Human Rights/Racial Justice / Public News Service

Ohio Senate Bill 1 would require all students to complete a three-credit-hour American history course. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Ohio's SB-1 parallels national administration's anti-DEI sentiment

Debates over academic freedom and diversity initiatives have intensified nationally and in Ohio. Senate Bill 1, known as the Advance Ohio Higher …

Research shows there is a direct correlation between unstable housing and food insecurity. (FamilyWorks Food Bank)

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Advocates say WA rent stabilization bill important for ending hunger

While affordable housing advocates across the state have been cheering on Washington's rent stabilization bill in Olympia, so have organizations …

Changes to Arkansas' abortion ban clarifies doctors acting in good faith would not be prosecuted for saving the life of a pregnant person. (Sikov/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

New findings: Arkansas abortion ban could impact potential workforce

As members of the Arkansas Legislature debate changing the wording in the state's abortion ban, a new study showed states with strict abortion laws …

The Department of Education has reduced its workforce by nearly 50%, laying off approximately 1,300 employees, with an additional 600 either accepting separation packages or being dismissed during their probationary period. (Photo courtesy of OEA)

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Ohio educators alarmed over proposed elimination of DOE

The potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education has sparked concern in Ohio. Threatened moves by the Trump administration's so-called …

The Northwest ICE Processing Center is the largest immigrant detention center in the Western U.S., and is nearing its 1,900-person capacity. (Sundry Photography/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Amid increased activity, pressure to close WA ICE detention center

A year after the death of detainee Charles Leo Daniel, a 61-year-old Trinidadian migrant, legislators and human rights advocates continue pushing to …

Advocates for Minnesota's immigrant population recently protested ICE enforcement in Rochester. (Photo courtesy of COPAL).

MN Latino advocates band together as deportation fears persist

Social and economic disruptions are among the impacts reported by Minnesota Latino support organizations as they monitor the Trump administration's ma…

In West Virginia, 11,000 people are incarcerated and another 9,200 are on probation or parole, according to data from the Prison Policy Initiative. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Monday, March 17, 2025

Report: West Virginia’s prison population on the decline

West Virginia is among just ten states whose prison population declined between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from the Prison Policy …

Eliseo Santana, the Gulf Coast Region manager for the Alianza Center, which serves the Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities, showcased the first-aid kits they distribute after hurricanes. (Trimmel Gomes)

Hispanic veteran demands respect amid immigration crackdown

As the Trump administration continues to implement aggressive immigration policies, many Hispanic residents in Florida, a key voting bloc for Trump…

Immigrants in Ohio pay $7 billion a year in taxes and have a spending power of $20 billion contributing significantly to the state's economy. (Adobe Stock)

Research shows economic impact of deportation in Ohio, U.S.

As nationwide deportation efforts continue, new research examined how past policies have shaped the economy and what could happen if the Trump …

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, in 2023, 12% of people in West Virginia prisons were over age 55, and the average age of state prisoners was 39. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Bill to increase penalties could overpopulate WV prisons

A bill pending in the West Virginia Legislature would increase the length of penalties for "serious" felony convictions, but critics have said it …

Protesters rallied at the Iowa State Capitol on Feb. 28 before Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a measure removing gender identity protections from the state's civil rights code. (Anne Discher/Common Good Iowa)

Iowans react to nation's first law removing gender identity protections

Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a measure that removes gender identity protections for LGBTQ+ people from Iowa's civil rights code. Opponents call it …

Immigration law allows ICE agents to enter public areas of a university campus without a warrant, but students have the right to remain silent. (UNM.edu)

Higher ed leaders steer response to ICE presence on NM campuses

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are now are allowed to make arrests near colleges and universities, and higher education leaders are …

Even though Wisconsin is considered restrictive in its tuition and financial aid policies for undocumented students, more than 20% of the higher education student body is international, or first-or second-generation immigrants. (Adobe Stock)

WI colleges, universities get advice about ICE on campus

On President Donald Trump's second day in office, he rescinded a Biden-era rule barring Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making …

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa, a public land-grant research university in Honolulu, is the flagship campus of the University of Hawai'i system. (Adobe Stock)

Teachers' union preps Hawai'i college officials to respond to ICE inquiries

Following President Donald Trump's executive order lifting Immigration and Customs Enforcement restrictions in protected areas, the American …

University of Southern California recently scrubbed many 'DEI' references from its website and sent a campuswide email saying its Office of Inclusion and Diversity would no longer be a standalone entity. (Hanson/Adobe Stock)<br />

Educators sue to block Trump anti-DEI policy

The American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association are suing the Trump administration over a threat of funding cuts and inv…

First- and second-generation immigrants comprise nearly a third of all students enrolled in higher education in the U.S. (Drobot Dean/Adobe Stock)

How WA campuses can prepare for ICE

On President Donald Trump's second day in office, his Secretary of Homeland Security rescinded a Biden-era rule barring Immigration and Customs …

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for operating, running and overseeing detention centers nationwide, and has often been criticized for detainee treatment and conditions. (danielfela/Adobe Stock)

MI teachers union guides colleges on response to ICE inquiries

Following President Donald Trump's executive order lifting Immigration and Customs Enforcement restrictions in protected areas, the American …

Iowa has long been a popular destination for immigrants seeking jobs in the meatpacking industry. Some estimates say as much as 25% of the workforce in meatpacking plants are migrants. (Adobe Stock)

Court ban latest chapter in Iowa's quest to tighten immigration laws

It's been about a month since a federal judge upheld a court ruling that blocks an Iowa immigration bill from taking effect. It's the latest action …

International students, who make up more than 5% of all U.S. higher education students, may be impacted by a federal policy change that newly allows ICE to make arrests on campuses. (Adobe Stock)

Higher ed experts advise campuses on how to prepare for ICE

On President Donald Trump's second day in office, his Secretary of Homeland Security rescinded a Biden-era rule barring Immigration and Customs …

Black and Native American youth are largely overrepresented in juvenile facilities compared to their white counterparts. (Sophon_Nawit/Adobe Stock)

Act would give incarcerated WA youth a second chance

Several bills working their way through the Washington Legislature focus on reforming the state's juvenile legal system, including one known as the …

Latinos in NM, nation urged to boycott national retailers over DEI curbs

In a nationwide movement, Latinos are being urged to boycott retail stores tomorrow that have curtailed programs promoting fair hiring practices…

Indigenous people are incarcerated at a rate four times higher than white people.(Framestock/Adobe Stock)

WA legislators weigh voting rights for incarcerated people

More than 14,000 incarcerated people in Washington are not able to vote and two bills in Olympia aim to change it. One bill would make voting more …

Ohio is home to more than 83,000 federal employees. All of them reportedly recently received an email from the Office of Personnel Management, asking for details on what they accomplish at work. (Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons)

DOGE, OPM demands shake up federal workers in OH and beyond

The federal workforce in Ohio numbers more than 83,000 and many say they're reeling after weeks of job cuts and a demand from Elon Musk, his …

The Trump administration is mandating many federal employees work in the office full-time, which puts remote workers who live in rural Wisconsin, far from their office buildings, at risk. (Adobe Stock). <br />

As federal cuts hit Wisconsinites, one group pitches in to help

Communities in Wisconsin are feeling the widespread effects of federal cuts and some organizations are pitching in to help those who have experienced …

An estimated 60% of Virginians have a valid passport. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Bill would disenfranchise VA rural voters, married women

House Republicans have reintroduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE Act. Backers say it's meant to ensure only citizens register …

More than 60,000 people in Oregon could benefit from expanding food benefits to undocumented residents. (Franco Capotosti/Adobe Stock)

Undocumented OR farmworkers may gain access to food assistance

By Amal Ahmed for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Isobel Charle for Oregon News Service reporting for the Yes! Media/Sentient/Just and Climate-…

Volunteers from Centro Unido helped provide aid to victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. (Andrea Abernathy/Centro Unido)

NC organization applies COVID-era lessons to Helene relief

Lessons learned during the COVID pandemic have proven crucial to one organization responding to Hurricane Helene. Centro Unido - which serves the …

The advocacy group Power a Clean Future Ohio said it is dedicated to ensuring every community has clean air, clean energy and clean transportation, no matter your ZIP Code or the color of your skin. (Sherman Cahal/Adobe Stock)

Ohio communities at risk amid EPA's program cuts

The Trump administration has begun dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency's office working to reducing environmental harms in minority and lo…

Produce at an upcoming farmers market will come directly from Catawba Trail Farm in Durham, N.C. (Volodymyr Kyrylyuk/Adobe Stock)

NC farmer's market, hike mark Black History Month

An urban farm in North Carolina is celebrating Black History Month this weekend with a farmers market and historic group hike. Urban Community …

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., came to Memphis, Tenn., to support the sanitation workers' strike on April 3, 1968, the day before his assassination. (Gerald Zaffuts/Adobe Stock)

MLK III on legacy, building connections for dignity, respect, civility

In Tennessee and nationwide, communities are celebrating Black History Month, recognizing the contributions and achievements of African Americans to …

Diesel exhaust represents about 80-percent of the potential cancer risk from all air toxics in the Puget Sound area. (Natalia Bratslavsky/Adobe Stock)

Shore power bill would improve WA air quality, cut emissions

New legislation would transition more ocean-going container ships to run off electricity instead of diesel while they are docked at Washington ports…

The USDA has a long history of refusing to process loans from Black farmers, and approving smaller loans compared to white farmers. (Brittany Bell Surratt)

Small MS family farms battle inequities, climate change

For generations, small family farms have worked to feed Mississippi communities but small-scale operations, particularly those run by Black farmers…

The scene from outside Minnesota's State Capitol on Monday as another round of national protests was held in response to controversial actions of President Donald Trump's administration. (Courtesy of u/Buck_Thorn/Reddit)

Protesters: Trump administration actions 'cast aside democracy'

In many U.S. cities, President's Day was used to sound the alarm over actions by the Trump administration. Minnesota protesters braved subzero …

More than 11,500 scholars were served in CDF Freedom Schools over 36 states and nearly 200 program sites during 2023. (Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month

As Black History Month continues, advocacy groups in Ohio are pushing for policies that benefit children from all backgrounds. They emphasize the …

Medicaid is the single largest health insurer for children in New Mexico. (MonaM�kel�/AdobeStock)

GOP budget eyes Medicaid cuts, a significant impact for Native communities

A preliminary federal budget unveiled by Republicans this week includes cuts to Medicaid, which a recent study reveals would disproportionately …

If passed, Senate Bill 1 would prohibit public universities from requiring diversity, equity and inclusion training for students, faculty and staff. Event photo credit Ohio Student Association.

Students protest as Ohio Senate weighs higher-ed overhaul

Ohio Senate Bill 1 is drawing strong reactions across the state, particularly from students in higher education. The bill, which its supporters say …

The administration has begun work to break up the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division. (Adobe Stock)

Climate advocate: Trump EPA office closure harms environment

The Trump administration has started dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency's office dealing with reducing environmental harms to minority an…

The Trump administration has paused all environmental litigation in the Justice Department. (Adobe Stock)

Climate advocate: Closure of EPA branch harms VA environment

The Trump administration has begun to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's office dealing with reducing environmental harms to minority and…

Attorneys representing an undocumented father in Lubbock said he faces deportation proceedings after a traffic stop by police. (Thanyalak/Adobe Stock)

Northwest TX father faces deportation

A northwest Texas family is waiting to hear from agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a recent traffic stop. Jose is in the country …

Most of the 50 people detained in a recent Denver raid have no criminal charges pending, according to the Colorado Rapid Response Network, and at least two people detained are U.S. citizens. (Adobe Stock)

Rapid response network monitoring ICE raids in Colorado

As President Donald Trump ramps up deportation efforts, immigrant advocates have mobilized a rapid response network to protect their neighbors…

Florida immigrant advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to help undocumented individuals navigate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. (David Peinado/Pexels)

Florida immigrant advocates intensify efforts to support affected communities

Immigrant advocates in Florida are ramping up efforts to help families navigate President Donald Trump's new immigration orders, which have increased …

New Mexico's immigrants represent only 9% of the state's population but 11% of the state's workers. (Dejan/Adobe Stock)

ABQ hosts 'know your rights' sessions for immigrants, business owners

The City of Albuquerque and local business partners have launched a "Know Your Rights" campaign to help immigrants navigate the Trump administration's…

People living within many miles of industrial swine operations feel the effects of ammonia pollution. (lightpoet/Adobe Stock)

Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC

The negative effects on air quality from industrialized animal facilities in North Carolina stick around for a long time, according to a new study…

The American Federation of Teachers says schools must be safe havens, welcoming places of learning and free from racism, discrimination and the threat of deportation. (vectorfusionart/Adobe Stock)

TX teachers prepare to protect immigrant students

School districts across Texas are grappling with ways to keep migrant children safe and engaged in class now that the Trump administration has made it…

The ADA protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination, just as other civil rights laws safeguard against discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion.<br />(Adobe Stock)

Dismantling DEIA initiatives may harm PA disability rights

For Pennsylvanians with disabilities, there may be unexpected side effects to ending so-called Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility …

In 2025, women occupy 34% of Ohio's 132 legislative seats, with the General Assembly welcoming seven additional female lawmakers. (Adobe Stock)

Scholarships help OH women in public service amid diversity program cuts

The gender gap in Ohio politics persists, and President Donald Trump's new executive order eliminating federal diversity programs is expected to …

The Women's Foundation of the South expects to forge relationships with women of color who are nonprofit leaders in 13 Southern states by 2026. (Adobe Stock)

TX nonprofits led by women of color receive support from southern charity

As many nonprofit organizations see a decrease in funding and donations, one charity is stepping up to ensure organizations run by women of color do …

Numerous studies have shown immigrants are far less likely to commit crimes than people born in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado legislators stand up for immigrants

As President Donald Trump makes good on his promises for mass deportation, some Colorado lawmakers are standing up to protect immigrant families now …

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