Widespread Consternation over Cancellation of TPS for Hondurans – The Trump administration has announced the cancellation of temporary protected status or TPS for tens of thousands of Hondurans living in the United States. The program was established two decades ago to help victims of Hurricane Mitch who sought refuge in the north. Critics of the end of TPS status for Hondurans claim the decision is a political one and unfounded. José Lopez Zamorano reports from Washington.
Mexican Man Freed After 25 Years on Death Row – After more than 25 years on death row, a Mexican farmworker has been exonerated and freed by order of the California Supreme Court. Vicente Benavides was accused of sexually abusing and murdering a two-year-old in 1991 in Delano, California. The state’s supreme court ruled that the trial against Benavides involved false and pervasive testimony and irregularities. The verdict raised serious questions about the prosecution, including a prosecutor known for being “tough” and with a history of multiple complaints for prosecutorial misconduct, and on the county, known for having the highest number of death sentences per capita. Radio Bilingüe’s Samuel Orozco spoke with Benavides’s defense lawyer, Cristina Bordé.
Texas Celebrates a Voters’ Rights Pioneer with Registration Drive – Thirty years after his death, Texans are celebrating the memory of Willie Velásquez, a pioneering voters’ rights advocate and founder of the Southwest Voter Registration and Education (SVREP). Velásquez, who is remembered for his slogan “Your Vote is Your Voice,” died at the young age of 44, leaving as legacy a historic voter roll of Latino citizens and many representatives elected to office as a result of his outreach campaigns. The jurist José Angel Gutiérrez, another pioneering civil rights figure and co-founder of La Raza Unida Party, and SVREP Vice President Lydia Camarillo reflect on Velásquez’s legacy with Samuel Orozco.
