San Francisco Immigration Court Down to Four Judges After New Departures
Fearing ICE, California’s Immigrant Seniors Retreat From Social and Health Services
California Delays Plan to Reissue Commercial Licenses, Drivers Mired in Uncertainty
San José Activists March on International Migrants Day, at a Time of Unprecedented Threats
The Trump Admin Has All but Stopped Reuniting Detained Migrant Children With Their Families
Dublin Council Takes Stand Against Turning Closed Prison Into ICE Detention
California Plans to Reissue Contested Driver’s Licenses to Thousands of Immigrants
Interfaith Activists Blocking Entrances to San Francisco ICE Office Are Detained
ICE Deportations Create Fear and Isolation in California’s Sikh Community
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"content": "\u003cp>Half a dozen immigration judges are departing the Northern California immigration courts this month, leaving just a handful of judges to handle a massive case backlog, as the Trump administration continues \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065240/after-trump-fires-5-more-sf-immigration-judges-legal-scholars-fear-a-more-partisan-system\">an unprecedented push\u003c/a> to remake the court system by eliminating judges who are more likely to grant asylum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two immigration judges were fired late Friday: \u003ca href=\"https://tracreports.org/immigration/reports/judgereports/00540SFR/index.html\">Arwen Swink\u003c/a>, who has served nearly nine years on the San Francisco bench, and \u003ca href=\"https://tracreports.org/immigration/reports/judgereports/01035SMO/index.html\">Denise Hunter\u003c/a>, who was appointed to the Sacramento bench in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, four San Francisco judges are taking retirements that some told attorneys they were pressured into. They are Howard Davis, Charles Greene, Patrick O’Brien and Joseph Park, according to Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the Bar Association of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exodus comes on top of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12054620/despite-a-growing-case-backlog-trump-fires-6th-san-francisco-immigration-judge\">previous firings\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065240/after-trump-fires-5-more-sf-immigration-judges-legal-scholars-fear-a-more-partisan-system\">12 San Francisco immigration judges\u003c/a> this year. Nationwide, more than 100 immigration judges have been forced out of their jobs, leaving roughly 600 adjudicators to handle 3.4 million cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s court, which had 21 judges earlier this year, will now have four. It is one of the nation’s busiest, with a backlog of more than 120,000 cases. Along with the historically smaller courts in Concord and Sacramento, it handles all the asylum and other deportation cases from Bakersfield to the Oregon border.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento bench, which has been reduced to three judges from six, is responsible for 30,000 cases. The Concord court, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11975904/new-bay-area-immigration-court-opens-aims-to-tackle-deportation-backlog\">which opened last year\u003c/a> with a promise to hire 21 judges, currently has seven judges and 60,000 cases on its docket.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys and former judges say the hollowing out of the court is wreaking havoc on the ability of asylum seekers and other immigrants to receive a fair hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s devastating,” said Elizabeth Young, who served as deputy chief immigration judge for the Western United States before she was forced out earlier this year. “It undermines the credibility of the entire system.”[aside postID=news_12065240 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/iStock-1155523595-e1561227391685.jpg']The whittling down of the bench means hearings are frequently canceled and rescheduled, often years into the future. It also comes as the Trump administration is employing other measures that advocates say are intended to pressure people into giving up their cases and leaving the country, even if they came to the United States fleeing persecution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent months, federal officers have been arresting people in the halls of immigration courthouses. For the past month, immigration prosecutors have also moved to close asylum cases and \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1416811/dl?inline\">send immigrants\u003c/a> to “third countries” that have agreed to accept some deportees, including Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Uganda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Rosa immigration attorney Nicole Gorney says all of that is affecting her clients, leaving them in a state of constant anxiety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re talking about people who’ve been here for years, waiting for their hearing. And the goalpost is literally moved as they’re playing the game,” she said. “But these are people’s lives. It’s not a game. It should be a lawful process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gorney was one of several attorneys who said that retiring San Francisco judges had told them their departures were not voluntary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was in front of Judge O’Brien last week, and I mentioned to him that I heard he was retiring,” Gorney said. “He told me that it wasn’t his choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, the Executive Office of Immigration Review, the formal name of the immigration court system, said it declines to comment on personnel matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The statement said the agency is “restoring integrity” after what it described as the Biden administration’s “de facto amnesty for hundreds of thousands of aliens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All judges have a legal, ethical, and professional obligation to be impartial and neutral in adjudicating cases,” the statement said. “If a judge violates that obligation by demonstrating a systematic bias in favor of or against either party, EOIR is obligated to take action to preserve the integrity of its system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EOIR is a quasi-judicial entity within the Department of Justice, not an independent court in the judicial branch. Immigration judges serve at the pleasure of the U.S. Attorney General, who is appointed by the president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency has been recruiting new judges, including a \u003ca href=\"https://join.justice.gov/\">posting\u003c/a> advertising for “deportation judges,” a term Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also used in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fnotifications\">post\u003c/a> on the social media platform X last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also sought to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/immigration-judges-military-lawyers-deportation-9f9d42869469e42240ef0720c25fc681\">assign military lawyers\u003c/a>, known as judge advocates general, to the immigration bench on a temporary basis, though they are unlikely to have specialized knowledge of immigration law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hollowing out of the San Francisco bench has led some court watchers to speculate that EOIR may be planning to close one of the city’s two immigration court locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The federal government owns a building at 630 Sansome St. that houses several courtrooms, along with Homeland Security offices and short-term immigration detention cells. But rented space in a downtown office building at 100 Montgomery St. carries a $6.7 million annual price tag, and EOIR has historically been on the lookout for \u003ca href=\"https://www.gsa.gov/system/files/FY%202024%20San%20Francisco%20CA%20Department%20of%20Justice%20%26%20Department%20of%20Homeland%20Security%20Lease.pdf\">lower-cost alternatives\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, the former court administrator, said it wouldn’t surprise her if, with only a skeleton crew of judges remaining, the agency vacates the Montgomery Street building when the lease expires in early 2027, or sooner, to save costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the administration decides to downsize and go to Sansome or move everybody to Concord, then it would signal that potentially they’re not looking for long-term judges in San Francisco,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said that could mean either “they intend on allowing this huge backlog to continue on the shoulders of very few judges,” or EOIR might supplement the bench with temporary military judges and immigration judges in other jurisdictions who hear cases remotely by video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s ridiculous to think that that would give a fair hearing,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The forced departure of so many immigration judges, combined with the uncertainty about the court’s future, is having “a chilling effect” on the fair adjudication of cases, said Atkinson, who runs the San Francisco Bar Association’s Attorney of the Day program, which offers free legal help to unrepresented immigrants when they appear in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would be very difficult for a lot of people to have to travel farther for court or not to be able to have hearings in person if there was no court in San Francisco,” she said. “But as long as our clients here in San Francisco need representation, we will represent them regardless of where their hearings are held.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The latest firings and retirements are part of a nationwide push by the Department of Justice to remove judges deemed too generous to asylum seekers, while shrinking courts push already backlogged cases years into the future.",
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"title": "San Francisco Immigration Court Down to Four Judges After New Departures | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Half a dozen immigration judges are departing the Northern California immigration courts this month, leaving just a handful of judges to handle a massive case backlog, as the Trump administration continues \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065240/after-trump-fires-5-more-sf-immigration-judges-legal-scholars-fear-a-more-partisan-system\">an unprecedented push\u003c/a> to remake the court system by eliminating judges who are more likely to grant asylum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two immigration judges were fired late Friday: \u003ca href=\"https://tracreports.org/immigration/reports/judgereports/00540SFR/index.html\">Arwen Swink\u003c/a>, who has served nearly nine years on the San Francisco bench, and \u003ca href=\"https://tracreports.org/immigration/reports/judgereports/01035SMO/index.html\">Denise Hunter\u003c/a>, who was appointed to the Sacramento bench in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, four San Francisco judges are taking retirements that some told attorneys they were pressured into. They are Howard Davis, Charles Greene, Patrick O’Brien and Joseph Park, according to Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the Bar Association of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exodus comes on top of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12054620/despite-a-growing-case-backlog-trump-fires-6th-san-francisco-immigration-judge\">previous firings\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065240/after-trump-fires-5-more-sf-immigration-judges-legal-scholars-fear-a-more-partisan-system\">12 San Francisco immigration judges\u003c/a> this year. Nationwide, more than 100 immigration judges have been forced out of their jobs, leaving roughly 600 adjudicators to handle 3.4 million cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s court, which had 21 judges earlier this year, will now have four. It is one of the nation’s busiest, with a backlog of more than 120,000 cases. Along with the historically smaller courts in Concord and Sacramento, it handles all the asylum and other deportation cases from Bakersfield to the Oregon border.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento bench, which has been reduced to three judges from six, is responsible for 30,000 cases. The Concord court, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11975904/new-bay-area-immigration-court-opens-aims-to-tackle-deportation-backlog\">which opened last year\u003c/a> with a promise to hire 21 judges, currently has seven judges and 60,000 cases on its docket.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys and former judges say the hollowing out of the court is wreaking havoc on the ability of asylum seekers and other immigrants to receive a fair hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s devastating,” said Elizabeth Young, who served as deputy chief immigration judge for the Western United States before she was forced out earlier this year. “It undermines the credibility of the entire system.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The whittling down of the bench means hearings are frequently canceled and rescheduled, often years into the future. It also comes as the Trump administration is employing other measures that advocates say are intended to pressure people into giving up their cases and leaving the country, even if they came to the United States fleeing persecution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent months, federal officers have been arresting people in the halls of immigration courthouses. For the past month, immigration prosecutors have also moved to close asylum cases and \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1416811/dl?inline\">send immigrants\u003c/a> to “third countries” that have agreed to accept some deportees, including Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Uganda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Rosa immigration attorney Nicole Gorney says all of that is affecting her clients, leaving them in a state of constant anxiety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re talking about people who’ve been here for years, waiting for their hearing. And the goalpost is literally moved as they’re playing the game,” she said. “But these are people’s lives. It’s not a game. It should be a lawful process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gorney was one of several attorneys who said that retiring San Francisco judges had told them their departures were not voluntary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was in front of Judge O’Brien last week, and I mentioned to him that I heard he was retiring,” Gorney said. “He told me that it wasn’t his choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, the Executive Office of Immigration Review, the formal name of the immigration court system, said it declines to comment on personnel matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The statement said the agency is “restoring integrity” after what it described as the Biden administration’s “de facto amnesty for hundreds of thousands of aliens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All judges have a legal, ethical, and professional obligation to be impartial and neutral in adjudicating cases,” the statement said. “If a judge violates that obligation by demonstrating a systematic bias in favor of or against either party, EOIR is obligated to take action to preserve the integrity of its system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EOIR is a quasi-judicial entity within the Department of Justice, not an independent court in the judicial branch. Immigration judges serve at the pleasure of the U.S. Attorney General, who is appointed by the president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency has been recruiting new judges, including a \u003ca href=\"https://join.justice.gov/\">posting\u003c/a> advertising for “deportation judges,” a term Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also used in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fnotifications\">post\u003c/a> on the social media platform X last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also sought to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/immigration-judges-military-lawyers-deportation-9f9d42869469e42240ef0720c25fc681\">assign military lawyers\u003c/a>, known as judge advocates general, to the immigration bench on a temporary basis, though they are unlikely to have specialized knowledge of immigration law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hollowing out of the San Francisco bench has led some court watchers to speculate that EOIR may be planning to close one of the city’s two immigration court locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The federal government owns a building at 630 Sansome St. that houses several courtrooms, along with Homeland Security offices and short-term immigration detention cells. But rented space in a downtown office building at 100 Montgomery St. carries a $6.7 million annual price tag, and EOIR has historically been on the lookout for \u003ca href=\"https://www.gsa.gov/system/files/FY%202024%20San%20Francisco%20CA%20Department%20of%20Justice%20%26%20Department%20of%20Homeland%20Security%20Lease.pdf\">lower-cost alternatives\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, the former court administrator, said it wouldn’t surprise her if, with only a skeleton crew of judges remaining, the agency vacates the Montgomery Street building when the lease expires in early 2027, or sooner, to save costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the administration decides to downsize and go to Sansome or move everybody to Concord, then it would signal that potentially they’re not looking for long-term judges in San Francisco,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young said that could mean either “they intend on allowing this huge backlog to continue on the shoulders of very few judges,” or EOIR might supplement the bench with temporary military judges and immigration judges in other jurisdictions who hear cases remotely by video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s ridiculous to think that that would give a fair hearing,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The forced departure of so many immigration judges, combined with the uncertainty about the court’s future, is having “a chilling effect” on the fair adjudication of cases, said Atkinson, who runs the San Francisco Bar Association’s Attorney of the Day program, which offers free legal help to unrepresented immigrants when they appear in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would be very difficult for a lot of people to have to travel farther for court or not to be able to have hearings in person if there was no court in San Francisco,” she said. “But as long as our clients here in San Francisco need representation, we will represent them regardless of where their hearings are held.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "fearing-ice-californias-immigrant-seniors-retreat-from-social-and-health-services",
"title": "Fearing ICE, California’s Immigrant Seniors Retreat From Social and Health Services",
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"content": "\u003cp>When patients started cancelling appointments out of fear that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u003c/a> might arrest them on the street, St. John’s Community Health in Los Angeles adapted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The clinic began sending nurse practitioners, like Gabriella Oloye, to patients’ homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like I was in a movie,” Oloye said. “Like I was meeting patients in secrecy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the months passed, the home visitation program became more familiar to staff, who packed a van with fresh food and hygiene supplies to deliver through the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjch.org/grocery-assistance\">clinic’s\u003c/a> Healthcare Without Fear program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oloye estimates 40% of her patients are over age 50 and often behind on screenings like mammograms or colonoscopies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One patient in his 50’s with a chronic condition was too scared to leave home, even for a walk or to go to work. “I can’t even go out to the park,” he told her. “This is no way to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066615\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066615\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shashi Dalal, 88, originally from Mumbai, India, center, eats a free lunch at Centro Latino de San Francisco, a civic center serving seniors and those with disabilities in San Francisco on Aug. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Matthew Busch/The Investigative Reporting Program)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another patient waited too long to seek help for cellulitis in an infected toe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That could mean losing limbs or appendages,” Oloye said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has deported over 527,000 people, with another 1.5 million who have self-deported, according to a recent announcement by the agency. And one of the administration’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/21/statement-dhs-spokesperson-directives-expanding-law-enforcement-and-ending-abuse\">orders\u003c/a> was to rescind a Biden-era rule that protected “sensitive locations” — places of worship, schools, hospitals and clinics — from immigration operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates who coordinate care for immigrant patients have reported seeing this hesitancy to access healthcare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had over a thousand cases a few years ago,” said Laszlo Maderas, the chief medical officer of the Migrant Clinicians Network. “Now, we’re down to a few dozen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-americans-think-about-trumps-deportations-right-now\">polling\u003c/a> conducted by NPR with PBS and Marist, support for these mass deportations is split across party lines; a majority of polled Republicans believe these policies are making the country safer.[aside postID=news_12067803 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MigrantDayKQED.jpg']But health care and service providers in California who work with immigrants said they are concerned about the toll the Trump administration’s immigration policy is having on their patients — many of whom are avoiding medical treatment and social programs because they fear immigration arrests or raids. Clinicians and social workers said they are particularly concerned for older immigrants and those with chronic conditions, for whom routine medical care is more critical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For older patients, often dealing with cancer or chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, avoiding care can mean greater severity for someone already holding more disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While telehealth offers an alternative to a routine appointment, services like lab tests and vaccines require in-person visits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That fear will outweigh the need to actually get care,” Wang said. “That’s the real human impact.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Alameda County did not provide data tracking the relation between immigrants avoiding care and adverse health outcomes, research suggests the two are correlated: \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/briefs/mitigating-health-impacts-exclusionary-immigration-policies-evidence-review\">studies\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4074451/\">literature reviews\u003c/a> show that fear of detainment leads to exacerbated stress and reluctance to obtain health services amongst both undocumented and legal migrant populations. Wang speculated that missed care may have already contributed to premature deaths, noting chronic disease — prevalent in older populations — is the leading cause of death in Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t pay attention to it,” Wang warned, “you’re going to die early from something totally preventable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staff at the Mission Neighborhood Centers’ Health Aging and Disability Program in San Francisco said that patient fears have led to a noticeable drop in attendance. The center is located at the corner of 19th and Capp Street in the Mission District,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906012/latinos-in-la-mision-a-story-of-resistance-and-community\"> the heart of San Francisco’s Latino community\u003c/a>, which has attracted generations of immigrant families and more recent migrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066618\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandra Arena, 82, left, and Amalia Quintanilla, 80, right, play bingo at Mission Neighborhood Center, a civic center serving seniors in San Francisco on Aug. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Matthew Busch/The Investigative Reporting Program)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fear for themselves or undocumented family and friends, combined with rumors, has pushed many into isolation. Claudia Perez-Vaughan, who leads senior activities for the program, said the current situation reminds her of what many seniors were forced to endure during the COVID-19 lockdown. \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821456\">Studies\u003c/a> have shown a correlation between isolation and increased risk of mortality, dementia, and disability in older results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have this community center that is their second house, their second home,” she said. “We are like a family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere has changed recently. Some seniors have limited their visits to once a month, said Cinthia Torres, the community services coordinator. Others come only for to-go meals. A few have disappeared entirely. She remembers clients who used to drop by to say hello or play bingo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don’t come anymore,” Torres said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>José Sequaira, 77, and a naturalized citizen, still comes to the center for community activities like bingo, but it isn’t without trepidation. He’s upset by stories of people being ambushed by ICE officers and deported after building lives here. “I’m afraid because people with power, they treat them like nothing,” he said. “I don’t have any power, and how are they going to treat me?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066617\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066617\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seniors play bingo at the Mission Neighborhood Center, a civic center serving seniors in San Francisco, on Aug. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Matthew Busch/The Investigative Reporting Program)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Much of the fear stems from language barriers, Torres noted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let’s say someone stops them and asks them something. They’re afraid they won’t be able to answer, and they’re going to be taken away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Torres reminds clients that Mission Neighborhood Centers isn’t a sanctuary, but staff will do everything they can to protect them — “even if we have to sleep here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Citizenship can offer some protection against the threat. Jake Simons, associate director and naturalization program manager at Centro Latino de San Francisco, said there’s a push among clients to enroll in classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Naturalization class enrollment applications have jumped from 250 to 400 in the past year at Centro Latino, a community center for older adults and people with disabilities. It’s normal to be nervous before citizenship exams, Simons said. Now he’s seeing students break down crying during one-on-one conversations with him, others are being prescribed anxiety medication. A few ask staff to accompany them to their citizenship exams, a service the center doesn’t officially offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They think going through this process, something bad is going to happen to them when in reality it should be a positive thing,” Simons said.[aside postID=news_12067566 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240408-FCIDublin-017-BL_qut-1-1020x680.jpg']Julio Sifuentes, 67, who attends the naturalization classes, said a friend had a heart attack brought on by fear and stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The man, undocumented, was rushed to the ER and now won’t leave his house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was scared,” Sifuentes said. “I also thought it could happen to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond medical appointments and social activities, some seniors are also choosing not to apply or recertify for CalFresh food benefits or Medi-Cal health insurance, said Centro Latino social worker Veronica Lacayo. She said the seniors worry that their information could be accessed by ICE — which had\u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/ice-access-medicaid-data/\"> access \u003c/a>to Medicaid data before being \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/use-medicaid-data-ice-blocked-20-states\">blocked\u003c/a> in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Part of [their] well-being is food, it’s medical assistance. If they won’t get those services, it’s devastating,” Lacayo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Centro Latino distributes hot meals, often drawing long lines. Now, it’s not unusual for clients to ask to wait indoors, afraid of being seen by immigration agents, Lacayo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others hide at home. Meal-delivery drivers have reported seniors not answering their doors. When Lacayo calls to follow up with clients, they tell her they thought ICE was knocking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For most, it’s the only meal they get all day,” she said. Now, she instructs drivers to loudly say “la comida,” announcing the meal, and to identify themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some clients have asked Lacayo for virtual programming, she said, and she urges them to return in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But this situation is really challenging,” she said. “Encourage them how, when they feel fear?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hussain Khan is a reporter and Matthew Busch is a photographer with the Investigative Reporting Program at the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://journalism.berkeley.edu/\">\u003cem>UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. They covered this story through a grant from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thescanfoundation.org/\">\u003cem>The SCAN Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Experts in the Bay Area and Los Angeles report that older patients and social service clients are staying home to avoid rampant immigration enforcement. ",
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"title": "Fearing ICE, California’s Immigrant Seniors Retreat From Social and Health Services | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When patients started cancelling appointments out of fear that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u003c/a> might arrest them on the street, St. John’s Community Health in Los Angeles adapted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The clinic began sending nurse practitioners, like Gabriella Oloye, to patients’ homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like I was in a movie,” Oloye said. “Like I was meeting patients in secrecy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the months passed, the home visitation program became more familiar to staff, who packed a van with fresh food and hygiene supplies to deliver through the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjch.org/grocery-assistance\">clinic’s\u003c/a> Healthcare Without Fear program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oloye estimates 40% of her patients are over age 50 and often behind on screenings like mammograms or colonoscopies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One patient in his 50’s with a chronic condition was too scared to leave home, even for a walk or to go to work. “I can’t even go out to the park,” he told her. “This is no way to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066615\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066615\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-03-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shashi Dalal, 88, originally from Mumbai, India, center, eats a free lunch at Centro Latino de San Francisco, a civic center serving seniors and those with disabilities in San Francisco on Aug. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Matthew Busch/The Investigative Reporting Program)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another patient waited too long to seek help for cellulitis in an infected toe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That could mean losing limbs or appendages,” Oloye said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has deported over 527,000 people, with another 1.5 million who have self-deported, according to a recent announcement by the agency. And one of the administration’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/21/statement-dhs-spokesperson-directives-expanding-law-enforcement-and-ending-abuse\">orders\u003c/a> was to rescind a Biden-era rule that protected “sensitive locations” — places of worship, schools, hospitals and clinics — from immigration operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates who coordinate care for immigrant patients have reported seeing this hesitancy to access healthcare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had over a thousand cases a few years ago,” said Laszlo Maderas, the chief medical officer of the Migrant Clinicians Network. “Now, we’re down to a few dozen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-americans-think-about-trumps-deportations-right-now\">polling\u003c/a> conducted by NPR with PBS and Marist, support for these mass deportations is split across party lines; a majority of polled Republicans believe these policies are making the country safer.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But health care and service providers in California who work with immigrants said they are concerned about the toll the Trump administration’s immigration policy is having on their patients — many of whom are avoiding medical treatment and social programs because they fear immigration arrests or raids. Clinicians and social workers said they are particularly concerned for older immigrants and those with chronic conditions, for whom routine medical care is more critical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For older patients, often dealing with cancer or chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, avoiding care can mean greater severity for someone already holding more disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While telehealth offers an alternative to a routine appointment, services like lab tests and vaccines require in-person visits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That fear will outweigh the need to actually get care,” Wang said. “That’s the real human impact.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Alameda County did not provide data tracking the relation between immigrants avoiding care and adverse health outcomes, research suggests the two are correlated: \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/briefs/mitigating-health-impacts-exclusionary-immigration-policies-evidence-review\">studies\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4074451/\">literature reviews\u003c/a> show that fear of detainment leads to exacerbated stress and reluctance to obtain health services amongst both undocumented and legal migrant populations. Wang speculated that missed care may have already contributed to premature deaths, noting chronic disease — prevalent in older populations — is the leading cause of death in Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t pay attention to it,” Wang warned, “you’re going to die early from something totally preventable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staff at the Mission Neighborhood Centers’ Health Aging and Disability Program in San Francisco said that patient fears have led to a noticeable drop in attendance. The center is located at the corner of 19th and Capp Street in the Mission District,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906012/latinos-in-la-mision-a-story-of-resistance-and-community\"> the heart of San Francisco’s Latino community\u003c/a>, which has attracted generations of immigrant families and more recent migrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066618\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandra Arena, 82, left, and Amalia Quintanilla, 80, right, play bingo at Mission Neighborhood Center, a civic center serving seniors in San Francisco on Aug. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Matthew Busch/The Investigative Reporting Program)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fear for themselves or undocumented family and friends, combined with rumors, has pushed many into isolation. Claudia Perez-Vaughan, who leads senior activities for the program, said the current situation reminds her of what many seniors were forced to endure during the COVID-19 lockdown. \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821456\">Studies\u003c/a> have shown a correlation between isolation and increased risk of mortality, dementia, and disability in older results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have this community center that is their second house, their second home,” she said. “We are like a family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere has changed recently. Some seniors have limited their visits to once a month, said Cinthia Torres, the community services coordinator. Others come only for to-go meals. A few have disappeared entirely. She remembers clients who used to drop by to say hello or play bingo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They don’t come anymore,” Torres said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>José Sequaira, 77, and a naturalized citizen, still comes to the center for community activities like bingo, but it isn’t without trepidation. He’s upset by stories of people being ambushed by ICE officers and deported after building lives here. “I’m afraid because people with power, they treat them like nothing,” he said. “I don’t have any power, and how are they going to treat me?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066617\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066617\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-Aging-Immigrants-ICE-MD-05-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seniors play bingo at the Mission Neighborhood Center, a civic center serving seniors in San Francisco, on Aug. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Matthew Busch/The Investigative Reporting Program)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Much of the fear stems from language barriers, Torres noted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let’s say someone stops them and asks them something. They’re afraid they won’t be able to answer, and they’re going to be taken away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Torres reminds clients that Mission Neighborhood Centers isn’t a sanctuary, but staff will do everything they can to protect them — “even if we have to sleep here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Citizenship can offer some protection against the threat. Jake Simons, associate director and naturalization program manager at Centro Latino de San Francisco, said there’s a push among clients to enroll in classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Naturalization class enrollment applications have jumped from 250 to 400 in the past year at Centro Latino, a community center for older adults and people with disabilities. It’s normal to be nervous before citizenship exams, Simons said. Now he’s seeing students break down crying during one-on-one conversations with him, others are being prescribed anxiety medication. A few ask staff to accompany them to their citizenship exams, a service the center doesn’t officially offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They think going through this process, something bad is going to happen to them when in reality it should be a positive thing,” Simons said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Julio Sifuentes, 67, who attends the naturalization classes, said a friend had a heart attack brought on by fear and stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The man, undocumented, was rushed to the ER and now won’t leave his house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was scared,” Sifuentes said. “I also thought it could happen to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond medical appointments and social activities, some seniors are also choosing not to apply or recertify for CalFresh food benefits or Medi-Cal health insurance, said Centro Latino social worker Veronica Lacayo. She said the seniors worry that their information could be accessed by ICE — which had\u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/ice-access-medicaid-data/\"> access \u003c/a>to Medicaid data before being \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/use-medicaid-data-ice-blocked-20-states\">blocked\u003c/a> in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Part of [their] well-being is food, it’s medical assistance. If they won’t get those services, it’s devastating,” Lacayo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Centro Latino distributes hot meals, often drawing long lines. Now, it’s not unusual for clients to ask to wait indoors, afraid of being seen by immigration agents, Lacayo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others hide at home. Meal-delivery drivers have reported seniors not answering their doors. When Lacayo calls to follow up with clients, they tell her they thought ICE was knocking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For most, it’s the only meal they get all day,” she said. Now, she instructs drivers to loudly say “la comida,” announcing the meal, and to identify themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some clients have asked Lacayo for virtual programming, she said, and she urges them to return in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But this situation is really challenging,” she said. “Encourage them how, when they feel fear?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hussain Khan is a reporter and Matthew Busch is a photographer with the Investigative Reporting Program at the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://journalism.berkeley.edu/\">\u003cem>UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. They covered this story through a grant from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thescanfoundation.org/\">\u003cem>The SCAN Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> has paused its plan to resume issuing contested commercial driver’s licenses under pressure from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump\u003c/a> administration, according to state transportation officials, leaving thousands of immigrant truck and bus drivers uncertain if they can keep their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The delay is the latest twist in a monthslong dispute between California and the federal government over non-domiciled commercial drivers’ licenses for noncitizens who are authorized to work but lack permanent residency (or a green card).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At stake is more than $150 million in federal highway funding that the U.S. Department of Transportation threatened to withhold from California unless the state fixes problems with its non-domiciled CDL program, including licenses that expired at a later date than the driver’s work permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a state review found more than 20,000 licenses had incorrect expiration dates, due to Department of Motor Vehicles clerical errors, the agency sent those drivers 60-day cancellation notices. The licenses of most of these drivers, 17,000, are now set to be rescinded on Jan. 5. Many of them are Sikh truckers, with roots in Punjab, India, who said they have valid work permits and the revocations threaten their livelihoods and families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are going to lose out. Most of these guys have homes, families, businesses,” said Rajinder Singh Tanda, president at Global Truck Permits near Stockton, who has heard from many concerned truckers who could lose their license. “This will be a disaster in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For weeks, several unions and other driver advocates pushed the state to allow eligible drivers to renew their licenses. This week, the DMV said it planned to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067557/california-plans-to-reissue-contested-drivers-licenses-to-thousands-of-immigrants\">begin reissuing\u003c/a> these documents on Dec. 17, as the agency believed it met all conditions to fix earlier problems. But the federal government notified the DMV on Dec. 16 that it may not issue these licenses yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12068050 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A long-haul truck driver holds a letter from the California Department of Motor Vehicles notifying him of the cancellation of his commercial driver’s license on Dec. 16, 2025, in Livermore, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“DMV stands ready to resume issuing commercial driver’s licenses, including corrected licenses to eligible drivers,” Eva Spiegel, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Affairs at the DMV, said in a statement. “Given we are in compliance with federal regulations and state law, this delay by the federal government not only hurts our trucking industry, but it also leaves eligible drivers in the cold without any resolution during this holiday season.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are hopeful the federal government will do the right thing and allow California to reissue these commercial driver’s licenses promptly,” Spiegel added. “Commercial drivers are an important part of our economy — our supply chains don’t move and our communities don’t stay connected without them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been reviewing whether the state is complying with federal guidelines. In a Nov. 13 letter to Steve Gordon, California DMV director, the agency warned it could penalize the state by withholding not just funding but also its authority to issue all commercial drivers’ licenses.[aside postID=news_12067557 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED.jpg']About 700,000 drivers have commercial licenses in California to operate large vehicles such as school buses, garbage trucks and big rigs, according to the DMV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The back and forth comes as the Trump administration tried to exclude most asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants from holding non-domiciled CDLs through an interim rule it issued in September. The emergency regulation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-takes-emergency-action-protect-americas-roads\">announced by\u003c/a> U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, aimed to improve safety on the roads after a series of deadly crashes involving immigrant truck drivers in Florida and other states. Trucking industry experts, however, doubted that any reliable evidence links safe driving to immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A federal court in Washington, DC put that regulation on hold on Nov. 10, which meant the 20,000 immigrant drivers with cancellation notices in California could be eligible again to renew licenses. But now those drivers will have to wait longer for a resolution, even though the state’s program is in compliance, said Shane Gusman, legislative director for Teamsters California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re very disappointed,” said Gusman, whose union represents truck drivers who could lose their jobs. “There’s absolutely no legitimate reason why the federal government stepped in and said, ‘hold off.’ And it’s really disappointing for folks right before the holiday who thought their license issues were going to be fixed. And now it’s kind of left in the world of the unknown.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhupinder Kaur, director of operations for United Sikhs, said the nonprofit organization is encouraging hundreds of impacted drivers, including through a WhatsApp chat group, to stay hopeful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We always strive to fight for what is right,” Kaur said. “United Sikhs will continue fighting for the right of these drivers to pursue their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "More than 20,000 immigrant truck and bus drivers in the state could lose their jobs starting next month if their commercial driver’s licenses are cancelled with no recourse.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> has paused its plan to resume issuing contested commercial driver’s licenses under pressure from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump\u003c/a> administration, according to state transportation officials, leaving thousands of immigrant truck and bus drivers uncertain if they can keep their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The delay is the latest twist in a monthslong dispute between California and the federal government over non-domiciled commercial drivers’ licenses for noncitizens who are authorized to work but lack permanent residency (or a green card).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At stake is more than $150 million in federal highway funding that the U.S. Department of Transportation threatened to withhold from California unless the state fixes problems with its non-domiciled CDL program, including licenses that expired at a later date than the driver’s work permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a state review found more than 20,000 licenses had incorrect expiration dates, due to Department of Motor Vehicles clerical errors, the agency sent those drivers 60-day cancellation notices. The licenses of most of these drivers, 17,000, are now set to be rescinded on Jan. 5. Many of them are Sikh truckers, with roots in Punjab, India, who said they have valid work permits and the revocations threaten their livelihoods and families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are going to lose out. Most of these guys have homes, families, businesses,” said Rajinder Singh Tanda, president at Global Truck Permits near Stockton, who has heard from many concerned truckers who could lose their license. “This will be a disaster in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For weeks, several unions and other driver advocates pushed the state to allow eligible drivers to renew their licenses. This week, the DMV said it planned to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067557/california-plans-to-reissue-contested-drivers-licenses-to-thousands-of-immigrants\">begin reissuing\u003c/a> these documents on Dec. 17, as the agency believed it met all conditions to fix earlier problems. But the federal government notified the DMV on Dec. 16 that it may not issue these licenses yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12068050 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A long-haul truck driver holds a letter from the California Department of Motor Vehicles notifying him of the cancellation of his commercial driver’s license on Dec. 16, 2025, in Livermore, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“DMV stands ready to resume issuing commercial driver’s licenses, including corrected licenses to eligible drivers,” Eva Spiegel, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Affairs at the DMV, said in a statement. “Given we are in compliance with federal regulations and state law, this delay by the federal government not only hurts our trucking industry, but it also leaves eligible drivers in the cold without any resolution during this holiday season.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are hopeful the federal government will do the right thing and allow California to reissue these commercial driver’s licenses promptly,” Spiegel added. “Commercial drivers are an important part of our economy — our supply chains don’t move and our communities don’t stay connected without them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been reviewing whether the state is complying with federal guidelines. In a Nov. 13 letter to Steve Gordon, California DMV director, the agency warned it could penalize the state by withholding not just funding but also its authority to issue all commercial drivers’ licenses.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>About 700,000 drivers have commercial licenses in California to operate large vehicles such as school buses, garbage trucks and big rigs, according to the DMV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The back and forth comes as the Trump administration tried to exclude most asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants from holding non-domiciled CDLs through an interim rule it issued in September. The emergency regulation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-takes-emergency-action-protect-americas-roads\">announced by\u003c/a> U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, aimed to improve safety on the roads after a series of deadly crashes involving immigrant truck drivers in Florida and other states. Trucking industry experts, however, doubted that any reliable evidence links safe driving to immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A federal court in Washington, DC put that regulation on hold on Nov. 10, which meant the 20,000 immigrant drivers with cancellation notices in California could be eligible again to renew licenses. But now those drivers will have to wait longer for a resolution, even though the state’s program is in compliance, said Shane Gusman, legislative director for Teamsters California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re very disappointed,” said Gusman, whose union represents truck drivers who could lose their jobs. “There’s absolutely no legitimate reason why the federal government stepped in and said, ‘hold off.’ And it’s really disappointing for folks right before the holiday who thought their license issues were going to be fixed. And now it’s kind of left in the world of the unknown.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhupinder Kaur, director of operations for United Sikhs, said the nonprofit organization is encouraging hundreds of impacted drivers, including through a WhatsApp chat group, to stay hopeful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We always strive to fight for what is right,” Kaur said. “United Sikhs will continue fighting for the right of these drivers to pursue their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-activists-march-on-international-migrants-day-at-a-time-of-unprecedented-threats",
"title": "San José Activists March on International Migrants Day, at a Time of Unprecedented Threats",
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"headTitle": "San José Activists March on International Migrants Day, at a Time of Unprecedented Threats | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In commemoration of International Migrants Day, dozens of faith leaders, activists and residents marched through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> on Thursday to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies and pressure the city to bolster investments in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/immigration\">immigration\u003c/a> legal services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants from the nonprofit Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network and the multi-faith group PACT reenacted “La Posada,” a Latin American tradition dramatizing a scene in the Bible where Mary and Joseph seek shelter but are repeatedly turned away — a metaphor for the U.S.’s treatment of asylum seekers today, advocates said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joanna Becerra, a community leader with Amigos de Guadalupe, spoke through an interpreter about the critical need for legal representation. She cited the administration’s expanded funding for enforcement — an estimated $\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910650/ices-budget-just-tripled-whats-next\">170 billion federal budget for ICE\u003c/a> — as a direct threat to families in the South Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Trump administration has put together a massive machine to deport millions of people,” Becerra said. “When people facing deportation have access to legal representation, they have a way better chance at a positive outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The coalition, which includes the South Bay Labor Council and Amigos de Guadalupe, is demanding that the San José City Council allocate an additional $500,000 toward the legal defense of immigrant communities. This would bring the city’s total commitment to roughly $1.5 million for legal services and rapid response networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060896\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060896\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1505\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED-1536x1156.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">District 5 San José City Councilmember Peter Ortiz speaks during a protest against ICE in South San José on June 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The push follows similar moves in neighboring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059894/alameda-county-approves-3-5-million-to-scale-up-immigrant-defense-amid-ice-surge\">Alameda County\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061844/after-trump-surge-scare-sf-supervisors-race-to-fund-immigrant-legal-defense\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, where officials recently increased their own funding for immigrant legal defense in anticipation of federal policy changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With President Donald Trump’s mass deportation program recently expanding to include attacks on naturalized citizens and challenges to birthright citizenship in the Supreme Court, San José leaders are racing to fortify local protections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council moved forward with measures to establish “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060893/south-bay-leaders-aim-to-create-ice-free-zones\">ICE-free zones\u003c/a>” on city property—barring federal agents from using city parking lots or facilities for operations—and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058155/san-jose-city-council-supports-ice-mask-ban-after-plainclothes-arrest\">banned federal immigration officers\u003c/a> from concealing their identities with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059900/san-jose-could-soon-ban-ice-from-wearing-masks\">masks\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re on the offense,” said San José Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who led both of those initiatives, and who joined the march. “I was watching what happened in Chicago and Los Angeles … so I took those test cases and started doing what those legislators were doing.”[aside postID=news_12066314 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00043_TV-KQED.jpg']Ortiz acknowledged that the city faces a budget shortfall, meaning difficult choices lie ahead during the mid-year budget review. He stressed that funding legal defense might require cuts to other programs or outreach to philanthropy, but argued inaction is not an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The threat of raids has already rippled through the local economy in East San José, Ortiz said. La Perla Taqueria, a small business in his district, recently announced it would close. He attributed the struggle, in part, to a drop in clientele as fear grips the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve spoken to businesses who have seen a 40%-50% decrease in their customers,” Ortiz said. “They’re scared to go to their local restaurants … and it’s impacting our entire ecosystem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The march made strategic stops to deliver their demands, including at the office of U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San José). While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066314/as-immigration-enforcement-escalates-how-one-south-bay-priest-is-pushing-back\">Father Jon Pedigo\u003c/a>, executive director of PACT, praised Lofgren as a longstanding ally in Congress, the group asked federal lawmakers to act with greater urgency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pedigo noted that while the Posada is traditionally a celebration of hope, the mood this year has shifted toward vigilance against rising “intolerance” and “white Christian nationalism.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see the light getting darker,” Pedigo said. “We’re knocking on doors. Not just asking, but demanding a response for justice for immigrants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12066050 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural decorates the exterior of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where Father Jon Pedigo has worked as a priest in San José on Dec. 3, 2025. Father Pedigo, who worked with immigrant communities affected by ICE raids and deportations, left his full-time job as a priest to be a full-time organizer. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The coalition’s demands also highlighted the intersection of immigration status and housing, calling for services that specifically include unhoused residents in their planning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Fong of the South Bay Labor Council emphasized that the fight for immigrant rights is inextricably linked to labor rights in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our unions are negotiating right now for strong contracts, fair wages and safe working conditions,” Fong said. “The work succeeds when the broader community stands with us, especially as immigrant workers are targeted and exploited to weaken labor standards for everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking to the crowd, Huy Tran, SIREN’s executive director, reflected on his own family’s journey as refugees from Vietnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew that all of us came here for the same reasons: Safety. Security. Stability,” Tran said. “We are as American as anybody else in this country. No document or decree can take that from us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The demonstration in San José coincided with similar actions in Fresno and 25 other cities across the U.S. as part of a national mobilization by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "“Inaction” in the face of threats to the city’s immigrant community “is not an option,” San José city Councilmember Pete Ortiz said.",
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"title": "San José Activists March on International Migrants Day, at a Time of Unprecedented Threats | KQED",
"description": "“Inaction” in the face of threats to the city’s immigrant community “is not an option,” San José city Councilmember Pete Ortiz said.",
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"headline": "San José Activists March on International Migrants Day, at a Time of Unprecedented Threats",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In commemoration of International Migrants Day, dozens of faith leaders, activists and residents marched through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> on Thursday to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies and pressure the city to bolster investments in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/immigration\">immigration\u003c/a> legal services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants from the nonprofit Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network and the multi-faith group PACT reenacted “La Posada,” a Latin American tradition dramatizing a scene in the Bible where Mary and Joseph seek shelter but are repeatedly turned away — a metaphor for the U.S.’s treatment of asylum seekers today, advocates said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joanna Becerra, a community leader with Amigos de Guadalupe, spoke through an interpreter about the critical need for legal representation. She cited the administration’s expanded funding for enforcement — an estimated $\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910650/ices-budget-just-tripled-whats-next\">170 billion federal budget for ICE\u003c/a> — as a direct threat to families in the South Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Trump administration has put together a massive machine to deport millions of people,” Becerra said. “When people facing deportation have access to legal representation, they have a way better chance at a positive outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The coalition, which includes the South Bay Labor Council and Amigos de Guadalupe, is demanding that the San José City Council allocate an additional $500,000 toward the legal defense of immigrant communities. This would bring the city’s total commitment to roughly $1.5 million for legal services and rapid response networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060896\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060896\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1505\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/PeterOrtizKQED-1536x1156.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">District 5 San José City Councilmember Peter Ortiz speaks during a protest against ICE in South San José on June 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The push follows similar moves in neighboring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059894/alameda-county-approves-3-5-million-to-scale-up-immigrant-defense-amid-ice-surge\">Alameda County\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061844/after-trump-surge-scare-sf-supervisors-race-to-fund-immigrant-legal-defense\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, where officials recently increased their own funding for immigrant legal defense in anticipation of federal policy changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With President Donald Trump’s mass deportation program recently expanding to include attacks on naturalized citizens and challenges to birthright citizenship in the Supreme Court, San José leaders are racing to fortify local protections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council moved forward with measures to establish “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060893/south-bay-leaders-aim-to-create-ice-free-zones\">ICE-free zones\u003c/a>” on city property—barring federal agents from using city parking lots or facilities for operations—and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058155/san-jose-city-council-supports-ice-mask-ban-after-plainclothes-arrest\">banned federal immigration officers\u003c/a> from concealing their identities with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059900/san-jose-could-soon-ban-ice-from-wearing-masks\">masks\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re on the offense,” said San José Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who led both of those initiatives, and who joined the march. “I was watching what happened in Chicago and Los Angeles … so I took those test cases and started doing what those legislators were doing.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Ortiz acknowledged that the city faces a budget shortfall, meaning difficult choices lie ahead during the mid-year budget review. He stressed that funding legal defense might require cuts to other programs or outreach to philanthropy, but argued inaction is not an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The threat of raids has already rippled through the local economy in East San José, Ortiz said. La Perla Taqueria, a small business in his district, recently announced it would close. He attributed the struggle, in part, to a drop in clientele as fear grips the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve spoken to businesses who have seen a 40%-50% decrease in their customers,” Ortiz said. “They’re scared to go to their local restaurants … and it’s impacting our entire ecosystem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The march made strategic stops to deliver their demands, including at the office of U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San José). While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066314/as-immigration-enforcement-escalates-how-one-south-bay-priest-is-pushing-back\">Father Jon Pedigo\u003c/a>, executive director of PACT, praised Lofgren as a longstanding ally in Congress, the group asked federal lawmakers to act with greater urgency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pedigo noted that while the Posada is traditionally a celebration of hope, the mood this year has shifted toward vigilance against rising “intolerance” and “white Christian nationalism.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see the light getting darker,” Pedigo said. “We’re knocking on doors. Not just asking, but demanding a response for justice for immigrants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12066050 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00002_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural decorates the exterior of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where Father Jon Pedigo has worked as a priest in San José on Dec. 3, 2025. Father Pedigo, who worked with immigrant communities affected by ICE raids and deportations, left his full-time job as a priest to be a full-time organizer. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The coalition’s demands also highlighted the intersection of immigration status and housing, calling for services that specifically include unhoused residents in their planning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Fong of the South Bay Labor Council emphasized that the fight for immigrant rights is inextricably linked to labor rights in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our unions are negotiating right now for strong contracts, fair wages and safe working conditions,” Fong said. “The work succeeds when the broader community stands with us, especially as immigrant workers are targeted and exploited to weaken labor standards for everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking to the crowd, Huy Tran, SIREN’s executive director, reflected on his own family’s journey as refugees from Vietnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew that all of us came here for the same reasons: Safety. Security. Stability,” Tran said. “We are as American as anybody else in this country. No document or decree can take that from us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The demonstration in San José coincided with similar actions in Fresno and 25 other cities across the U.S. as part of a national mobilization by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-trump-admin-has-all-but-stopped-reuniting-detained-migrant-children-with-their-families-2",
"title": "The Trump Admin Has All but Stopped Reuniting Detained Migrant Children With Their Families",
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"headTitle": "The Trump Admin Has All but Stopped Reuniting Detained Migrant Children With Their Families | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump\u003c/a> administration has virtually stopped releasing children without permanent legal status who are in federal custody to their parents and other relatives. That’s according to data obtained by the \u003cem>California Newsroom\u003c/em>, immigration attorneys around the country and officials inside the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the agency tasked with caring for those children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Administration for Children and Families, which oversees ORR, said via email that earlier this year, it put in place “enhanced vetting policies” for adults who will care for the children after their release. The goal, it said, was to better protect children from harm. But it said the office “has not issued a moratorium” on releases to those adults.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, sources with knowledge of the office’s directives contradict that claim, saying ORR leadership began issuing verbal orders to staff in early November to stop releasing kids to their relatives until further notice.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what we know right now:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who are the children stuck in federal custody?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>These are kids without legal immigration status — from toddlers to teenagers — who were apprehended crossing the border without a parent or legal guardian or were separated from them \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-detentions-immigrant-kids-family-separations\">during arrests\u003c/a> by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The children are then handed over to ORR, which usually places them at shelters it oversees around the country. There are about 2,400 kids in ORR custody right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067900\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067900 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colombian asylum-seekers walk through the desert after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on Sept. 22, 2024, near Jacumba Hot Springs, California. \u003ccite>(John Moore/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Here in California, there are about 30 shelters with more than 300 kids altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of these children came to the U.S. to join their parents or other family members, who immigration officials call sponsors. ORR must vet those adults before the kids can be released to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys say many of these kids are fleeing violence, persecution or abuse in their home countries, and they plan to apply for an immigration status that protects them from being deported back to those situations.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s happening to them now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to eight officials at ORR, who asked not to be named because they fear losing their jobs, the government largely stopped releasing children to sponsors in early November, even those who had cleared the vetting process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eight immigration attorneys across the country — in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. — said that since early November, they have not been able to get kids with cleared sponsors out of ORR custody in most cases, even after sending letters to ORR demanding they be released and threatening litigation. The attorneys said the government has not explained why it won’t let the kids go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060605\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A demonstrator’s silhouette is cast beneath an American flag during the No Kings National Day of Action in Oakland on Oct. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to recent ORR data obtained by the \u003cem>California Newsroom\u003c/em>, the government released about four children per day to sponsors throughout the month of October, before releases were all but stopped. That’s a little over 100 children for the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the last month and a half, ORR has released only four kids \u003cem>total\u003c/em> to sponsors, according to the data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear why the four were released, and no other children were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ORR continues to discharge children to vetted sponsors when all statutory and safety requirements are fully met and when release is assessed to be appropriate given the child’s individual needs and circumstances,” the Administration for Children and Families told the California Newsroom. “Each case is evaluated individually, and decisions are made based on child welfare best practices.”[aside postID=news_12065240 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/IMG_4486-1020x765.jpeg']But three ORR officials with knowledge of the office’s release process told the California Newsroom that in early November, agency leadership ordered a hold on releasing children to sponsors until further notice, even if the sponsors have been cleared to receive them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sources said the order was not put in writing, but issued verbally to field officers across the country who are charged with signing off on releases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many cases are absolutely ready to go, but because releases aren’t being allowed, they are in limbo,” a field officer who received the order said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neha Desai, who leads the National Center for Youth Law’s work on behalf of immigrant children, pushed back on the agency’s explanation for the stalled releases, citing research that shows prolonged detention is \u003ca href=\"https://acaciajustice.org/two-new-reports-reveal-harms-of-prolonged-custody-for-unaccompanied-children/\">detrimental to children’s health\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are currently many children in custody who are very predictably experiencing a severe mental health decline,” she said. “The premise that kids are necessarily safer while in government custody than they are in the homes of their families is fundamentally flawed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marion “Mickey” Donovan-Kaloust, legal services director at Immigrant Defenders Law Center in L.A., said that, whatever the reason for the vanishingly few sponsor releases, it’s taking a toll on kids. “Children are very tearful, expressing difficulty sleeping,” she said. “No one can tell them, ‘Well, just wait a little longer, only this step is missing.’ We have no idea why they’re still detained.“\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Has this ever happened before?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Child welfare experts inside and outside ORR who work with migrant children told the California Newsroom they’ve never seen reunifications at a virtual standstill, the way they have since early November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting this spring, the Trump administration began adding new vetting requirements for sponsors — for example, all adult members of a household have to be fingerprinted, and sponsors claiming to be related to the child must take DNA tests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Earlier this year ORR enhanced its sponsor vetting policies — since the previous administration’s policies prioritized speed over safety and put children in danger — to address common categories of sponsor fraud and to establish clear protocols for detecting, documenting, and preventing criminals from exploiting children,” the Administration for Children and Families said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2-1536x1078.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters stand outside the James A. Musick Facility, a detention center that houses immigrants lacking permanent legal status, to protest President Trump’s immigration policies and demand that children be reunited with their families in Irvine on June 30, 2018. \u003ccite>(Kevin Sullivan/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The requirements added earlier this year \u003ca href=\"https://youthlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/ncyl_the-unraveling-of-orr_sept2025_final.pdf\">ground vetting to a crawl\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Across the board, we are seeing prolonged detention and extreme delays in the reunification process,” said Alexa Sendukas, an attorney at the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kids who would have spent only a few weeks in ORR custody are now \u003ca href=\"https://acaciajustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Acacia-Dismantling-Protections-2025-09.pdf\">stuck there for months\u003c/a>, advocates said. Prior to November, they were at least trickling out of custody on a daily basis, according to the ORR data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ACF did not specify whether yet another vetting process has been put in place since early November.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are advocates doing about it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In addition to sending letters to ORR demanding the government release children in its care, attorneys are also preparing to file habeas corpus petitions — in other words, they’ll be asking federal courts to force the government to release kids based on the claim that it has no legal reason to detain them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of those attorneys are now having to learn the mechanics of a habeas petition, which, until recently, has rarely been necessary for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Habeas is really starting to feel like the only way to help a child get to their family,” Donovan-Kaloust said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why isn’t the administration releasing kids now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sources within ORR said the office’s leadership is keeping a tight lid on why reunifications have been halted, and when or whether they will return to previous levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys have said that an increasing number of children are deciding that waiting to be released to their sponsors isn’t worth it. Instead, they’re choosing to get out of U.S. custody by leaving the country.[aside postID=news_12060135 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty1.jpg']Scott Bassett, managing attorney for the children’s program at Amica Center for Immigrant Rights in Washington, D.C., said the delay in getting kids released has turned ORR shelters into “pressure cookers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to expanding the vetting requirements for sponsors, Bassett listed off the other ways the Trump administration has twisted the screws on unaccompanied minors: \u003ca href=\"https://nysfocus.com/2025/10/24/big-beauitful-bill-immigrant-children-fine\">fining them thousands of dollars\u003c/a> for entering the U.S. without authorization, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/20/politics/ice-arrested-immigrants-sponsor-children/index.html\">arresting family members\u003c/a> who come to claim them and \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/03/unaccompanied-minors-self-deport-payment\">offering them money to leave the country\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, attorneys have to tell children there’s no way to know how long they could be in federal custody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s definitely contributing to these decisions to take voluntary departure,” Bassett said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a recent visit to an ORR shelter, Bassett said he was wrapping up a know-your-rights training when a teenage girl raised her hand and asked a simple question: “Why do they keep doing this to us?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "The Trump Admin Has All but Stopped Reuniting Detained Migrant Children With Their Families | KQED",
"description": "Government sources say that for the last six weeks, they’ve been ordered not to release children lacking permanent legal status who are in federal custody to their parents and relatives.",
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"headline": "The Trump Admin Has All but Stopped Reuniting Detained Migrant Children With Their Families",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump\u003c/a> administration has virtually stopped releasing children without permanent legal status who are in federal custody to their parents and other relatives. That’s according to data obtained by the \u003cem>California Newsroom\u003c/em>, immigration attorneys around the country and officials inside the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the agency tasked with caring for those children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Administration for Children and Families, which oversees ORR, said via email that earlier this year, it put in place “enhanced vetting policies” for adults who will care for the children after their release. The goal, it said, was to better protect children from harm. But it said the office “has not issued a moratorium” on releases to those adults.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, sources with knowledge of the office’s directives contradict that claim, saying ORR leadership began issuing verbal orders to staff in early November to stop releasing kids to their relatives until further notice.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what we know right now:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who are the children stuck in federal custody?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>These are kids without legal immigration status — from toddlers to teenagers — who were apprehended crossing the border without a parent or legal guardian or were separated from them \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-detentions-immigrant-kids-family-separations\">during arrests\u003c/a> by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The children are then handed over to ORR, which usually places them at shelters it oversees around the country. There are about 2,400 kids in ORR custody right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067900\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067900 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colombian asylum-seekers walk through the desert after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on Sept. 22, 2024, near Jacumba Hot Springs, California. \u003ccite>(John Moore/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Here in California, there are about 30 shelters with more than 300 kids altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of these children came to the U.S. to join their parents or other family members, who immigration officials call sponsors. ORR must vet those adults before the kids can be released to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys say many of these kids are fleeing violence, persecution or abuse in their home countries, and they plan to apply for an immigration status that protects them from being deported back to those situations.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s happening to them now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to eight officials at ORR, who asked not to be named because they fear losing their jobs, the government largely stopped releasing children to sponsors in early November, even those who had cleared the vetting process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eight immigration attorneys across the country — in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. — said that since early November, they have not been able to get kids with cleared sponsors out of ORR custody in most cases, even after sending letters to ORR demanding they be released and threatening litigation. The attorneys said the government has not explained why it won’t let the kids go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060605\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251018_NoKingsOakland_Hernandez-26_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A demonstrator’s silhouette is cast beneath an American flag during the No Kings National Day of Action in Oakland on Oct. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to recent ORR data obtained by the \u003cem>California Newsroom\u003c/em>, the government released about four children per day to sponsors throughout the month of October, before releases were all but stopped. That’s a little over 100 children for the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the last month and a half, ORR has released only four kids \u003cem>total\u003c/em> to sponsors, according to the data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear why the four were released, and no other children were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ORR continues to discharge children to vetted sponsors when all statutory and safety requirements are fully met and when release is assessed to be appropriate given the child’s individual needs and circumstances,” the Administration for Children and Families told the California Newsroom. “Each case is evaluated individually, and decisions are made based on child welfare best practices.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But three ORR officials with knowledge of the office’s release process told the California Newsroom that in early November, agency leadership ordered a hold on releasing children to sponsors until further notice, even if the sponsors have been cleared to receive them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sources said the order was not put in writing, but issued verbally to field officers across the country who are charged with signing off on releases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many cases are absolutely ready to go, but because releases aren’t being allowed, they are in limbo,” a field officer who received the order said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neha Desai, who leads the National Center for Youth Law’s work on behalf of immigrant children, pushed back on the agency’s explanation for the stalled releases, citing research that shows prolonged detention is \u003ca href=\"https://acaciajustice.org/two-new-reports-reveal-harms-of-prolonged-custody-for-unaccompanied-children/\">detrimental to children’s health\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are currently many children in custody who are very predictably experiencing a severe mental health decline,” she said. “The premise that kids are necessarily safer while in government custody than they are in the homes of their families is fundamentally flawed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marion “Mickey” Donovan-Kaloust, legal services director at Immigrant Defenders Law Center in L.A., said that, whatever the reason for the vanishingly few sponsor releases, it’s taking a toll on kids. “Children are very tearful, expressing difficulty sleeping,” she said. “No one can tell them, ‘Well, just wait a little longer, only this step is missing.’ We have no idea why they’re still detained.“\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Has this ever happened before?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Child welfare experts inside and outside ORR who work with migrant children told the California Newsroom they’ve never seen reunifications at a virtual standstill, the way they have since early November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting this spring, the Trump administration began adding new vetting requirements for sponsors — for example, all adult members of a household have to be fingerprinted, and sponsors claiming to be related to the child must take DNA tests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Earlier this year ORR enhanced its sponsor vetting policies — since the previous administration’s policies prioritized speed over safety and put children in danger — to address common categories of sponsor fraud and to establish clear protocols for detecting, documenting, and preventing criminals from exploiting children,” the Administration for Children and Families said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FamilySeparationGetty2-1536x1078.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters stand outside the James A. Musick Facility, a detention center that houses immigrants lacking permanent legal status, to protest President Trump’s immigration policies and demand that children be reunited with their families in Irvine on June 30, 2018. \u003ccite>(Kevin Sullivan/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The requirements added earlier this year \u003ca href=\"https://youthlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/ncyl_the-unraveling-of-orr_sept2025_final.pdf\">ground vetting to a crawl\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Across the board, we are seeing prolonged detention and extreme delays in the reunification process,” said Alexa Sendukas, an attorney at the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kids who would have spent only a few weeks in ORR custody are now \u003ca href=\"https://acaciajustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Acacia-Dismantling-Protections-2025-09.pdf\">stuck there for months\u003c/a>, advocates said. Prior to November, they were at least trickling out of custody on a daily basis, according to the ORR data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ACF did not specify whether yet another vetting process has been put in place since early November.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are advocates doing about it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In addition to sending letters to ORR demanding the government release children in its care, attorneys are also preparing to file habeas corpus petitions — in other words, they’ll be asking federal courts to force the government to release kids based on the claim that it has no legal reason to detain them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of those attorneys are now having to learn the mechanics of a habeas petition, which, until recently, has rarely been necessary for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Habeas is really starting to feel like the only way to help a child get to their family,” Donovan-Kaloust said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why isn’t the administration releasing kids now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sources within ORR said the office’s leadership is keeping a tight lid on why reunifications have been halted, and when or whether they will return to previous levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys have said that an increasing number of children are deciding that waiting to be released to their sponsors isn’t worth it. Instead, they’re choosing to get out of U.S. custody by leaving the country.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Scott Bassett, managing attorney for the children’s program at Amica Center for Immigrant Rights in Washington, D.C., said the delay in getting kids released has turned ORR shelters into “pressure cookers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to expanding the vetting requirements for sponsors, Bassett listed off the other ways the Trump administration has twisted the screws on unaccompanied minors: \u003ca href=\"https://nysfocus.com/2025/10/24/big-beauitful-bill-immigrant-children-fine\">fining them thousands of dollars\u003c/a> for entering the U.S. without authorization, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/20/politics/ice-arrested-immigrants-sponsor-children/index.html\">arresting family members\u003c/a> who come to claim them and \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/03/unaccompanied-minors-self-deport-payment\">offering them money to leave the country\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, attorneys have to tell children there’s no way to know how long they could be in federal custody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s definitely contributing to these decisions to take voluntary departure,” Bassett said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a recent visit to an ORR shelter, Bassett said he was wrapping up a know-your-rights training when a teenage girl raised her hand and asked a simple question: “Why do they keep doing this to us?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Dublin Council Takes Stand Against Turning Closed Prison Into ICE Detention",
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"headTitle": "Dublin Council Takes Stand Against Turning Closed Prison Into ICE Detention | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The Dublin City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to oppose repurposing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/federal-correctional-institution-in-dublin\">a shuttered federal women’s prison\u003c/a> as an immigration detention facility or for any other type of incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FCI Dublin \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11984115/women-forced-to-relocate-from-fci-dublin-prison-report-traumatizing-journey-seek-compassionate-release\">closed in scandal\u003c/a> last year amid allegations from scores of incarcerated women that they had faced years of sexual assault and mistreatment there. Following \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/prison-union-concerned-fci-dublin-could-be-turned-ice-detention-center\">news reports\u003c/a> that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had toured the facility in February, community members rallied against a potential pivot to ICE detention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 100 Dublin residents and others attended Tuesday evening’s council meeting, carrying signs that read “ICE out of Dublin,” and “We welcome immigrants here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vice Mayor Jean Josey said the message was heard loud and clear. Forty percent of Dublin residents are foreign-born, and she said she’s concerned they could be subject to racial profiling by immigration agents, as she’s observed in the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to enforcement in other cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing fear around the country. We’re seeing impacts on schools and small businesses,” she said. “When there’s a detention facility nearby, it is well documented that there’s increased enforcement that’s not necessarily targeting folks with criminal backgrounds, but folks who may just look as if they might be immigrants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11997597\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11997597\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign for the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, a former prison for women, in Dublin on April 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition, Josey said, the prison has problems such as mold, asbestos and structural deficiencies that make it unsafe for inmates and staff. And residential neighborhoods have grown up around the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>There are homes right up against the property,” she said. “We don’t feel that it is an appropriate facility at this point to house anyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All five council members approved the \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3795225/FCI_Dublin_Reso.final.CT.pdf\">resolution\u003c/a>, which states their opposition to reopening the facility “for any detention or correctional purpose, including but not limited to its use as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.” They call on the federal government “to engage in open and transparent communication with the City regarding any decisions affecting the site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials don’t control what the federal government does with its property, so the resolution is primarily symbolic. But both advocates and Dublin leaders say it’s still important to go on the record with a message of opposition.[aside postID=news_12067398 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-22-BL-KQED.jpg']Roughly three dozen people spoke Tuesday night in favor of the resolution, with just one speaker opposed. One of those who spoke was Liz Schmitt, 85, a member of the local chapter of Indivisible, a grassroots progressive network working to combat President Donald Trump’s agenda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I recognize it’s federal property and the city has absolutely no legal authority, but public outcry can go a long way,” she said. “The council listened to the residents and did what the residents asked, and I’m very proud of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote followed a meeting last month where scores of community members urged the council to take a more public stance against turning the prison into an ICE detention facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Josey, city staffers have written to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which owns the property, and to the Department of Homeland Security, urging them not to reopen the FCI Dublin site. She said the council is also in communication with Dublin’s state and federal representatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While it is true that we do not have any direct influence or any direct control, we believe that we can make our feelings known,” Josey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell and Mark DeSaulnier, who represent Dublin in Congress, have both spoken out against turning the prison into an ICE facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054567\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054567\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The CoreCivic, Inc. California City Immigration Processing Center stands in the Kern County desert awaiting reopening as a federal immigrant detention facility under contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California City, California, on July 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even before the Trump administration began vastly ramping up immigration enforcement, ICE was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2024/12/ice-detention-center-plan-northern-california/\">seeking additional detention \u003c/a>space in California and elsewhere in the Western U.S. Last year, the agency issued a \u003ca href=\"https://sam.gov/opp/b062f46b8208474f807af0a75e0d320f/view\">request for information about potential facilities \u003c/a>within a two-hour drive of its San Francisco field office. Today, the closest ICE lockup is nearly 300 miles away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12054544/californias-newest-immigration-facility-is-also-its-biggest-is-it-operating-legally\">A new ICE facility opened\u003c/a> in late August in the Kern County town of California City. That facility, which is already facing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062774/conditions-at-massive-new-california-immigration-facility-are-alarming-report-finds\">allegations of substandard conditions\u003c/a>, is privately run, as are the other six ICE detention centers in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community activists fear a planned transfer of FCI Dublin out of the ownership of the Federal Bureau of Prisons could be the first step in handing the property over to ICE or a private prison company, which could run it as an immigration detention center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a Dec. 4 letter to Dublin officials, the BOP said it is planning to turn the Dublin facility over to the U.S. General Services Administration, which handles federal real estate, because the property is too expensive to keep up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The BOP has determined that the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) located in Dublin, California (FCI Dublin), where most of the buildings and infrastructure were developed in the 1970s, is no longer needed to house inmates, requires substantial capital investment to meet standards, and is costly to operate and maintain,” the letter stated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this article was published, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it has “nothing to announce about new detention facilities” at this time. But a spokesperson, who did not provide their name, went on to say that, with unprecedented cash provided by the tax and spending bill passed by Congress in July, “ICE now has historic funding to secure enough detention capacity to maintain an average daily population of 100,000 illegal aliens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ICE is currently holding a record 66,000 people in detention. At the start of Trump’s current term, the agency was detaining fewer than 40,000 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Dublin City Council voted unanimously to oppose repurposing FCI Dublin, though the city has no legal authority over federal property.",
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"title": "Dublin Council Takes Stand Against Turning Closed Prison Into ICE Detention | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The Dublin City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to oppose repurposing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/federal-correctional-institution-in-dublin\">a shuttered federal women’s prison\u003c/a> as an immigration detention facility or for any other type of incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FCI Dublin \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11984115/women-forced-to-relocate-from-fci-dublin-prison-report-traumatizing-journey-seek-compassionate-release\">closed in scandal\u003c/a> last year amid allegations from scores of incarcerated women that they had faced years of sexual assault and mistreatment there. Following \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/prison-union-concerned-fci-dublin-could-be-turned-ice-detention-center\">news reports\u003c/a> that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had toured the facility in February, community members rallied against a potential pivot to ICE detention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 100 Dublin residents and others attended Tuesday evening’s council meeting, carrying signs that read “ICE out of Dublin,” and “We welcome immigrants here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vice Mayor Jean Josey said the message was heard loud and clear. Forty percent of Dublin residents are foreign-born, and she said she’s concerned they could be subject to racial profiling by immigration agents, as she’s observed in the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to enforcement in other cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing fear around the country. We’re seeing impacts on schools and small businesses,” she said. “When there’s a detention facility nearby, it is well documented that there’s increased enforcement that’s not necessarily targeting folks with criminal backgrounds, but folks who may just look as if they might be immigrants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11997597\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11997597\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240408-FCIDublin-012-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign for the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, a former prison for women, in Dublin on April 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition, Josey said, the prison has problems such as mold, asbestos and structural deficiencies that make it unsafe for inmates and staff. And residential neighborhoods have grown up around the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>There are homes right up against the property,” she said. “We don’t feel that it is an appropriate facility at this point to house anyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All five council members approved the \u003ca href=\"https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3795225/FCI_Dublin_Reso.final.CT.pdf\">resolution\u003c/a>, which states their opposition to reopening the facility “for any detention or correctional purpose, including but not limited to its use as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.” They call on the federal government “to engage in open and transparent communication with the City regarding any decisions affecting the site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials don’t control what the federal government does with its property, so the resolution is primarily symbolic. But both advocates and Dublin leaders say it’s still important to go on the record with a message of opposition.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Roughly three dozen people spoke Tuesday night in favor of the resolution, with just one speaker opposed. One of those who spoke was Liz Schmitt, 85, a member of the local chapter of Indivisible, a grassroots progressive network working to combat President Donald Trump’s agenda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I recognize it’s federal property and the city has absolutely no legal authority, but public outcry can go a long way,” she said. “The council listened to the residents and did what the residents asked, and I’m very proud of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote followed a meeting last month where scores of community members urged the council to take a more public stance against turning the prison into an ICE detention facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Josey, city staffers have written to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which owns the property, and to the Department of Homeland Security, urging them not to reopen the FCI Dublin site. She said the council is also in communication with Dublin’s state and federal representatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While it is true that we do not have any direct influence or any direct control, we believe that we can make our feelings known,” Josey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell and Mark DeSaulnier, who represent Dublin in Congress, have both spoken out against turning the prison into an ICE facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054567\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054567\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/KernCountyICEDetentionGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The CoreCivic, Inc. California City Immigration Processing Center stands in the Kern County desert awaiting reopening as a federal immigrant detention facility under contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California City, California, on July 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even before the Trump administration began vastly ramping up immigration enforcement, ICE was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2024/12/ice-detention-center-plan-northern-california/\">seeking additional detention \u003c/a>space in California and elsewhere in the Western U.S. Last year, the agency issued a \u003ca href=\"https://sam.gov/opp/b062f46b8208474f807af0a75e0d320f/view\">request for information about potential facilities \u003c/a>within a two-hour drive of its San Francisco field office. Today, the closest ICE lockup is nearly 300 miles away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12054544/californias-newest-immigration-facility-is-also-its-biggest-is-it-operating-legally\">A new ICE facility opened\u003c/a> in late August in the Kern County town of California City. That facility, which is already facing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062774/conditions-at-massive-new-california-immigration-facility-are-alarming-report-finds\">allegations of substandard conditions\u003c/a>, is privately run, as are the other six ICE detention centers in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community activists fear a planned transfer of FCI Dublin out of the ownership of the Federal Bureau of Prisons could be the first step in handing the property over to ICE or a private prison company, which could run it as an immigration detention center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a Dec. 4 letter to Dublin officials, the BOP said it is planning to turn the Dublin facility over to the U.S. General Services Administration, which handles federal real estate, because the property is too expensive to keep up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The BOP has determined that the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) located in Dublin, California (FCI Dublin), where most of the buildings and infrastructure were developed in the 1970s, is no longer needed to house inmates, requires substantial capital investment to meet standards, and is costly to operate and maintain,” the letter stated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this article was published, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it has “nothing to announce about new detention facilities” at this time. But a spokesperson, who did not provide their name, went on to say that, with unprecedented cash provided by the tax and spending bill passed by Congress in July, “ICE now has historic funding to secure enough detention capacity to maintain an average daily population of 100,000 illegal aliens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ICE is currently holding a record 66,000 people in detention. At the start of Trump’s current term, the agency was detaining fewer than 40,000 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-plans-to-reissue-contested-drivers-licenses-to-thousands-of-immigrants",
"title": "California Plans to Reissue Contested Driver’s Licenses to Thousands of Immigrants",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 11:05 a.m. Saturday: \u003c/strong>After this story was published, the California Department of Motor Vehicles \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068027/california-delays-plan-to-reissue-commercial-licenses-drivers-mired-in-uncertainty\">announced it has paused its plan\u003c/a> to resume issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses under pressure from the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, 3:39 p.m. Wednesday \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067524/sikh-truck-drivers-have-a-second-chance-in-california\">Thousands of immigrant truck drivers\u003c/a> are breathing a sigh of relief after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> said Tuesday it’s preparing to reissue commercial licences it planned to revoke after federal pressure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State transportation officials confirmed that the Department of Motor Vehicles will start reissuing the contested licences to 17,000 immigrant drivers who were sent 60-day cancellation notices on Nov. 6. The agency has yet to clarify how that process will work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was so happy,” said Amarjit Singh, a 41-year-old truck owner and driver who worried he wouldn’t be able to support his two young children or afford the $4,000 monthly payments on his truck if the state canceled his license on Jan. 6. “This is a very big relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh, a Livermore resident whose work authorization is valid through 2029, first heard the news while making an afternoon delivery 90 miles away in Santa Rosa. He took a moment in his yellow sleeper truck cabin, with a 53-foot trailer, to pray in gratitude. When he made it home and told his wife, Zoraida, she cried, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s great news,” said Singh, who invested all his savings and borrowed money from relatives to purchase his truck in 2022 for $160,000. “It’s going to save my life, and it’s going to save my business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view from inside Amarjit Singh’s truck in Livermore, on Dec. 16, 2025. Advocates are calling on California officials to halt the planned license revocations. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Department of Transportation threatened to pull more than $150 million in highway funding from California unless the state addressed non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses, in which the driver’s work permit ended before the license expired, due to a DMV clerical error. A state review found at least 17,000 licenses with mismatched expiration dates, many of them held by Sikh men like Singh who fled persecution in India and sought asylum in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transportation and logistics industry is a major source of employment for Sikhs, a community with roots in Punjab, India, that has its largest U.S. population in California. About 150,000 Sikhs work in the trucking industry nationwide, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sikhcoalition.org/our-work/ending-employment-discrimination/resources-for-sikh-truck-drivers/\">estimates\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Non-domiciled CDLs, issued to noncitizens without permanent U.S. residency (or a green card), became a political flashpoint after incidents of fatal crashes involving immigrant truck drivers in Florida and other states.[aside postID=news_12067098 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/IMG_6628-2000x1500.jpg']President Donald Trump signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/enforcing-commonsense-rules-of-the-road-for-americas-truck-drivers/\">executive order\u003c/a> in April, reinforcing English requirements for commercial vehicle drivers. In September, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced an emergency rule to exclude asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants from holding these licenses, arguing it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-takes-emergency-action-protect-americas-roads\">improve safety\u003c/a> on the roads. About 200,000 commercial drivers with valid work permits were expected to lose their licenses and jobs as a result.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a vulnerable workforce here that [has] become a political football,” said Steve Viscelli, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies the trucking industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Viscelli questioned whether any reliable evidence links safe driving with immigration status. He recommended the administration focus instead on enhancing job conditions and wages in the industry, especially in long-haul trucking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The best thing we can do for safety is to retain experienced, well-compensated professional drivers,” he said. “Experienced drivers are more knowledgeable, just more ready to handle those unexpected situations. And the problem is we can’t retain them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 700,000 drivers have commercial licenses in California to operate large vehicles ranging from semi-trailers to oil tankers and school buses, according to the DMV. A federal court in Washington, D.C. halted the FMCSA rule in November after unions, drivers and others sued. The administration is preparing a permanent regulation and reviewing public comments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067539\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067539\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sleeping area inside Amarjit Singh’s truck is seen on Dec. 16, 2025, in Livermore. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The California DMV’s Nov. 6 cancellation letters said that only drivers who met the new FMCSA rule requirements may keep their commercial licenses. But the court’s decision putting that rule on hold meant the state could reissue CDLs with correct expiration dates to those who have valid work authorization and pass knowledge, skills and medical tests, according to several unions, elected officials and nonprofits that called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene. Groups such as United Sikhs and the Sikh Coalition said \u003ca href=\"https://www.sikhcoalition.org/blog/2025/fateh-solution-for-truck-drivers-targeted-in-california/\">they met\u003c/a> with state officials seeking a resolution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson with the California State Transportation Agency, which oversees the DMV, maintained as of early Tuesday that the agency could not issue or renew non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses due to the FMCSA findings of mismatched dates. Members of WhatsApp driver chat groups, however, and several sources not authorized to speak with the media said they expected a good outcome for drivers would be announced soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-immigrant-truck-drivers-21235419.php\">first reported\u003c/a> California’s plans to start reissuing non-domiciled CDLs for drivers, the transportation agency spokesperson confirmed to KQED the news but declined to provide more information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068050\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amarjit Singh holds a letter from the California Department of Motor Vehicles notifying him of the cancellation of his commercial driver’s license on Dec. 16, 2025, in Livermore, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As of Wednesday afternoon, the DMV’s website had not posted updates on the issue and drivers said they had not yet received emailed notifications of any changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear how federal officials will react if the state moves to reissue these licenses. The U.S. Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhupinder Kaur, director of operations of advocacy group United Sikhs, said many drivers have contacted the \u003ca href=\"https://unitedsikhs.org/umeed-our-247-helpline-is-a-potential-lifeline-you-are-helping-sustain-it/\">nonprofit’s helpline\u003c/a> with questions about what steps they should follow to keep their licenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some reported that DMV offices they’d flocked to on Wednesday morning were still not sharing updated information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, Kaur said the ordeal left her and several relatives in the trucking business “on edge,” fearing that these licenses could still be taken away, which would threaten families’ livelihoods. She added that some Sikh drivers and logistics businesses had already lost income as a result of the uncertainty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Immigrant truck drivers were turned into collateral damage in a federal power struggle,” Kaur said. “It should never have happened, and we hope it doesn’t happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Sikh truckers and other vulnerable workers have become a “political football” in the Trump administration’s push to restrict who gets commercial driver’s licenses. ",
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"title": "California Plans to Reissue Contested Driver’s Licenses to Thousands of Immigrants | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 11:05 a.m. Saturday: \u003c/strong>After this story was published, the California Department of Motor Vehicles \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068027/california-delays-plan-to-reissue-commercial-licenses-drivers-mired-in-uncertainty\">announced it has paused its plan\u003c/a> to resume issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses under pressure from the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, 3:39 p.m. Wednesday \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067524/sikh-truck-drivers-have-a-second-chance-in-california\">Thousands of immigrant truck drivers\u003c/a> are breathing a sigh of relief after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> said Tuesday it’s preparing to reissue commercial licences it planned to revoke after federal pressure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State transportation officials confirmed that the Department of Motor Vehicles will start reissuing the contested licences to 17,000 immigrant drivers who were sent 60-day cancellation notices on Nov. 6. The agency has yet to clarify how that process will work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was so happy,” said Amarjit Singh, a 41-year-old truck owner and driver who worried he wouldn’t be able to support his two young children or afford the $4,000 monthly payments on his truck if the state canceled his license on Jan. 6. “This is a very big relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh, a Livermore resident whose work authorization is valid through 2029, first heard the news while making an afternoon delivery 90 miles away in Santa Rosa. He took a moment in his yellow sleeper truck cabin, with a 53-foot trailer, to pray in gratitude. When he made it home and told his wife, Zoraida, she cried, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s great news,” said Singh, who invested all his savings and borrowed money from relatives to purchase his truck in 2022 for $160,000. “It’s going to save my life, and it’s going to save my business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view from inside Amarjit Singh’s truck in Livermore, on Dec. 16, 2025. Advocates are calling on California officials to halt the planned license revocations. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Department of Transportation threatened to pull more than $150 million in highway funding from California unless the state addressed non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses, in which the driver’s work permit ended before the license expired, due to a DMV clerical error. A state review found at least 17,000 licenses with mismatched expiration dates, many of them held by Sikh men like Singh who fled persecution in India and sought asylum in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transportation and logistics industry is a major source of employment for Sikhs, a community with roots in Punjab, India, that has its largest U.S. population in California. About 150,000 Sikhs work in the trucking industry nationwide, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sikhcoalition.org/our-work/ending-employment-discrimination/resources-for-sikh-truck-drivers/\">estimates\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Non-domiciled CDLs, issued to noncitizens without permanent U.S. residency (or a green card), became a political flashpoint after incidents of fatal crashes involving immigrant truck drivers in Florida and other states.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>President Donald Trump signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/enforcing-commonsense-rules-of-the-road-for-americas-truck-drivers/\">executive order\u003c/a> in April, reinforcing English requirements for commercial vehicle drivers. In September, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced an emergency rule to exclude asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants from holding these licenses, arguing it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-takes-emergency-action-protect-americas-roads\">improve safety\u003c/a> on the roads. About 200,000 commercial drivers with valid work permits were expected to lose their licenses and jobs as a result.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a vulnerable workforce here that [has] become a political football,” said Steve Viscelli, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies the trucking industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Viscelli questioned whether any reliable evidence links safe driving with immigration status. He recommended the administration focus instead on enhancing job conditions and wages in the industry, especially in long-haul trucking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The best thing we can do for safety is to retain experienced, well-compensated professional drivers,” he said. “Experienced drivers are more knowledgeable, just more ready to handle those unexpected situations. And the problem is we can’t retain them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 700,000 drivers have commercial licenses in California to operate large vehicles ranging from semi-trailers to oil tankers and school buses, according to the DMV. A federal court in Washington, D.C. halted the FMCSA rule in November after unions, drivers and others sued. The administration is preparing a permanent regulation and reviewing public comments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067539\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067539\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sleeping area inside Amarjit Singh’s truck is seen on Dec. 16, 2025, in Livermore. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The California DMV’s Nov. 6 cancellation letters said that only drivers who met the new FMCSA rule requirements may keep their commercial licenses. But the court’s decision putting that rule on hold meant the state could reissue CDLs with correct expiration dates to those who have valid work authorization and pass knowledge, skills and medical tests, according to several unions, elected officials and nonprofits that called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene. Groups such as United Sikhs and the Sikh Coalition said \u003ca href=\"https://www.sikhcoalition.org/blog/2025/fateh-solution-for-truck-drivers-targeted-in-california/\">they met\u003c/a> with state officials seeking a resolution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson with the California State Transportation Agency, which oversees the DMV, maintained as of early Tuesday that the agency could not issue or renew non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses due to the FMCSA findings of mismatched dates. Members of WhatsApp driver chat groups, however, and several sources not authorized to speak with the media said they expected a good outcome for drivers would be announced soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-immigrant-truck-drivers-21235419.php\">first reported\u003c/a> California’s plans to start reissuing non-domiciled CDLs for drivers, the transportation agency spokesperson confirmed to KQED the news but declined to provide more information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068050\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_revoke-of-commercial-drivers-licenses_December_GH-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amarjit Singh holds a letter from the California Department of Motor Vehicles notifying him of the cancellation of his commercial driver’s license on Dec. 16, 2025, in Livermore, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As of Wednesday afternoon, the DMV’s website had not posted updates on the issue and drivers said they had not yet received emailed notifications of any changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear how federal officials will react if the state moves to reissue these licenses. The U.S. Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhupinder Kaur, director of operations of advocacy group United Sikhs, said many drivers have contacted the \u003ca href=\"https://unitedsikhs.org/umeed-our-247-helpline-is-a-potential-lifeline-you-are-helping-sustain-it/\">nonprofit’s helpline\u003c/a> with questions about what steps they should follow to keep their licenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some reported that DMV offices they’d flocked to on Wednesday morning were still not sharing updated information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, Kaur said the ordeal left her and several relatives in the trucking business “on edge,” fearing that these licenses could still be taken away, which would threaten families’ livelihoods. She added that some Sikh drivers and logistics businesses had already lost income as a result of the uncertainty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Immigrant truck drivers were turned into collateral damage in a federal power struggle,” Kaur said. “It should never have happened, and we hope it doesn’t happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "interfaith-activists-block-entrances-to-san-francisco-ice-office-risking-arrest",
"title": "Interfaith Activists Blocking Entrances to San Francisco ICE Office Are Detained",
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"headTitle": "Interfaith Activists Blocking Entrances to San Francisco ICE Office Are Detained | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Federal officials detained more than 40 activists outside San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063228/bay-area-religious-leaders-hold-interfaith-vigil-outside-of-ice-office-in-san-francisco\">federal immigration office\u003c/a> Tuesday morning after they blocked access to the building for hours, calling for due process and respect for immigrants amid escalating enforcement activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Fire Department began breaking chains connecting some of the activists to the building’s doors just before 10 a.m. People were handcuffed and taken inside the building after Department of Homeland Security officials gave repeated warnings to disperse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While local law enforcement is prohibited from assisting federal immigration officers with any investigation, detention or arrest under San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy, SFFD said firefighters acted within department protocol and “in order to ensure the health and safety of the individuals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that 43 people were arrested by ICE and Federal Protective Service officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rioters chained themselves to the building’s front gate and doors, impeding law enforcement operations,” she said via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067433\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067433 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faith leaders and immigrant advocates sing as they block the entrance to the ICE San Francisco Field Office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though McLaughlin described the people as “rioters,” KQED witnessed protesters remaining peaceful throughout, aside from some booing and yelling while law enforcement officials made arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protesters told KQED that they were cited for obstructing the entrance to the building and released as of 2 p.m. By then, the protesters blocking both entrances had been cleared for hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of the at least 40 people who had been waiting in line outside the building for scheduled check-ins throughout the morning also began to leave after officials said their appointments had been canceled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Activists told KQED that they were informed that the office would remain closed for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The detentions come after dozens of faith leaders and members of a Bay Area interfaith group stationed themselves in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s entrances on Sansome Street and Washington Street. Others, singing hymns and holding large banners, blocked intersections on Sansome and vehicle access to the building from Battery Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067394\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067394\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faith leaders and immigrant advocates block the entrance to the ICE San Francisco field office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We are calling for an end to the kidnappings; we are calling for dignity and respect for all people; we are calling for due process,” said Limei Chen, a member of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity who was chained to the door on Sansome. “We are just calling for love and dignity for immigrants and all people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the summer, Interfaith leaders from across the Bay Area have been holding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059840/trump-says-anti-ice-protests-are-a-campaign-of-violence-reality-looks-far-different\">multiple weekly vigils\u003c/a> outside the office and an immigration court facility a half-mile away, but they have avoided interfering with ICE activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity co-director, said escalating violence has inspired them to take further action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At some point, we as people of faith are being called to not just love our neighbor, but we have to disrupt injustice that’s happening day after day after day,” she told KQED. “We cannot sit idly by and see people being marched into the slaughter of immigration detention across our country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee said over the last six months, about 120 people have been detained while reporting to mandatory asylum case check-in appointments and hearings in the city — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041473/unprecedented-ice-officers-operating-inside-bay-area-immigration-courts-lawyers-say\">tactic that was unprecedented\u003c/a> prior to the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067429\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067429 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faith leaders and immigrant advocates sing as they block the entrance to the ICE San Francisco Field Office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among them is Alexandra De Martini’s husband, who was detained last month during what she thought was a routine green card interview. Currently, he’s being held in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062774/conditions-at-massive-new-california-immigration-facility-are-alarming-report-finds\">a detention center in California City\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People need to be informed that this is happening, that people are being taken at routine green card interviews in front of their children and their spouses,” she said at the protest on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to De Martini, her petition to sponsor her husband had already been accepted, and agents told her the appointment was wrapping up when she stepped out of the room to change their child’s diaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I said, ‘I’ll just wait, it’s OK,’ … and the agent said, ‘No, I’ll walk you to the bathroom. We’ll come get you when it’s over. We’re almost done here,’” she said. “When I came out, I was informed that my husband had been detained.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>De Martini, who has impaired sight, said she’s had to walk to pediatrician appointments and faced difficulties caring for their 6-month-old without her husband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said lawyers advised her to request a same-day bond hearing to have him released from detention, but immigration officials have told her it isn’t possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067431\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067431 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Homeland Security officers detain demonstrators outside of the ICE San Francisco Field Office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They said under the current administration, we don’t do that,” De Martini said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Justice has also fired \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065240/after-trump-fires-5-more-sf-immigration-judges-legal-scholars-fear-a-more-partisan-system\">12 of 21 immigration court judges\u003c/a> who preside over the Bay Area’s court since the beginning of 2025, raising alarms that judges who might not be willing to rule in line with the administration’s immigration agenda could face consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates said prior to the detentions Tuesday morning that they had planned to remain despite knowing there was the risk of arrest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The harm that’s being committed in these buildings when people are being taken from their families and then put into concentration camps far outweighs any concerns to any harm that may come from standing here today in solidarity with people who are just simply trying to live their lives in this country in freedom and dignity,” said Rabbi Cat Zavis, who was among those detained. “Our faith traditions and our spiritual traditions call us to disrupt injustice and stand with them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Federal officials detained more than 40 activists outside San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063228/bay-area-religious-leaders-hold-interfaith-vigil-outside-of-ice-office-in-san-francisco\">federal immigration office\u003c/a> Tuesday morning after they blocked access to the building for hours, calling for due process and respect for immigrants amid escalating enforcement activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Fire Department began breaking chains connecting some of the activists to the building’s doors just before 10 a.m. People were handcuffed and taken inside the building after Department of Homeland Security officials gave repeated warnings to disperse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While local law enforcement is prohibited from assisting federal immigration officers with any investigation, detention or arrest under San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy, SFFD said firefighters acted within department protocol and “in order to ensure the health and safety of the individuals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that 43 people were arrested by ICE and Federal Protective Service officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rioters chained themselves to the building’s front gate and doors, impeding law enforcement operations,” she said via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067433\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067433 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-44-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faith leaders and immigrant advocates sing as they block the entrance to the ICE San Francisco Field Office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though McLaughlin described the people as “rioters,” KQED witnessed protesters remaining peaceful throughout, aside from some booing and yelling while law enforcement officials made arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protesters told KQED that they were cited for obstructing the entrance to the building and released as of 2 p.m. By then, the protesters blocking both entrances had been cleared for hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of the at least 40 people who had been waiting in line outside the building for scheduled check-ins throughout the morning also began to leave after officials said their appointments had been canceled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Activists told KQED that they were informed that the office would remain closed for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The detentions come after dozens of faith leaders and members of a Bay Area interfaith group stationed themselves in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s entrances on Sansome Street and Washington Street. Others, singing hymns and holding large banners, blocked intersections on Sansome and vehicle access to the building from Battery Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067394\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067394\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faith leaders and immigrant advocates block the entrance to the ICE San Francisco field office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We are calling for an end to the kidnappings; we are calling for dignity and respect for all people; we are calling for due process,” said Limei Chen, a member of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity who was chained to the door on Sansome. “We are just calling for love and dignity for immigrants and all people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the summer, Interfaith leaders from across the Bay Area have been holding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059840/trump-says-anti-ice-protests-are-a-campaign-of-violence-reality-looks-far-different\">multiple weekly vigils\u003c/a> outside the office and an immigration court facility a half-mile away, but they have avoided interfering with ICE activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity co-director, said escalating violence has inspired them to take further action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At some point, we as people of faith are being called to not just love our neighbor, but we have to disrupt injustice that’s happening day after day after day,” she told KQED. “We cannot sit idly by and see people being marched into the slaughter of immigration detention across our country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee said over the last six months, about 120 people have been detained while reporting to mandatory asylum case check-in appointments and hearings in the city — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041473/unprecedented-ice-officers-operating-inside-bay-area-immigration-courts-lawyers-say\">tactic that was unprecedented\u003c/a> prior to the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067429\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067429 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faith leaders and immigrant advocates sing as they block the entrance to the ICE San Francisco Field Office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among them is Alexandra De Martini’s husband, who was detained last month during what she thought was a routine green card interview. Currently, he’s being held in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062774/conditions-at-massive-new-california-immigration-facility-are-alarming-report-finds\">a detention center in California City\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People need to be informed that this is happening, that people are being taken at routine green card interviews in front of their children and their spouses,” she said at the protest on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to De Martini, her petition to sponsor her husband had already been accepted, and agents told her the appointment was wrapping up when she stepped out of the room to change their child’s diaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I said, ‘I’ll just wait, it’s OK,’ … and the agent said, ‘No, I’ll walk you to the bathroom. We’ll come get you when it’s over. We’re almost done here,’” she said. “When I came out, I was informed that my husband had been detained.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>De Martini, who has impaired sight, said she’s had to walk to pediatrician appointments and faced difficulties caring for their 6-month-old without her husband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said lawyers advised her to request a same-day bond hearing to have him released from detention, but immigration officials have told her it isn’t possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067431\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12067431 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251216-ICEPROTEST-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Homeland Security officers detain demonstrators outside of the ICE San Francisco Field Office on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They said under the current administration, we don’t do that,” De Martini said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Justice has also fired \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065240/after-trump-fires-5-more-sf-immigration-judges-legal-scholars-fear-a-more-partisan-system\">12 of 21 immigration court judges\u003c/a> who preside over the Bay Area’s court since the beginning of 2025, raising alarms that judges who might not be willing to rule in line with the administration’s immigration agenda could face consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates said prior to the detentions Tuesday morning that they had planned to remain despite knowing there was the risk of arrest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The harm that’s being committed in these buildings when people are being taken from their families and then put into concentration camps far outweighs any concerns to any harm that may come from standing here today in solidarity with people who are just simply trying to live their lives in this country in freedom and dignity,” said Rabbi Cat Zavis, who was among those detained. “Our faith traditions and our spiritual traditions call us to disrupt injustice and stand with them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "ice-deportations-create-fear-and-isolation-in-californias-sikh-community",
"title": "ICE Deportations Create Fear and Isolation in California’s Sikh Community",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Below are excerpts from their conversation, edited for brevity and clarity. For the full interview, listen to the audio linked at the top of this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Atop the rolling hills of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">East San José\u003c/a> sits the largest \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjose.org/listings/sikh-gurdwara-sahib\">Sikh temple\u003c/a> in the United States, its white domes visible for miles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside, on an October Sunday, music drifted through the prayer hall and congregants made their way to\u003cem> langar\u003c/em>, the community kitchen where free meals are served each day. For decades, this gurdwara has been both a spiritual anchor and a lifeline for tens of thousands of worshippers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But over the past year, a quiet, growing fear has settled into the space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South Asians are rarely included in conversations about undocumented communities, yet 35,000 people from India were \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters\">apprehended\u003c/a> at the U.S. border this year — many of them Punjabi Sikhs. Some arrive seeking political refuge; others come on temporary visas and take low-wage jobs that leave them especially exposed when immigration policy shifts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a January \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/21/statement-dhs-spokesperson-directives-expanding-law-enforcement-and-ending-abuse\">memo\u003c/a> from the Department of Homeland Security, expanding where officers can operate, federal immigration agents are more routinely showing up at formerly protected “sensitive locations” — hospitals, clinics, schools and places of worship. The intensification of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053380/as-ice-arrests-surge-a-journalist-in-southern-california-covers-raids-in-her-own-backyard\">ICE enforcement across California\u003c/a> has left many Sikh immigrants wondering whether even their gurdwaras are still safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066899\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066899\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tanay Gokhale, a journalist covering how immigration enforcement affects Punjabi Sikh residents across California, stands in front of Gurdwara Sahib Hayward, a Sikh temple established in 1993, in Hayward on Dec. 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gurdwaras act as a touchstone for medical care, social services and community support for Sikh Punjabi immigrants and their families. With Punjabi being the \u003ca href=\"https://mesa.ucdavis.edu/punjabi#:~:text=Why%20Learn%20Punjabi?,that%20started%20in%20the%201890s.\">third\u003c/a> most-spoken language in several California counties, many find solace in the in-language information the space offers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Journalist Tanay Gokhale spent the past year with this community, reporting for \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/whats-at-stake-in-the-battle-to-keep-ice-out-of-gurdwaras/\">India Currents\u003c/a>, a San José–based nonprofit magazine serving South Asian immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/program/the-california-report-magazine\">\u003cem>The California Report Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a> host Sasha Khokha to explain how rising ICE activity is reshaping daily life for Sikh immigrants in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Below are excerpts from their conversation, edited for brevity and clarity. For the full interview, listen to the audio linked at the top of this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Only why he turned his attention to Sikh Punjabi immigrants\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the administration’s immigration crackdown started, I was thinking of how this might impact the Indian diaspora. And generally, when you think of the Indian diaspora, you think of an affluent group of well-educated people who are accomplished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But few people know that Indians are actually the fifth-largest \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/08/21/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population-reached-a-record-14-million-in-2023/#:~:text=After%20Mexico%2C%20the%20countries%20with%20the%20largest,(850%2C000)%20*%20Honduras%20(775%2C000)%20*%20India%20(680%2C000)\">undocumented\u003c/a> group in the country. And this community is largely underreported and a lot of these people are Sikhs coming from [the state of] Punjab to settle in California. They’re working \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11849926/why-farmers-drove-a-tractor-to-protest-at-the-indian-consulate-in-san-francisco\">blue-collar jobs like agricultural labor\u003c/a> or in the trucking industry. I also thought about how the immigration crackdown is also impacting immigrants’ health outcomes because people are more afraid to go out and seek health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On what changed after President Donald Trump took office in January of 2025\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The DHS issued the memo on Jan. 21, right after the Trump administration took charge. It basically allowed ICE officers to conduct operations inside places of worship, which in the past was a big no-no unless it was absolutely necessary.[aside postID=news_12053380 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/75ACE4D9-068E-4167-9BD3-CFF3A0BE597B-2000x1335.jpg']Right after the memo came out, there were also some false rumors about ICE raids in gurdwaras across the country, and that further fueled the paranoia and fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suddenly, Sikhs around the country were thinking, “Hold on, if I go to the gurdwara every Sunday, but this time when I step out, is there a chance that I’m gonna get picked up by ICE?” And that led to a lot of fear among the community and gurdwaras were reporting a drop in attendance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I spoke to Narenda Singh Thandi, a former Amtrak bus driver who’s now serving as the president of \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/whats-at-stake-in-the-battle-to-keep-ice-out-of-gurdwaras/\">the West Sacramento gurdwara\u003c/a>. And he was talking about how he’s concerned that immigration activity would go against the decorum that gurdwaras need to maintain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want ICE in the temple,” Thandi said. “We don’t want people to go with the shoes on, with guns on, which is against our system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sikhs go to the gurdwara, their heads are supposed to be covered at all times, and there’s absolutely no weapons allowed inside. You’re also supposed to take your shoes off before you enter the prayer hall. If an ICE operation or a homeland security operation is happening, chances are that officers aren’t necessarily gonna follow that.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On why gurdwaras are essential support hubs — and the cost of staying away\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Gurdwaras are a house of worship, but they’re also kind of like resource hubs for new immigrants, especially those who do not speak English and only speak Punjabi. These are spaces where you pray, but you also seek out fellowship: you meet a familiar-looking face from your city back home in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gurdwara offers all of these wonderful services like you mentioned. So, when you’re seeing a drop in attendance in gurdwaras because of fear of immigration activity, it also means that congregants are not accessing these services, and that can lead to some pretty serious outcomes for their health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers prepare food in the langar kitchen at Gurdwara Sahib Hayward in Hayward on Dec. 11, 2025. The Sikh tradition of langar emphasizes community service and equality through shared meals. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I spoke to Dr. Harpreet Singh Pannu. He’s a Kaiser doctor, but on Sundays, he runs a \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/language-barriers-cripple-sikh-immigrants-access-to-healthcare/\">free medical clinic\u003c/a> at the San José gurdwara. By training, he’s an internal medicine specialist, but at this gurdwara, he is a physician, he’s a mental health counselor, he’s a health advocate, he’s a health educator — all rolled into one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Especially among older congregants, someone who speaks in Punjabi offers a level of comfort and familiarity that they often cannot find in a hospital, which can seem foreign and sterile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t make a difference in terms of whether they are documented or undocumented,” Pannu said. “But there is reluctance because they are worried if they come here, they could end up in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By ‘ending up in trouble,’ he’s talking about getting picked up by ICE in a raid, and this is especially problematic for some of the older congregants who have this as their only point of contact with any sort of health practitioner.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On one man’s quiet support for Sikh detainees\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2016, driven purely by his own curiosity, Simran Singh made the 20-minute trip [from his home] to the \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/for-sikhs-in-ice-detention-centers-faith-represents-hope/\">Mesa Verde detention center\u003c/a>. He didn’t expect there to be any [South Asian detainees], but was actually surprised to see that there were three.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Detention centers can be really isolating places for detainees.[aside postID=news_12066314 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251203-SJPRIESTIMMIGRATION00043_TV-KQED.jpg']You’ve just had a months-long journey from India to the U.S. border, and suddenly you find yourself in this place where you have very little personal space and there’s also nobody to talk to because you’re often speaking different languages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A phone call — an international phone call back home — costs 85 cents a minute. You can work an entire day, and you can barely scrape together enough money to speak for one minute to your family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh completed a four-hour volunteer course that the detention center offers. And once he completed that, he had access to the detainees. He found that none of the detainees had access to gutke — a holy prayer book that Sikhs usually have on their person — and it is a really important part of prayer and Sikhism and of their faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most of them weren’t fluent in English,” Singh said, “It was just heartwarming to see them have something that connects them to the outside world so they’re not just isolated in this place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He visited every week with some langar food, gutke, turban cloths and Punjabi newspapers to keep them updated on what was happening back home in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On the battle to protect articles of faith behind bars\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Detainees did not have access to articles of faith — no gutke, no prayer beads, no turban cloths. There’s a lack of awareness and lack of resources on the ICE detention centers part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067105\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067105\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle.jpeg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle-160x90.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Simran Singh (middle) during a group tour of the Bakersfield Detention Center that he organized to raise awareness about Sikh detainees among the Sikh diaspora. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Simran Singh.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For example, in detention centers, detainees cannot keep hardbound books on their person. But the gutke are almost always hardbound because they’re holy and they’re supposed to be kept protected at all times, and they shouldn’t have any damage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Singh found out, he found an importer in India, a manufacturer who makes softbound gutke and he added a layer of zip-close bag protection as security. And then it was okay to distribute them among the detainees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another contentious article of faith is the turban. Sikh men are required to wear a turban to cover the head at all times. It’s very important to them. It’s a representation of their faith. And taking off one’s turban, especially in public, represents great dishonor among practicing Sikhs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in 2022, there were dozens of cases in which Sikh detainees were \u003ca href=\"https://arizonastatelawjournal.org/2022/10/03/a-call-for-accountability-u-s-border-patrol-officers-confiscate-and-discard-sikh-turbans/\">forced\u003c/a> to take off their turbans at the border by immigration officers. In some cases, the turbans were thrown into the trash right in front of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On shared suffering and solidarity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In some ways, the detainees are all in the same boat with respect to some common struggles. They’re all away from home, they’re all anxious about their future, their families, their finances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, there’s a language barrier that prevents them from connecting, except sometimes through faith. In that kind of a situation, faith becomes a really powerful thing to hang on to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066900\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066900\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Worshippers sit on the floor and eat langar, a free communal meal, inside Gurdwara Sahib Hayward in Hayward on Dec. 11, 2025. Sikh temples serve langar to all visitors, regardless of background or religion. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Singh also found that prayer beads — malas —that he was bringing to Sikh detainees are actually used by multiple faiths. They’re used in Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism and other faiths as well. And that became a point of connection inside the detention center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The South Asian detainees would also take back extra \u003cem>malas\u003c/em> to give out to people and so kind of build this relationship with someone from El Salvador or Mexico,” said Singh. “Neither of you are speaking English well, but now you have something to give to them, and that gesture goes a long way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On why this community needs greater attention and support\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When Singh visited the detention facility for the first time in 2016, he saw three South Asian detainees. Now he’s seeing 65, of which half are Sikhs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s still not enough advocacy and enough support for this population, even within the Indian diaspora. It is heartening to see people like Singh stepping in, doing everything that they can and filling in that gap, but I do think there needs to be more advocacy and support and just general awareness about this population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Below are excerpts from their conversation, edited for brevity and clarity. For the full interview, listen to the audio linked at the top of this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Atop the rolling hills of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">East San José\u003c/a> sits the largest \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjose.org/listings/sikh-gurdwara-sahib\">Sikh temple\u003c/a> in the United States, its white domes visible for miles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside, on an October Sunday, music drifted through the prayer hall and congregants made their way to\u003cem> langar\u003c/em>, the community kitchen where free meals are served each day. For decades, this gurdwara has been both a spiritual anchor and a lifeline for tens of thousands of worshippers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But over the past year, a quiet, growing fear has settled into the space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South Asians are rarely included in conversations about undocumented communities, yet 35,000 people from India were \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters\">apprehended\u003c/a> at the U.S. border this year — many of them Punjabi Sikhs. Some arrive seeking political refuge; others come on temporary visas and take low-wage jobs that leave them especially exposed when immigration policy shifts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a January \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/21/statement-dhs-spokesperson-directives-expanding-law-enforcement-and-ending-abuse\">memo\u003c/a> from the Department of Homeland Security, expanding where officers can operate, federal immigration agents are more routinely showing up at formerly protected “sensitive locations” — hospitals, clinics, schools and places of worship. The intensification of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053380/as-ice-arrests-surge-a-journalist-in-southern-california-covers-raids-in-her-own-backyard\">ICE enforcement across California\u003c/a> has left many Sikh immigrants wondering whether even their gurdwaras are still safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066899\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066899\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tanay Gokhale, a journalist covering how immigration enforcement affects Punjabi Sikh residents across California, stands in front of Gurdwara Sahib Hayward, a Sikh temple established in 1993, in Hayward on Dec. 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gurdwaras act as a touchstone for medical care, social services and community support for Sikh Punjabi immigrants and their families. With Punjabi being the \u003ca href=\"https://mesa.ucdavis.edu/punjabi#:~:text=Why%20Learn%20Punjabi?,that%20started%20in%20the%201890s.\">third\u003c/a> most-spoken language in several California counties, many find solace in the in-language information the space offers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Journalist Tanay Gokhale spent the past year with this community, reporting for \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/whats-at-stake-in-the-battle-to-keep-ice-out-of-gurdwaras/\">India Currents\u003c/a>, a San José–based nonprofit magazine serving South Asian immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/program/the-california-report-magazine\">\u003cem>The California Report Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a> host Sasha Khokha to explain how rising ICE activity is reshaping daily life for Sikh immigrants in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Below are excerpts from their conversation, edited for brevity and clarity. For the full interview, listen to the audio linked at the top of this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Only why he turned his attention to Sikh Punjabi immigrants\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the administration’s immigration crackdown started, I was thinking of how this might impact the Indian diaspora. And generally, when you think of the Indian diaspora, you think of an affluent group of well-educated people who are accomplished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But few people know that Indians are actually the fifth-largest \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/08/21/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population-reached-a-record-14-million-in-2023/#:~:text=After%20Mexico%2C%20the%20countries%20with%20the%20largest,(850%2C000)%20*%20Honduras%20(775%2C000)%20*%20India%20(680%2C000)\">undocumented\u003c/a> group in the country. And this community is largely underreported and a lot of these people are Sikhs coming from [the state of] Punjab to settle in California. They’re working \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11849926/why-farmers-drove-a-tractor-to-protest-at-the-indian-consulate-in-san-francisco\">blue-collar jobs like agricultural labor\u003c/a> or in the trucking industry. I also thought about how the immigration crackdown is also impacting immigrants’ health outcomes because people are more afraid to go out and seek health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On what changed after President Donald Trump took office in January of 2025\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The DHS issued the memo on Jan. 21, right after the Trump administration took charge. It basically allowed ICE officers to conduct operations inside places of worship, which in the past was a big no-no unless it was absolutely necessary.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Right after the memo came out, there were also some false rumors about ICE raids in gurdwaras across the country, and that further fueled the paranoia and fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suddenly, Sikhs around the country were thinking, “Hold on, if I go to the gurdwara every Sunday, but this time when I step out, is there a chance that I’m gonna get picked up by ICE?” And that led to a lot of fear among the community and gurdwaras were reporting a drop in attendance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I spoke to Narenda Singh Thandi, a former Amtrak bus driver who’s now serving as the president of \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/whats-at-stake-in-the-battle-to-keep-ice-out-of-gurdwaras/\">the West Sacramento gurdwara\u003c/a>. And he was talking about how he’s concerned that immigration activity would go against the decorum that gurdwaras need to maintain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want ICE in the temple,” Thandi said. “We don’t want people to go with the shoes on, with guns on, which is against our system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sikhs go to the gurdwara, their heads are supposed to be covered at all times, and there’s absolutely no weapons allowed inside. You’re also supposed to take your shoes off before you enter the prayer hall. If an ICE operation or a homeland security operation is happening, chances are that officers aren’t necessarily gonna follow that.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On why gurdwaras are essential support hubs — and the cost of staying away\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Gurdwaras are a house of worship, but they’re also kind of like resource hubs for new immigrants, especially those who do not speak English and only speak Punjabi. These are spaces where you pray, but you also seek out fellowship: you meet a familiar-looking face from your city back home in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gurdwara offers all of these wonderful services like you mentioned. So, when you’re seeing a drop in attendance in gurdwaras because of fear of immigration activity, it also means that congregants are not accessing these services, and that can lead to some pretty serious outcomes for their health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers prepare food in the langar kitchen at Gurdwara Sahib Hayward in Hayward on Dec. 11, 2025. The Sikh tradition of langar emphasizes community service and equality through shared meals. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I spoke to Dr. Harpreet Singh Pannu. He’s a Kaiser doctor, but on Sundays, he runs a \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/language-barriers-cripple-sikh-immigrants-access-to-healthcare/\">free medical clinic\u003c/a> at the San José gurdwara. By training, he’s an internal medicine specialist, but at this gurdwara, he is a physician, he’s a mental health counselor, he’s a health advocate, he’s a health educator — all rolled into one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Especially among older congregants, someone who speaks in Punjabi offers a level of comfort and familiarity that they often cannot find in a hospital, which can seem foreign and sterile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t make a difference in terms of whether they are documented or undocumented,” Pannu said. “But there is reluctance because they are worried if they come here, they could end up in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By ‘ending up in trouble,’ he’s talking about getting picked up by ICE in a raid, and this is especially problematic for some of the older congregants who have this as their only point of contact with any sort of health practitioner.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On one man’s quiet support for Sikh detainees\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2016, driven purely by his own curiosity, Simran Singh made the 20-minute trip [from his home] to the \u003ca href=\"https://indiacurrents.com/for-sikhs-in-ice-detention-centers-faith-represents-hope/\">Mesa Verde detention center\u003c/a>. He didn’t expect there to be any [South Asian detainees], but was actually surprised to see that there were three.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Detention centers can be really isolating places for detainees.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>You’ve just had a months-long journey from India to the U.S. border, and suddenly you find yourself in this place where you have very little personal space and there’s also nobody to talk to because you’re often speaking different languages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A phone call — an international phone call back home — costs 85 cents a minute. You can work an entire day, and you can barely scrape together enough money to speak for one minute to your family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh completed a four-hour volunteer course that the detention center offers. And once he completed that, he had access to the detainees. He found that none of the detainees had access to gutke — a holy prayer book that Sikhs usually have on their person — and it is a really important part of prayer and Sikhism and of their faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most of them weren’t fluent in English,” Singh said, “It was just heartwarming to see them have something that connects them to the outside world so they’re not just isolated in this place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He visited every week with some langar food, gutke, turban cloths and Punjabi newspapers to keep them updated on what was happening back home in India.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On the battle to protect articles of faith behind bars\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Detainees did not have access to articles of faith — no gutke, no prayer beads, no turban cloths. There’s a lack of awareness and lack of resources on the ICE detention centers part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067105\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067105\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle.jpeg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/simran-middle-160x90.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Simran Singh (middle) during a group tour of the Bakersfield Detention Center that he organized to raise awareness about Sikh detainees among the Sikh diaspora. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Simran Singh.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For example, in detention centers, detainees cannot keep hardbound books on their person. But the gutke are almost always hardbound because they’re holy and they’re supposed to be kept protected at all times, and they shouldn’t have any damage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Singh found out, he found an importer in India, a manufacturer who makes softbound gutke and he added a layer of zip-close bag protection as security. And then it was okay to distribute them among the detainees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another contentious article of faith is the turban. Sikh men are required to wear a turban to cover the head at all times. It’s very important to them. It’s a representation of their faith. And taking off one’s turban, especially in public, represents great dishonor among practicing Sikhs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in 2022, there were dozens of cases in which Sikh detainees were \u003ca href=\"https://arizonastatelawjournal.org/2022/10/03/a-call-for-accountability-u-s-border-patrol-officers-confiscate-and-discard-sikh-turbans/\">forced\u003c/a> to take off their turbans at the border by immigration officers. In some cases, the turbans were thrown into the trash right in front of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On shared suffering and solidarity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In some ways, the detainees are all in the same boat with respect to some common struggles. They’re all away from home, they’re all anxious about their future, their families, their finances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, there’s a language barrier that prevents them from connecting, except sometimes through faith. In that kind of a situation, faith becomes a really powerful thing to hang on to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066900\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066900\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251211_ICEGURUDWARA_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Worshippers sit on the floor and eat langar, a free communal meal, inside Gurdwara Sahib Hayward in Hayward on Dec. 11, 2025. Sikh temples serve langar to all visitors, regardless of background or religion. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Singh also found that prayer beads — malas —that he was bringing to Sikh detainees are actually used by multiple faiths. They’re used in Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism and other faiths as well. And that became a point of connection inside the detention center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The South Asian detainees would also take back extra \u003cem>malas\u003c/em> to give out to people and so kind of build this relationship with someone from El Salvador or Mexico,” said Singh. “Neither of you are speaking English well, but now you have something to give to them, and that gesture goes a long way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On why this community needs greater attention and support\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When Singh visited the detention facility for the first time in 2016, he saw three South Asian detainees. Now he’s seeing 65, of which half are Sikhs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s still not enough advocacy and enough support for this population, even within the Indian diaspora. It is heartening to see people like Singh stepping in, doing everything that they can and filling in that gap, but I do think there needs to be more advocacy and support and just general awareness about this population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
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"id": "city-arts",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"order": 1
},
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
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