On this edition of KBOO News in Depth:
Since taking office, the Trump administration has targeted even lawful immigrants with recognized protections and is pushing them into a category of “unauthorized.” The strategy accelerated after an Afghan refugee and former elite CIA-trained Afghan elite squad member shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., an incident the administration used to blame refugees, restrict visas for 19 countries, and freeze Afghan immigration requests. At the same time, as the U.S. nears conflict with Venezuela, it is rescinding legal pathways and protections for Venezuelans and other communities.
The result is an unprecedented mass cancellation of status for people who followed every rule, creating a pipeline from lawful to “illegal” that could affect more than two million people and fundamentally reshape the meaning of legal immigration itself. Impacted groups include DACA recipients, TPS holders from multiple countries, and humanitarian parole that benefits Cubans, Venezuelans, Ukrainians, and many others.
American Community Media Editor Pilar Marerro speaks with experts in a panel discussion. We hear from Hiroshi Motomura, co-director, UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy, Adelys Ferro, Venezuelan American Caucus, Venezuelan activist, Laura Flores-Perilla, Staff Attorney, Justice Action Center, Jeremiah Johnson, former immigration judge in San Francisco and VP of the National Association of Immigration Judges and Andrea, Dreamer and DACA activist.
Edited by Althea Billings
- KBOO