Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, March 31, 2026
- Tuesday is Farmworkers’ Day, formerly known as Cesar Chavez Day, which has been celebrated for almost 30 years. But last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to make the name change official after Cesar Chavez was accused of sexually abusing women and girls. The state is just one of many entities making these name changes, but for some cities that might not happen as quickly.
- Another man who was detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center died last week. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security say they tried to save the man and later transported him to a hospital. But detainees say the man was denied medical treatment and died on site.
Cities are slowly erasing César Chávez’s name from streets
As Californians reel from César Chávez’s sex abuse allegations, city leaders across the state say they are considering removing his iconography by changing street names, libraries and monuments.
From San Francisco to San Diego, local officials have said they support removing statues and renaming everything from parks to libraries after renowned activist Dolores Huerta, 95, said Chávez forced himself on her in encounters that led to unwanted pregnancies. But the process for renaming a street or monument is often slow, bureaucratic and costly, typically requiring a combination of internal investigations, community input and city council approval. Businesses, too, could face mounting costs from changing addresses listed on business cards and websites.
The process to change a street name can move at a glacial pace, even under special circumstances. In San Diego, changing the city’s road names could be done with a petition with unanimous support from affected property owners and businesses that can be submitted to the city for approval. This option could take months to years, and is unlikely to happen because it would require buy-in from owners who would be volunteering to take on the disruption of renaming their home or business address.
Another option is for the city council to vote on changing a street name. This would take place after the city has completed its own report on all the affected areas, according to San Diego logistics officer Bethany Bezak. The mayor and his staff would then coordinate with the city council to bring it up for approval. City officials could not say how long this process would take. A review of every road, park and building in Cesar Chávez’s name is in the works and could take weeks to complete, Bezak said.
Man dies while being held at Adelanto ICE facility
A Mexican man died while being detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center last week. He is the fifth person to have died either while in custody at the facility or from health complications linked to its conditions since September 2025.
