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Below are stories for this week. It was a heavy one but I picked the ones that I think we need to spend more time diving into.
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National Guard Deployment Ruled Illegal
Another week, another reminder that we have to stay vigilant. A judge in Oregon just delivered a decisive ruling that the Trump administration must immediately cease the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon.
What makes this even more significant? The judge was a Trump appointee! They ruled that the administration unconstitutionally sent the Guard to the city last month in response to the massive, ongoing protests against ICE activity. The court concluded that the administration simply failed to provide evidence that the protests were actually stopping ICE agents from doing their jobs, meaning there was no legal justification for sending in the Guard.
It’s easy to get numb to the news. It feels like every week there’s another story of this administration pushing the boundaries, breaking the law, and infringing upon our basic civil rights. But this ruling is a clear sign that our elected officials and the courts can, and must, hold the administration accountable.
This needs to be a wake-up call. We have to ask ourselves: At what point do we stop passively reading the news and start organizing to fight back? Let’s keep pushing the people we elect to protect our constitutional rights. This fight is far from over.
@senor_barragan Those that are creating harm need to be held accountable #oregon #portland #immigration #inmigraciom #latinosenusa
Denver Official Pours Bleach on Food
If you saw the viral video out of Denver this week, you probably felt the same anger I did. It showed a public official pouring bleach directly onto a street taco vendor’s food; not just limes and salsa, but potentially the vendor’s personal food or the ingredients for their family’s livelihood.
There is nothing normal or acceptable about a public servant, who is supposed to support the community, standing there smirking while actively poisoning someone’s source of income. Even if the city defended it later, saying it was a "last resort" because of health code violations, and even if the vendor had been cited before for those issues, there is a better way to handle this. Bleach on food is inhumane and dangerous.
This video is a raw look at the fundamental problem: When street vendors, many of whom are immigrants working to support their families, are only met with punitive, dehumanizing enforcement, the system is failing. It showcases an incredible disconnect: vendors are trying to survive, and the city responds with a move that feels designed to punish, not help.
We cannot continue to accept this. We must demand our cities stop treating vendors like criminals and start providing real resources and clear, affordable pathways to licensing and health compliance.
We need to support and protect street vendors, not poison their future. Here are two things we can do right now:
Demand Fair Pathways: Look up street vendor advocacy groups in your city (like Inclusive Action for the City or the Street Vendor Project in some areas) and see what policies they are pushing for. We need easier, faster, and more affordable permitting systems.
Support Your Local Vendor: The best way to push back is to support the people being targeted. Find your favorite street vendor, share their spot on social media, and treat them like the small business owners they are.
@senor_barragan Is this part of their policy? #denvercolorado #streetvendors #immigrants #mexico #tacos
This part of the newsletter was sponsored by these folks. Porfas piquenle para que me apoyen en la newsletter ! 🙏
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ICE Detained Another US Citizen
Shout out to the young man who had to endure this. This week, we saw another chilling example of how the migra operates without regard for law or basic human dignity: a U.S. citizen was detained by ICE.
He was simply working when the agents arrived and started questioning. From his story, we learned about his incredible courage: he started arguing with the officers to give his coworkers, including a family member, a chance to find a safe haven. He knew his rights, and he used his privilege of citizenship to stand up for his community.
The officers did not care. They ignored his citizenship claim, detained him, and took him miles away, only to release him and literally throw his belongings to the floor. This is not an accident; this is not a mistake. This is the calculated, inhumane result of racial profiling being normalized and encouraged.
If ICE agents are detaining U.S. citizens based on how they look, who they are working with, or what language they speak, then every single person in our community is a target. We are witnessing the wrong side of history.
We must protect ourselves and each other. Please be safe, know your rights, and have a plan for yourself and your family. If the agents don't care about a U.S. passport, what they are showcasing is a profound lack of humanity and an attack on all of us.
This young man's bravery is a model, but we need to equip ourselves. I want you to take two minutes right now to refresh yourself on the basics:
You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about your citizenship or immigration status.
Do not sign anything without speaking to a lawyer.
You can film ICE agents in public, but do not interfere with them.
@senor_barragan Que vergüenza con el paisano que está ahí #latino #hispano #inmigrantes #immigration #accountability
Personal Update:
I was going to spend the last section telling you all about my life at the moment but I have been very troubled by the narratives of what’s happening in Mexico so let’s spend time doing that →
This past week, Mexico has been rocked by nationwide protests against crime, corruption, and President Sheinbaum’s administration. These demonstrations, sparked in part by the horrific assassination of Mayor Carlos Manzo in Michoacan, are a raw expression of the deep pain caused by drug cartels and violence.
It is absolutely crucial to acknowledge that the demands for tighter security and order come from a place of real, lived fear. Mayor Manzo’s assassination is a heartbreaking example of the cost of standing up to organized crime.
However, as always, we must look deeper at the money and the motives.
In a recent press conference, President Sheinbaum shared that these protests are not purely organic. She accused right-wing parties of trying to infiltrate the movement using bots and presented evidence suggesting that right-wing Mexican and foreign interests contributed millions of dollars to promote the marches through a coordinated social media effort.
Why is this critical? Because when we consider the long, bloody history of United States intervention in Latin American countries with socialist or left-leaning elected officials, the picture becomes clear. The U.S. has a track record of covertly funding, organizing, and amplifying anti-government movements; creating "manufactured consent" as a pretext for political pressure, destabilization, or even intervention.
While we must always remain critical of all elected officials, it is even more critical that we apply that same scrutiny to who is actually behind these protests, who is funding the social media campaigns, and what their true motives are.
This is not a simple issue of "good vs. bad." This is a complex fight for sovereignty, and we need to understand who benefits when a popular, left-leaning government is destabilized. Our community cannot afford to be distracted by movements that look like the voice of the people, but may be the voice of outside interests.
@senor_barragan What did I miss? #mexico #mexicano
This newsletter was sponsored by the folks below! Please check them out and give them a look! Checking them out helps me continue to do this (since running the newsletter puede ser medio caro 🫠). Simplemente darle una vista, me ayuda un monton!
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