Stella M. Chávez

100 days, two Americas: Assessing the impact of President Trump’s policies on California and Texas The California Newsroom and the Texas Standard team up to examine how the Trump administration is changing life in two of the nation’s largest states.

The California Newsroom and the Texas Standard team up to examine how the Trump administration is changing life in two of the nation’s largest states.

Listen to our special broadcast, "100 days, two Americas:" txst.us/szwfak

Southern District of Texas deportations through the Alien Enemies Act remain temporarily banned A federal judge in Brownsville extended a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether the administration can invoke the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act, historically used during times of war, against members of a Venezuelan gang.

A federal judge in Brownsville extended a temporary restraining order that prevents the Trump administration from invoking the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act to remove people without legal status in the U.S. from the Southern District of Texas.

Federal Court Temporarily Halts Ruinous Financial Surveillance for Southern California Money Services Businesses - Institute for Justice SAN DIEGO—Today a San Diego federal court put a temporary halt to a financial surveillance rule that threatened Esperanza Gomez’s small business and intruded on […]

Also this week, a San Diego federal judge ordered a similar temporary halt to the surveillance rule, which also affects money services businesses in Southern California. The rule targets a total of 30 zip codes in CA and TX border communities. @ij.org 4/4
ij.org/press-releas...

Feds to collect personal info of people exchanging, sending money from U.S.-Mexico border The federal government will begin collecting detailed information about who’s making cash transactions of $200 to $10,000 at money exchange businesses in several South Texas counties. The effort is pa...

Here's my previous reporting on this issue. 3/4
www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...

Federal court gives Texas cash exchange businesses temporary reprieve from new Trump order A federal judge has extended a temporary reprieve on a new cash reporting requirement for a group of Texas businesses suing the federal government. A hearing for a longer reprieve will occur in May.

The temporary reprieve applies only to the Texas businesses that challenged the rule in court. Businesses that aren't part of this lawsuit have already implemented the new rule. 2/4
www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...

Federal court gives Texas cash exchange businesses temporary reprieve from new Trump order A federal judge has extended a temporary reprieve on a new cash reporting requirement for a group of Texas businesses suing the federal government. A hearing for a longer reprieve will occur in May.

A federal judge this week extended a temporary halt that was already in place on a new Trump administration rule requiring money exchange businesses in several Texas border communities to report transactions between $200 and $10,000 to the federal government. 1/4
www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...

ICE raid reportedly detains more than a dozen day laborers outside Home Depot Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly detained over a dozen day laborers outside a Home Depot in Pomona on Tuesday.

ICE raid reportedly detains more than a dozen day laborers outside Home Depot

ACLU warns hundreds of Venezuelans face immediate deportation under Alien Enemies Act despite Supreme Court decision A recent Supreme Court ruling instructed the Trump administration to give migrants being deported under the Alien Enemies Act due process. The ACLU says a group of migrants in Texas have been given le...

ACLU warns hundreds of Venezuelans at a Texas detention facility face immediate deportation under Alien Enemies Act despite Supreme Court decision
www.npr.org/2025/04/18/n...

Feds to collect personal info of people exchanging, sending money from U.S.-Mexico border The federal government will begin collecting detailed information about who’s making cash transactions of $200 to $10,000 at money exchange businesses in several South Texas counties. The effort is pa...

The reporting requirement went into effect today except for 10 businesses with the Texas Association of Money Services Businesses, which sued the treasury dept & its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. You can read more about this new order in my latest story.
www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...

ICYMI, a new U.S. Treasury Dept order requires money exchange/check cashing businesses in 30 zip codes near the border in TX & CA to report transactions of $200 & ⬆️. This means collecting customers' social security numbers & other personal identification info. A judge on Friday said hold on. ⬇️

New Trump administration policy threatens to cut tens of millions from Texas refugee groups The federal Office for Refugee Resettlement recently announced a policy change that limits who can receive grants. Only states — not nonprofits — can access that money beginning in October.

NEW from @stellamchavez.bsky.social: Refugee groups have been fighting since Trump took office to get federal funds for services.

Now, they are being told their money could soon be cut off. If the state doesn't act, Texas will be among the hardest hit.
www.keranews.org/news/2025-04... #txlege

New Trump administration policy threatens to cut tens of millions from Texas refugee groups The federal Office for Refugee Resettlement recently announced a policy change that limits who can receive grants. Only states — not nonprofits — can access that money beginning in October.

New from me for The Texas Newsroom: Nonprofit groups that manage federal funds for refugee programs in their states could lose millions of $$ in grants under a new Trump administration policy rolled out last month. This directly impacts Texas & several other states.
www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...

5 Selena Quintanilla songs to remember the Queen of Tejano Music in 2025 “Amor Prohibido,” “No Me Queda Más,” “Como la Flor” and other hits made Selena an icon of her generation.

What better way to honor Selena Quintanilla’s legacy than by listening to her songs?

As we mark what would have been her 54th birthday — on April 16 — let’s remember five of her most iconic songs. 🌹

NIH Ends Future Funding to Study the Health Effects of Climate Change It’s unclear whether the guidance will impact active grants, but it appears to halt opportunities for future studies. One climate health expert said the directive would have a “devastating” impact on ...

The National Institutes of Health will no longer be funding work on the health effects of climate change, according to internal records reviewed by ProPublica.

By @anniewaldman.bsky.social and @fastlerner.bsky.social

🥹🫂

Texas detains more migrants than any other state. Families with kids are now among them The Trump administration recently reinstated the practice of detaining immigrant adults and children together. Two detention facilities in South Texas are at the center of that controversial decision.

Texas detains more migrants than any other state, about 11,000 people as of this month. Now, two facilities in South Texas are at the center of Donald Trump’s plans to detain and and deport migrant families.

Story by @stellamchavez.bsky.social. www.keranews.org/news/2025-03... #txlege

Texas detains more migrants than any other state. Families with kids are now among them The Trump administration recently reinstated the practice of detaining immigrant adults and children together. Two detention facilities in South Texas are at the center of that controversial decision.

The Trump administration recently brought back the practice of detaining adults & children together. I visited Dilley & Karnes City, TX where a couple of family detention centers are located & talked to local residents about this. Read & listen here ⬇️

Woman inside an audio recording room, sitting and facing a microphone.

Well, hello! I setup this account awhile back & am finally going to be active on it. Please reach out if you have story tips or wanna chat about immigration, refugee resettlement, writing, radio storytelling, cats, caregiving, Yargı, indie music, hiking, etc. I have a lot of interests! 😄