#37 ¿Que pasó? with Señor B - week of 12/8

I had to sit down after reading the transcript from the Senate hearing yesterday. Familia it was infuriating. The hearing focused on the unthinkable: the deportation of US citizens and military veterans. When questioned, Kristi Noem, the current Secretary of Homeland Security, looked law officials in the eye and issued a flat denial: "We have not deported any citizens or military veterans," she claimed, right there, on the record. But this is where the story turns, because the committee had a witness ready to punch a hole through that official narrative; a voice from thousands of miles away ready to share his story of betrayal. The Secretary was caught in a lie, but the greater cruelty exposed was the systemic dishonor done to a man who served.

That man is Sae Joon Park. A U.S. Army veteran who served our country in 1989. His service, like too many veterans, left deep, invisible scars, leading to a struggle with PTSD and substance abuse that resulted in petty crime charges in the 1990s. The most critical part of his story, though, is his redemption: for the last 14 years, he has been clean and sober. He did the hard work to heal, to better himself, and to live a quiet life here in the U.S. Yet, earlier this year, the very agency Kristi Noem leads, the Department of Homeland Security, deported him to Korea. A country he hadn't set foot in since he was seven years old. Imagine the isolation, the profound disrespect, of being exiled after fighting for the nation that threw you away.

Mr. Park’s case is a profound and cruel example of DHS engaging in unlawful activity and causing irreparable harm to individuals who have tried, against great odds, to better themselves. It shows a systemic failure to protect those who served and a blatant disregard for the truth at the highest levels of government. We cannot let his sacrifice be forgotten or his life be reduced to a footnote in a Senate hearing. This man is a veteran. He deserved a path to citizenship, not a one-way ticket to a foreign land. We have to fight for him.

Mi gente, we have a serious community alert that is deeply disturbing, particularly as we enter the holiday season; a time meant for gathering and solace. We are hearing increased reports that ICE may begin to detain people in places we have always considered safe: our churches, our children's schools, and our hospitals.

For decades, houses of worship, schools, and hospitals were protected safe havens, shielded from immigration raids. This long-standing tradition was torn away last January when the administration officially removed these protections, giving agents wide discretion to operate in these "sensitive locations." This move is a targeted fear tactic, and the consequences will be devastating for our community.

This policy creates a terrifying effect. People who need medical care will be afraid to go to the hospital. Children will miss vital days of school, their education suffering because their parents fear dropping them off. And the inability to gather in our community spaces and churches, to find mental and spiritual support, will increase mental health issues across the board. Furthermore, this is a clear government overreach that interferes with one of our fundamental liberties: the freedom to practice religion. The idea that la migra would violate the sanctity of our spaces, especially during the holidays, is not just cruel; it’s an attack on our constitutional rights and the social fabric of our community.

We must look out for one another and be ready to act. If you see ICE activity near any of these sensitive areas, it is absolutely essential to safely bring attention to it; notify community leaders, record the encounter, and call a rapid response hotline to keep others safe.

👉 Resource to Stay Safe: NILC Factsheet: Trump's Rescission of Protected Areas Policies Undermines Safety for All

I had a frustrating, but incredibly necessary, encounter during a recent livestream. I ran into a Latino supporter of the current presidency who immediately started trying to explain their support with a familiar, toxic lie: that immigrants who are not documented are illegally voting and cheating the election system.

They even had a fabricated anecdote, claiming that "illegal immigrants" told them personally about their voting status and how easy it is to "cheat the system because of no ID." Of course, when we pressed him with follow-up questions , like, "How did they even register to vote?", he immediately refused to answer and ran away. The truth, my people, always runs faster than a lie.

Let's call this out for what it is: a dangerous lie designed to suppress our voices.

These lies are not about election integrity; they are about voter suppression. They are meant to create fear, divide our communities, and delegitimize the votes of people of color and immigrants.