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Chicago Tribune
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Alderman pledges to fight Mayor Brandon Johnson's curfew veto, won't ‘twist arms'
As Mayor Brandon Johnson promises to veto the teen curfew ordinance passed by aldermen, the measure's lead sponsor says he will keep fighting to make it law. Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, won out over Johnson in the City Council Wednesday when his plan to give Chicago's police superintendent power to declare teen curfews anytime, anywhere passed in a 27-to-22 vote. But his victory could be fleeting. Johnson quickly pledged to cast a rare mayoral veto, the city's first since 2006. The planned move means Hopkins must garner votes from 34 aldermen to overrule the mayor, a high bar that would require him to flip as many as seven council members. Still, Hopkins said Thursday morning he will move ahead in July with a City Council vote on Johnson's anticipated veto. He plans to keep making the case for his ordinance, but added that he will not be heavy handed. 'I'm going to keep pushing back on the deceptive spin, but I'm not going to call my colleagues and twist arms. Everyone is going to vote their conscience on this,' the downtown alderman said. The Wednesday vote and veto pledge marked decisive steps in Hopkins' two-year push to give police more power to curb the so-called 'teen takeover' youth gatherings that have sometimes ended in high-profile violence, including two Streeterville shootings in Hopkins' ward in recent months. Youth activists and civil rights groups have criticized the curfew measure as an unfair and unconstitutional crackdown that especially harms Black and Latino teens from poor neighborhoods that offer little safe fun. They also argue that those same teens have been left out of the debate and that aldermen should instead invest money in youth jobs, violence prevention and safe activities. 'Our children are gathering to escape the violence in their neighborhoods, the trouble at home and other conditions that they have no control over,' said Abierre Minor, a 25-year-old appointed by Johnson last year to the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. Minor recalled speaking after the vote with her 15-year-old sister, who argued media coverage of 'teen takeovers' has been sensationalized and that all people should have the right to gather as they see fit. The police oversight commissioner said she was 'disheartened' by the City Council majority's decision, but praised Johnson's 'swift and strong' response. 'Every year, our decision-makers propose repressive, ineffective policies to address community violence that does nothing but cause confusion and community harm,' Minor said. 'This year, something different happened. We had a leader who decided to break the cycle.' The Cook County Public Defender's Office and progressive groups have also backed Johnson's stance. Just after the measure passed, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates urged the mayor, formerly a CTU organizer, to veto it, likening the curfew ordinance to Jim Crow segregation laws. 'The people of Streeterville don't need the police to keep Black youth out of their neighborhood. The people of Chicago need policies and programs that serve and center Black youth,' Davis Gates wrote. Johnson's administration is currently drafting veto language and plans to officially veto the measure soon. The mayor had long shared tentative criticism of the potential curfew, but ramped up his opposition to the proposal this week. He argued after pledging a veto that the curfew ordinance would harm 'trust within communities' as the city's violent crime rates sharply drop, and compared the measure to crime laws 'that have overwhelmingly led to the criminalization and the incarceration of poor people and particularly people of color.' 'Offering up extended police power, without any check or balance, has not boded well for Black people and Brown people in this country,' he said. Hopkins argued Thursday the 'snap curfew' label Johnson and others have used to describe the measure is a misnomer. The measure requires police to give 30 minutes notice onsite before a curfew is implemented. It also requires the superintendent to consult others to declare a curfew, but gives the top cop final say. Superintendent Larry Snelling said in court last week he would not use any power allowing him to declare sudden curfews, but suggested he could use the ordinance to declare preemptive curfews days in advance when police learn of planned, potentially chaotic gatherings. He has carefully distanced himself from the political debate in statements. Johnson has argued he and Snelling are aligned on the matter, but said future superintendents should not have the technical ability to quickly declare curfews with little or no oversight. A final vote ought to move forward in July, without legislative trickery from either side, Hopkins said. 'That'll put the matter to bed, and I'd rather do that briefly than have it degrade into a parliamentary mud fight,' he said. 'I think at this point I am done having persuasive conversations with my colleagues.' Much could happen before a mid-July vote that might pressure aldermen to change sides, he added. He cited, as he did during City Council floor debate Wednesday, reports of a large and chaotic teen gathering at North Avenue Beach earlier this week. Police said they arrested five teens at the beach Tuesday, including three minors, for misdemeanors and citations including battery, resisting arrest and possessing alcohol.
USA Today
an hour ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Los Angeles Dodgers say they denied ICE access to Dodger Stadium parking lots
ICE agents drove to Dodger Stadium's parking entrances in an apparent effort to use the vast lots as a staging area, but did not gain entry to the venerable Los Angeles ballpark, the Dodgers said in a statement Thursday. Shortly after 10 a.m. PDT, a caravan of vans and other vehicles appeared at multiple parking lot entry points, according to social media posts. An overhead view of the caravan, captured by Fox 11 Los Angeles, indicated the presence of Department of Homeland Security officers. In the ensuing hours, a small group of protestors arrived at Gate E, chanting at ICE officers outside the stadium gates. Eventually, Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived. 'This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization,' the Dodgers said in a statement. 'Tonight's game will be played as scheduled.' A message with ICE's media relations office was not immediately returned. Expert MLB daily picks: Unique MLB betting insights only at USA TODAY The Dodgers are scheduled to play the San Diego Padres at 7:10 PDT, with a celebrity softball game hosted by All-Star Mookie Betts preceding the game at 5:30. A crowd of more than 50,000 is expected for the game. The apparently unscheduled ICE arrival is the latest twist in a saga pitting President Donald Trump's desire to deport large amounts of undocumented persons against cities aiming to salvage due process for its residents. Los Angeles is one of the cities specifically targeted by Trump, with nearly two weeks of aggressive raids in the Southland, sparking widespread protests and aggressive reaction from both LAPD and Los Angeles County Sheriffs. Dodgers players remained largely mum on the issue, until veteran utilityman Kiké Hernández released a statement on Instagram pledging support for Latinos profiled, arrested and disappeared under ICE. Manager Dave Roberts professed not having enough information to weigh in on the issue, though the franchise came under more scrutiny for its lack of support after R&B singer Nezza sang the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium, and posted videos and correspondence showing it was against the Dodgers' wishes. That led to a Dodgers spokesperson telling reporters Wednesday that they would announce 'plans for assistance to immigrant communities impacted by the recent events in Los Angeles.' Barely 12 hours later, ICE vehicles showed up at the stadium gates. The Dodgers' fan base is heavily Latino, and in the past week right-wing influencers have entered the fray, with one noting that it would be 'amazing' if ICE agents staged a raid at Dodger Stadium. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
NBC News
an hour ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Focus groups: Latino Trump voters diverge on deportations but largely still back the president
Some divides are emerging among swing-state Latinos who voted for President Donald Trump when it comes to his approach to mass deportations, according to new focus group conversations with some of these voters, who nevertheless remain broadly supportive of the president. Most of the Latino Trump voters who participated in recent focus groups observed by NBC News as part of the 2025 Deciders series, produced by Syracuse University and the research firms Engagious and Sago, said they approve of Trump's handling of illegal immigration. And most approved of his actions broadly as president. These voters were key to Trump's win in 2024, when he improved significantly among Latino voters compared to his previous campaigns. The president lost Latinos by 5 points last year, after losing the group by 33 points in 2020, according to the NBC News exit poll. Other estimates of the 2024 vote have indicated the broad shift, too, though some have not shown quite as much movement. The people in these focus groups said they voted for Trump because of concerns about the economy, including inflation, and about immigration. And most of them were still behind the president (all but four also voted for Trump in 2020). 'He's keeping his promises and he's doing what he said he was going to do,' David L., a 60 year-old Georgia voter who grew up in Mexico, said of Trump. But there were cracks, albeit small ones, in support for some of Trump's specific policies. Two voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 and flipped to Trump in 2024 said they would not vote for Trump if given the chance to redo their vote, choosing instead to back a third-party candidate. One of those voters, Ruby L., 59, of Georgia, said she disapproved of Trump's presidency so far because of potential cuts to programs like Medicaid and because of his approach to deporting undocumented immigrants. 'He was going to deport people that were criminals and have backgrounds,' said Ruby, who was born in Colombia. 'But I see that he's deporting people that work hard and have been in this country. I think he should find a way to help them stay and get a citizenship or something.' Deportation divides Ruby's concerns about widespread deportations underscored some divisions among these voters, even as they broadly supported Trump's actions on immigration. Three of the Trump voters disapproved of his handling of illegal immigration broadly, while 10 approved. That may not reflect Latino Trump voters' broad views, because, unlike a poll, which uses statistical methods to demonstrate how a larger population feels, focus groups dig deeper into how individual panelists view key questions facing the country. 'Most of these swing-state, Hispanic American Trump voters firmly endorse the president's focus on illegal immigration, though they want more thoughtful prioritization regarding who gets deported sooner versus later,' said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the sessions. Several voters supported deportations of undocumented immigrants regardless of whether they have committed crimes. 'Well, what do you expect? If you came here illegally, you've done something illegal. Expect the consequences,' said Justin O., 38, of Nevada, who was born in the United States and is of Mexican descent. 'If we're not going to enforce laws, why bother even having them?' said Zachary N., 40, of Michigan, who is also of Mexican descent. Maria P., a 40-year-old Nevada voter of Puerto Rican descent, said Trump's focus on deportations is no different from that of previous presidents, including Democrats Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. 'They all did it, but now it's just the first time everyone's discussing it,' Maria said. Connie A., a 59-year-old Arizona voter of Mexican descent, questioned why an undocumented immigrant who has been in the country for decades had not attempted to apply for a green card or for citizenship. 'There's not a direct path,' countered Mariana L., a 27-year-old North Carolina resident who was born in Venezuela and was one of several participants who noted the path to becoming a legal resident, even for those who want to, can be difficult. Mariana was among the voters who did not approve of Trump's handling of illegal immigration, pointing to his move to revoke certain legal protections for immigrants from her home country. 'Changing those statuses is kind of unfair for the people that built their lives here,' she said. Mariana and some other voters also said the administration should prioritize deporting undocumented immigrants who committed crimes. 'I guess they're focusing on both those who have committed crimes and those who haven't,' said Jennifer L., a 44-year-old Michigan voter of Mexican descent. She approved of Trump's overall performance as president but disapproved of his handling of illegal immigration. 'There's some that are going back because they should, but then there are also some immigrants that are going that really, maybe they haven't committed a crime,' she later added. 'He said he was going to focus on the criminals and stuff like that. And then there's people that are not criminals that are also going,' said Oscar B., a 52-year-old Pennsylvania voter, adding that the Trump administration should take a more 'tailored approach.' Oscar, who was born in Venezuela, also noted that he has seen posts on a local Facebook page for Latinos in his area that warn about Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. 'People on there, they make posts where they talk about ICE being in the city and not to go out of your house,' Oscar said. Ruby of Georgia also said she has seen 'a lot of fear' in her community. 'They're afraid to go out and [they say], 'Don't go out if you're a citizen, don't go out without your citizenship certificate or whatever because you never know,'' Ruby said. 'So they're creating that source of fear around the area. Other voters, like Maria from Nevada, appeared to wrestle with different approaches to deporting undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for years "giving back to society," she said. 'It is the law,' she later added, 'but sometimes the law makes it nearly impossible for a lot of them to actually become citizens at the end of the day. And that's what we have to realize, also. So that's why I'm torn.' 'We see in their responses how conflicted some of these voters are when it comes deporting longtime undocumented residents who have become de facto Americans, have families, pay taxes, live peacefully and contribute to society," said Margaret Talev, director of Syracuse University's Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, which leads the focus group project in partnership with Engagious/Sago. "Yet overwhelmingly they're still supporting President Trump, showing the resilience of their loyalty and just how motivated they are in opposing illegal immigration,' Talev said. Los Angeles response While there were some divisions over the Trump administration's deportations, the Trump voters who participated in the focus groups broadly backed Trump's response to protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles. Ten of the 13 participants approved of the president's decision to deploy California National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines, with several voters describing the protests as violent and destructive. 'Normally it might be kind of out of the ordinary, being that it was so early into the demonstrations. But I think given the [Black Lives Matter] riots and everything our country went through a few years ago, and it being in California where [Gov. Gavin] Newsom will pretty much not put his foot down at all, I think that he had to get ahead of it, otherwise we would be seeing even more of it,' said Rozlyn C., a 44-year-old Georgia voter of Cuban descent. 'These idiots are trying to tear down their city,' said Irma C., a 58-year-old Arizona voter of Mexican descent. The few who disapproved of Trump's actions described them as 'too much too soon' or out of bounds. 'There is a chain of command that has to be followed. A governor needs to request — we can't just go in there, the state needs to request. Now, he's just completely gone against that,' Justin of Nevada said, referring to Trump. 'The U.S. military should never be used against its own citizens ever. Period. Ever,' Justin later added. Mostly positive on economy Several of these voters said they supported Trump because they believed he could best address the economy and high prices, and for the most part they like what they've seen of Trump so far on those issues. Eight voters said they feel less anxious about the economy compared to when Trump took office in January. Just two said they were more anxious. 'The reduced anxiety eight of them feel about the economy after just five months reflects not only their experiences as consumers, but also their faith in President Trump as businessman-turned-leader,' said Thau, the focus group moderator. 'As a small-business owner, my costs went up under Biden,' said William A., a 60 year-old Georgia voter of Puerto Rican descent, suggesting Biden's policies raised the price of oil, which impacted 'everything else.' In his view, Trump's policies are 'raising our fuel production and lowering fuel costs.' Mariana, the North Carolina voter who was born in Venezuela, said she backed Trump and the Republican Party because of her concerns about the economy. She said she's seen local grocery prices go down since Trump took office. 'I think that the inflation, economy's what they know and Trump being a businessman is just what he does and has been doing for a living,' she said. But Jennifer, the Michigan voter, said high prices on goods such as eggs, dairy, meat and produce have persisted, and she did not believe that Trump was making addressing inflation a priority. 'I thought it would be a top priority instead of renaming the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America' instead,' Jennifer said. 'But hopefully it does happen. But definitely, in Michigan here it has not — prices here have gone up and have stayed up. A majority of voters also said they supported Trump's actions on trade and tariffs, with the rest saying they do not know enough about the issue to weigh in. Georgia's Rozlyn C. said she disagreed with the president's decision to impose tariffs on some countries with which the U.S. did not have a trade deficit. But she is still broadly supportive of the president. 'I think he has a grand master plan that most of us probably don't understand,' Rozlyn said. 'But I have faith that he, a hundred percent, has the best interest of our country at heart.'
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Five years after COVID closed schools, Mass. parents still worry about pandemic effects on kids
Here's a breakdown of the findings: Closing the digital divide About 68 percent of low-income parents report not having enough devices at home to support work and their children's education, a greater disparity than in 2020, when it was 80 percent. Among Latino families, the figure was 74 percent this year. Advertisement Jennie Williamson, state director for Ed Trust in Massachusetts, said this divide directly undermines student success and broader educational experiences, especially when it comes to students with disabilities or 'Access to devices and technology is not a luxury. It's a necessity,' Williamson said. Leonel Lainez, 55, from Brockton, has two children in college and a son in the eighth grade. Lainez, who works in construction, said his three children share one device and access poor internet service. Lainez said his son uses a device at school but is unable to bring it home, and the family can't stretch their budget to buy another one. 'He isn't up to speed with his peers, he needs a device,' Lainez said in Spanish. Advertisement Academic losses While the majority of parents agree educators are doing their best, more than 40 percent of parents expressed concern over their children's academic progress, up from 36 percent in 2022. Daniel Sosa, 33, from Revere, said his fourth grade son is falling behind in reading and math. 'I just feel like the classes are too full, so there's not enough attention to each student or the way the teacher teaches,' Sosa said. Sosa, who owns his own men's clothing business in downtown Boston, said when he briefly entered his son into an afterschool math program before school let out for the summer, his performance improved substantially, echoing a need for specialized instruction. Post-secondary expectations A majority of Black, Latino, and low-income parents have little expectation their children will earn a college degree, while their more affluent and white peers do. About 39 percent of Black parents and 31 percent of Latino parents expect their child to get a degree. Of families surveyed who earn less than $50,000, only 17 percent said they expect to complete college. By contrast, 62 percent of parents who earn over $100,000 said they expect their children to earn degrees. Williamson, the Ed Trust state director, said parents are reevaluating the cost-benefit of college, especially considering ballooning student debt and 'We find this gap to be really alarming, especially in a state like Massachusetts that has invested so heavily in making higher education more accessible and affordable,' Williamson said. John King, 33, from Boston, has a child entering the third grade at Saint Theresa of Avila School. He said he opted for his child to go to private Catholic school instead of Boston Public Schools to better prepare him for higher education, due to his own high school experience, where he felt he lacked college readiness and financial literacy education. Advertisement 'College might be a real optional thing for people. I start seeing a lot of people with degrees that don't have jobs. That's a lot of debt,' King said. Sosa said sending his kid to college is the family's priority. 'My parents, they didn't even finish school coming from a third world country, so now going forward, we have to do better than our parents,' Sosa said. Safety, fairness, and discrimination Of those surveyed, parents of color were more likely to report their children have experienced school-based bullying, violence, or racism. About 39 percent of Asian parents, 37 percent of Latino parents, and 30 percent of Black parents, also said their child received unfair treatment at school. King said multiple times he has needed to raise concerns to administrators for his son, who is one of the few Black students at school. He once raised concerns that school work his son was given promoted negative associations with the color black. 'You have to be a big advocate on those things, if not [educators] just assume everything is great,' King said. Lainez said his son has witnessed violence and drugs in his middle school. There's 'constant bullying for being Hispanic,' he said. Mental health concerns While concerns over their children's mental health and well-being improved from its peak during the height of the pandemic, 45 percent of parents Advertisement Christina Alquinta, 53, from Lynn, has a sophomore daughter who has ADHD and receives accommodations through a 504 plan. Alquinta said her daughter has benefited from her specialized program and will graduate high school with an associate's degree. Because of the support her daughter received through the specialized plan, Alquinta feels confident in her daughter's mental health. But three-quarters of parents whose children have individualized education plans do have greater concerns about student mental health. 'Families are still worried about their children's academic progress and emotional wellbeing, and many of the challenges that were exposed during the pandemic still persist today,' Williamson said. Maria Probert can be reached at
The Hill
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Absent for ICE: Trump immigration enforcement hits school attendance
President Trump's immigration crackdown is exacerbating the already precarious problem of absenteeism in America's schools. Experts say schools will have to come up with action plans for their student bodies ahead of the fall semester after a recent study showed that an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids leads to undocumented students missing more class. 'What we've really seen and been told is that communication is really key, and so a district can be really explicit with families to understand the fear that they have and then explain all of the protections and protocols that the district have in place to prevent students from being detained at school or for their data to be protected,' said Tara Thomas, government affairs manager for the Schools Superintendents Association. New research recently released from Stanford University found a 22 percent jump in absences from five California school districts during January and February, compared to the same months in the previous years. The difference, analysts say, was ICE raids carried out under former President Biden and Trump during the first two months of the year. The study found absences increased in the majority Latino student populations by 30 percent for those in pre-K, 27 percent for students in kindergarten through 5th grade, 17 percent for middle schoolers and 8 percent for high school students. And that was before the sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles this month that led to widespread protests, which themselves led to Trump calling in the military. The issue for educators isn't so much fear of ICE agents at schools as it is the disruptions that the raids can cause among immigrant communities. 'It is something that many of the schools that we're partnering with across Texas, New Jersey, New York, something that they have already started seeing and they are having conversations around expecting a decline of enrollment, even in summer school […] all because of all that is happening with immigration and parents being afraid to bring their kids to school,' said Viridiana Carrizales, co-founder and CEO of ImmSchools, a group that focuses on the intersection between immigration and education. Experts' biggest recommendation is open communication with parents about how schools can protect student information and what would happen if ICE shows up. While Trump's administration has lifted legal guidance prohibiting ICE in K-12 schools, there have been no confirmed incidents of federal authorities doing so. And if they did, the officers would need a judicial warrant for the school to let me through. A more pressing concern for undocumented parents could be getting their kids to and from school, as many are wary to go out when it is known ICE officials are around in a community. 'The other thing that we're also pushing school districts to consider is their transportation,' said Carrizales. Parents are 'trying to minimize that exposure, and that is making some families keep their kids at home so that they're not they're not detained while they're driving […] There might have to be some policies or transportation currently as it is, might need to shift,' she added. All of this comes as chronic absenteeism has been a struggle for schools in general since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Future Ed, chronic absenteeism rates were at 28 percent in the 2021-2022 school year, 25 percent the following year and 23 percent in the 2023-2024 academic year. The consequences are severe, including substantial drops in academic performance and graduation rates. 'The number one thing that the school can do, whether it be a teacher, cafeteria worker, principal, whatever your role is, the importance is to establish trust. And families need to know that the school will protect their children if they are not there to protect their children,' said Carl Felton, policy analyst on the P-12 team at EdTrust. But that is not always easy, especially in parts of the country where local or state politicians support deportation policies that could put schools in a precarious position. 'One of the most frustrating things is that even in the context and everything that you're seeing happening right now, school districts are still very hesitant in taking any sort of action to support these families, and honestly, for us, it has been a little bit frustrating to see that inaction and to see how many districts are losing families because they are not intentionally speaking out or even telling families that their kids are safe at their school,' said Carrizales.
