Hispanic and Latino Americans

Harris County, Texas voters cited ICE enforcement, Temporary Protected Status and work visas as key issues motivating them to cast ballots, with several describing personal ties to migrant communities. Advocacy group CRECEN noted that of 17 countries eligible for TPS at the start of 2025, 13 have since lost that designation under the Trump administration, affecting roughly 1.1 million people. Only El Salvador, Ukraine, Sudan and Lebanon retain TPS status, covering about 343,800 people. Voters born in El Salvador, the largest TPS-recipient group, called for policy changes. A proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee was also raised as a concern before being blocked by a federal judge.

Civil rights leader and labor organizer Dolores Huerta died Wednesday at age 96. Co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, Huerta coined the rallying cry "Sí, se puede!" during a 1972 Phoenix protest against an anti-labor law and spent decades advocating for farmworkers, women, and civil rights, including later campaigns against SB1070 and for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Arizona officials across parties and government, including Gov. Katie Hobbs, Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Greg Stanton and Adelita Grijalva, Attorney General Kris Mayes, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and Councilmember Betty Guardado, praised her lasting influence on the state and nation. A candlelight vigil was held outside Phoenix City Hall in her honor.

A Des Moines family is coping with the deportation of Juan Lopez, who lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years before immigration officers arrested him on his way to work in September. Lopez, who officials say had a felony record including assault and burglary, left behind seven children and 14 grandchildren, all U.S. citizens. His children say the deportation has brought emotional and financial strain, with two sons now helping cover the family mortgage. University of Iowa researchers note that immigration enforcement can affect children's health and development even before birth. Brookings estimates more than 200,000 children nationwide have had a parent detained since early last year.

California's statewide graduation rate reached 87.9% in the 2025-26 school year, the highest in ten years, according to the California School Dashboard released by the state Department of Education. Chronic absenteeism fell to 18.3%, down from a pandemic-era peak near 30%, but remains above pre-pandemic levels. Suspension rates dipped slightly to 2.8%, continuing a gradual multi-year decline.

Despite the overall gains, disparities persist: Black, Native American, Pacific Islander and Hispanic students, along with foster youth, homeless students, English learners and students with disabilities, continued to face higher rates of absenteeism and suspension than statewide averages. The statewide graduation figure was also dragged down by two troubled charter schools, including Highlands Community Charter, which recently filed for bankruptcy amid a $180 million funding dispute. College readiness metrics improved modestly, with more graduates meeting CSU/UC entrance requirements and earning distinctions like the State Seal of Biliteracy. Officials and education experts called the trends encouraging but said deeper, more targeted interventions are still needed to close persistent gaps.

Clashes between protesters and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Salem, Oregon, over the weekend reflect a sharp escalation in federal immigration enforcement statewide. Federal agents tear gassed demonstrators Saturday after about 30 people tried to block ICE vehicles in a shopping mall parking lot, a day after video showed an agent pepper-spraying a protester who jumped on an ICE SUV's hood at a gas station. ICE said officers were surrounded and their vehicles struck with bats and rocks; advocates and witnesses accuse agents of escalating tensions and exposing bystanders, including children, to chemical munitions.

Local immigrant support groups reported a surge in enforcement-related assistance requests, and statewide verified arrests more than doubled recent weekly averages. Latino-owned businesses reported steep sales drops as residents stayed home. Oregon's congressional delegation visited a Portland ICE facility, learning detainees are now being routed directly to a Tacoma detention center, raising due process concerns. Gov. Tina Kotek and state lawmakers condemned the enforcement escalation and pledged increased coordination.

President Trump's campaign rally at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio drew competing demonstrations on Wednesday, as the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and the Bexar County Democratic Party staged separate but overlapping protests near the venue's entrance. The PSL focused on opposition to ICE enforcement, framing its protest around the impact of deportations on the heavily Hispanic city, while Bexar County Democrats promoted their demonstration as a rebuke of Trump's presidency and highlighted Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Members of the Brown Berets, the 50501 organization, and PETA also joined the protest activity.

Several hundred protesters gathered along Houston Street, while thousands of rally attendees lined up to enter, with overflow crowds watching via jumbotron after the venue reached capacity. Law enforcement, including the Secret Service, closed streets ahead of the president's motorcade arrival. The protests and rally crowds remained physically separated and the event proceeded without major incident, as Trump's team seeks to boost Republican turnout in Texas ahead of upcoming elections.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association are each sending $1 million to support Gina Hinojosa's challenge to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, according to The New York Times. The infusion is significant for Hinojosa, whose campaign had only about $4 million on hand at the end of last month. The move follows pressure from prominent Latino Democrats, including Rep. Joaquin Castro, who pushed the DGA to treat the race as competitive.

Hinojosa's bid has been somewhat overshadowed by Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who has raised more than $70 million against Republican Ken Paxton and is seen as a national fundraising star. Democrats haven't won a statewide race in Texas since 1994, and the governor's mansion has been held by Republicans since Ann Richards left office in 1995. Castro argued that winning the governor's race is the only way to stop Texas Republicans from attempting another congressional redistricting before 2028, telling the Times, "Gina is right there."