not informed of the raid before it happened, and that the raid was 'way over the top in terms of resource allocation.' Ellison's remarks add to a chorus of condemnation among local officials who are concerned about the fate of immigrants in Minnesota. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released a statement Wednesday morning saying across the country, 'ICE is being deployed to terrorize people.' 'My singular focus is on the safety of the people who live here, and I want to be clear that ICE showing up alongside local law enforcement causes grievous and irreparable harm,' Moriarty said. DFL State Sen. Omar Fateh, who is running against Frey for Minneapolis mayor, said on social media that Minneapolis is a ''sanctuary' in name only.' 'There is no circumstance in which MPD should cooperate with ICE,' Fateh wrote. 'By labeling it in an investigation of 'criminal activity,' ICE visited fear into the heart of an immigrant neighborhood — and our communities were shaken.' After Trump's re-election, Frey promised that Minneapolis police would not assist with civil immigration enforcement. 'The Minneapolis Police Department's only role was assisting with crowd control and keeping the community safe as a large number of residents and bystanders had gathered at the scene,' Frey said Tuesday. 'They have not been involved in anything related to immigration enforcement.' Ellison said Wednesday that the state government also is not obligated to help federal agents locate and arrest immigrants. Asked how the raid's execution will impact his working relationship with federal agencies, Ellison said 'it's not that great now.'
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
CTU report faults charter school oversight, cites abrupt closures and financial mismanagement
A new Chicago Teachers Union report released Thursday criticizes the lack of oversight of the district's over 100 charter schools. Charter schools make up about a sixth of all schools in the district and receive public funding from Chicago Public Schools based on student enrollment, similar to district-run schools. Though charters are authorized and overseen by CPS, they operate as separate and private nonprofit organizations that manage their own day-to-day operations. The report argues that the unregulated nature of that model has caused abrupt school closures, financial mismanagement, worse student outcomes and labor violations. It cites high staff turnover, inadequate student support and wrongful and retaliatory firings. The union has historically opposed charter operations, which emerged as a form of 'educational choice' in the late '90s. In the report, CTU points to 'Renaissance 2010' under former mayor Rahm Emanuel, leading to the largest mass school closure of public schools in United States history, as charter models were prioritized. 'The District's oversight of charter schools follows State law as well as all related Charter District policies and procedures,' CPS said in a statement. Though debate over the benefits of charter versus neighborhood schools is always prominent, the announcement of the closures of over half of the schools in the Acero charter network last October created a new wave of controversy that went up against the school board. The closures would have affected 2,000 majority-Latino students and over 200 staff. As pressure built on CPS chief Pedro Martinez to assume financial responsibility for those schools, the district put out repeated messaging that it had not offered financial support to charter operators closing schools for financial reasons in the past. According to the report, the fact that 'charters have no obligation to give notice' before a school closure has caused 'disruption, uncertainty, and the erosion of CPS's credibility with impacted families over time.' Under a mayor that has historically adamantly opposed school closures, in an unusual move, the Chicago Board of Education eventually voted to keep some of the Acero schools open, a financial commitment for a district under serious financial strain — and a statement against the rash decision-making of charter leadership. According to the report, the Acero closures were announced despite having '$49 million in cash reserves' and meeting financial health indicators. At the time, charter administrators said the decision to close the schools was made partly because the buildings did not meet safety standards. Financial mismanagement lies at the root of closures like Acero and other charter operators that have shuttered in recent years, the report states. Hope Learning Academy, Foundations College Prep and Little Black Pearl also closed schools recently. The report cites evidence that charter operators have stockpiled hundreds of millions in reserves while the district has accrued debt, some using public funds to finance private deals. It describes charter operators as capitalizing on the opportunity to 'triple dip' on pandemic money and loans, on top of CPS funds. Charter schools, the union-written report argues, have 'failed to live up to the promises they made to families,' falling behind in standards for special education and English Language Learners. Students are disproportionately disciplined, it states. The report also describes what it calls 'anti-union practices' such as retaliatory firings, intimidation and school closures timed to disrupt union efforts. Ultimately, the report recommends stricter oversight of charters and stronger protections for students and educators. 'Charter operators are able to continue to benefit from public funding while evading the public standards and responsibilities that district schools are held to,' the report concludes. 'The lack of oversight, support, and accountability has produced repeated and real harms.'
Axios
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
With new piano lab, East Boston students straddle two worlds
An East Boston school has drawn students to Beethoven, Vivaldi — and the likes of Mexican superstar Juan Gabriel. A new piano lab aims to give a boost to the majority-Latino school's bicultural music program. The big picture: Mario Umana Academy is the 10th school enrolled in the Lang Lang Music Foundation's Keys of Inspiration program, which works with Title 1 elementary schools serving students in underserved communities. Playing the news: The K-8 school received new electric pianos earlier in April for its program, which has 245 students across grades 2-5 enrolled. The program has also worked with Dever Elementary in Dorchester, the Hennigan School in Jamaica Plain and Chittick Elementary in Hyde Park. Zoom in: On a recent Wednesday morning, Virginia Lopez Alvarez directed her third-grade class to practice "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the pianos. The students once shared seven old keyboards with notes painted on the worn keys. Now each student sat at an upright piano, pressing each key with an index finger, trying to match the sounds of their classmates. What they're saying: "Seeing how they build a community in this classroom is amazing," Lopez, a classically trained harpist from Colombia, told Axios. One day, Lopez said, those students will follow in the footsteps of their older peers, playing classical European music alongside Latino classics like the beloved Christmas song, "El Burrito Sabanero." Last year, older students performed a cumbia by the late Ecuadorian artist Julio Jaramillo.
Los Angeles Times
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Texas county that swung to Trump grapples with immigration crackdown after bakery is targeted
LOS FRESNOS, Texas — Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel's bakery in the Texas community of Los Fresnos is a daily stop for many residents to share gossip over coffee and pick up cakes and pastries for birthdays, office parties or themselves. When Homeland Security Investigations agents showed up at Abby's Bakery in February and arrested the owners and eight employees, residents of Los Fresnos were shocked. But the bakery's owners, Baez and Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who are legal U.S. permanent residents, could lose everything after being accused of concealing and harboring immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally. It's a rare case in which business owners face criminal charges rather than just a fine. 'I was surprised because I know that they're not taking advantage of the people,' Esteban Rodriguez, 43, said after pulling into the bakery's parking lot to discover it was closed. 'It was more like helping out people. They didn't have nowhere to go, instead of them being on the streets.' The reaction in the town of 8,500 residents may show the limits of support for President Trump's immigration crackdown in a majority-Latino region dotted with fields of cotton, sugarcane and red grapefruit where Republicans made gains in last year's election. Cameron County voted for a GOP president for the first time since 2004. For neighboring Starr County, it was the first time since 1896. Los Fresnos, which is 90% Latino and counts the school district as its largest employer, is about a half-hour drive from the Mexican border. Hundreds of school bus drivers, painters, retirees and parishioners from the nearby Catholic church come into Abby's Bakery each day. Customers with silver trays and tongs select pastries from glass-door cabinets. Six of Abby's eight employees were in the U.S. on visitor visas, but none had work permits when Homeland Security Investigations agents came to the business Feb. 12. The owners acknowledged they knew that, according to a federal complaint. Employees lived in a room with six beds and shared two bathrooms in the same building as the bakery, according to an agent's affidavit. Baez, 55, and Avila-Guel, 46, have pleaded not guilty. They referred questions to their attorneys, who noted the workers were not held against their will and there was no attempt to hide their presence, as a smuggler would. As green card holders, the couple could be deported if they are convicted. They have five children who are U.S. citizens. The bakery closed for several days after their arrest, drawing about 20 people to protest on an uncharacteristically chilly evening. Msgr. Pedro Briseño of St. Cecilia Church often visited before early morning Mass for the campechana, a flaky, crunchy pastry dough layered with caramelized sugar. His routine was interrupted when plainclothes immigration agents arrived in unmarked vehicles. 'A woman came here crying. She said, 'Father, Father, they're taking my brother,'' Briseño said. The priest walked over and saw agents use zip ties to bind employees' hands. There is overwhelming bipartisan support to deport people who are in the U.S. illegally and have been convicted of a violent crime, with 82% in favor, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in January. Support softens considerably for deportations of all people in the country illegally, with 43% in favor and 37% opposed. Trump and top aides repeatedly say they are deporting criminals. But, as Tom Homan, Trump's 'border czar,' often says, others in the country illegally who are there when officers arrest criminals also will be deported, a departure from the Biden administration's practices. So far, Trump has avoided the large-scale factory and office raids that characterized his first term and that of Republican President George W. Bush. Scattered reports of smaller operations included the recent arrests of 37 people at a roofing business in northern Washington state. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it made 32,809 arrests in Trump's first 50 days in office, or a daily average of 656, which compared with a daily average of 311 during a 12-month period ending Sept. 30. ICE said nearly half — 14,111 — were convicted criminals and nearly one-third — 9,980 — had pending criminal cases, but it did not specify the charges. People with deep ties in their communities and no criminal records tend to generate more sympathy. Abby's reopened after the owners were released on bond. Chela and Alicia Vega, two sisters in their 60s who retired from the school district and have known the bakery owners for years, were among the customers filling trays with pastries. Chela Vega said the couple once took a week off from work to drive them to San Luis Potosi in Mexico after their sister died. When a hurricane struck, Leonardo Baez cut down their damaged trees without charge. For Terri Sponsler, 61, shopping at Abby's is now a political statement. 'With everything going on right now in our country, we need to find ways to protest,' she said. Mark W. Milum, the Los Fresnos city manager, said Abby's is an important business that contributes property and sales tax revenue to the $13-million annual municipal budget. Some customers just love the products. 'Other bakeries, they pop up, right?' said Ruth Zamora, 65. 'But when you go there, it's not the same.' Gonzalez writes for the Associated Press.
