LATINOPIA GUEST BLOG 1.01.26 XOCHITL ON FIGHTING BACK IN THE NEW YEAR

 

Happy New Year! We dogs figure time in terms of regular meals, so every meal is a “Happy New Meal” to me. But I’ll tell you that the park visits and hamburger meals this past year were simply sublime—keep it up, pack!

And this year I am making a resolution to join with my Alphas–the top dogs in my pack– in a year-long fight-back.

Let me explain. I’ve noticed, is that my Alpha Dad and Alpha Mom are always talking about politics and the news. And my Alpha Mom frequently uses bad words and swears when discussing the President of the United States and his policies, saying “we must fight back!” This year I have learned a lot about politics (and even more about bad words!)

But hey, all knowledge is useful, especially if it comes from your Alpha.

One thing around here that uncorks lots of swears is mention of the U.S. legal system.

If I understand the story, the legal process itself is under attack from the President and some in Congress and a whole pile of people from a thing called Project 2025, which sounds to me like a new brand of dog food but is really a plan funded and led by the right-wing Heritage Foundation to dismantle the U.S Constitution. (I learned about the Constitution from listening frequently and carefully to the soundtrack of Hamilton.)

This week a story came out in the Los Angeles Times, just days before the arrival of 2026, which reports that more than a quarter of California’s federal immigration judges were fired, retired or just plain quit since the beginning this year of the Trump Administration.

It’s a trend nationwide. Some judges jumped, but many were pushed. The outcome: a 70% reduction of staff in dozens of courts.

My Alpha Mom keeps an eye on immigration policy and she tells me that the court system has already been under enormous strain, with the escalation of arrests demanded by the Trump Administration. Trump…hmmm, now that does sound like a new brand of dog food. Anyway, ICE has even been picking up people who are on the way to court hearings in compliance with a legal process that can take patience and stamina even when masked goons don’t show up and take you away. Dogs are used to being taken away and put in cages, but that should never happen to a human being! (And not to us either, but that’s another story.)

The destination for those arrested is likely to be a gruesomely overcrowded cell where the incarcerated frequently have to sleep on the floor without blankets and roll out of the way of when toilets overflow. Another LA Times story describes conditions in detail—people outnumbering beds, denial of medications, lack of access to bathrooms or drinking water. You wait for hours in line to use a phone to update your panicked family—if you are permitted access to the phone.

So, counting on all four paws here, that tells me we need more, not fewer judges available. But forcing judges out is a planned way to kneecap due process for immigrants.

The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia tells you all you need to know about the role of judges in protecting and defending due process.  You probably know Abrego Garcia’s story—the Salvadoran-born 30-year-old, who had not been charged or convicted of a crime in either the U.S. or El Salvador was deported in the middle of the night to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo in El Salvador–CECOT.

CECOT is a terrible place–called “notorious” so frequently I think the word should be officially added to the name of the place.

From a Human Rights Watch report: “When we arrived at the entrance of CECOT, guards made us kneel so they could shave our heads,” Gonzalo said. “One of the officers hit me on the legs with a baton, and I fell to the ground on my knees.”

Everyone, he said, was subjected to the same treatment. “The prison director told us, ‘You have arrived in hell’.

But back to judges—in March 2025, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ordered Abrego Garcia’s deportation flight turned around back to the U.S. That didn’t happen—you see the pattern of the disregarding judges here?—and Abrego Garcia went to CECOT. He was deported in March and returned to the US in September. The Trump Administration, which doggedly insists that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS13 gang, eventually called the deportation an “administrative error.”

You should know that Boasberg was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2002—adding that fact here just in case you thought he was some kind of Bolshevik– as an associate judge of the D.C. Superior Court and in 2011 was appointed to the federal bench by then-President Barack Obama.

That’s too many courts for this canine to keep track of. But the point is you can’t actually have too many courts and too many judges when it comes to a national government. Abrego Garcia’s flight was not turned around despite Boasberg’s efforts and Abrego Garcia was incarcerated in CECOT. The case went to the Supreme Court, which in an April 2025 ruling acknowledged that he was wrongfully deported and that the Trump Administration must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return—the ruling required compliance with Boasberg’s order to return him.

Anyway, the government is still trying to “remove” him based on other charges but he’s free for now and got to spend Christmas with his family. Google it.

Props here to U.S District Court Judge Paula Xinis who’s on the bench in Maryland and who is pushing back on the removal plans the US government has to send Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica or elsewhere. He’s now being charged with human smuggling.

And what do you know—reports surfaced this week that a top Justice Department official has called Abrego Garcia’s prosecution “a top priority.” As in: it’s What the Boss wants.

This shows why we need MORE judges and legal personnel to support the defense of immigrants and their human rights, not fewer—the goal the Administration is ardently trying to achieve. But the push back from the overstretched legal community to protect immigrant rights continues.

It was quite something to learn that Abrego Garcia’s case, revealed this week to be a top Administration priority, has been handled by a public defender.

The fight-back against current Administration policies and practices is certainly in the courts—ask the ACLU, the Immigrant Advocates Network, the Immigrant Legal Resource and Pro Bono Net, among others. If you’re part of the fight, you might want to send a donation or two their way.  I don’t much like fights, myself—I was dumped in the LA streets as a puppy and had to fight for food and push back at other dogs that somehow thought it was fine to attack me. They learned different. But humans really should be fighting for justice and protection for other humans–such as immigrants.

And of course we can all fight back by marching on No Kings Day! What a great excuse to walk your pooch!

The courts aren’t the only way to fight back. I, of course, prefer push-back that involves walks; I understand walks, legal matters not so much–so marches are good for me. This year the No Kings marches are set for July 4^th, the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—put No Kings Day 2026 and your town’s name into the Google (that’s what my Alpha Mom does all the time) and see if there’s an action near you. I’m planning on a No Kings Day walk (er, march) with my Alphas! To my brother and sister pooches, behave yourself on those big long walks for justice. You don’t want to spoil the vibe or the look of the protest by scrapping or barking too much (your humans will deal with any poop issues, I’m sure.)

Another way to fight back is to look up organizations–day laborer associations, workers rights organization, environmental groups and certainly women’s and LGBTQ groups–and see what’s going on. Get set for the Women’s March in your area because you know women’s rights are in big trouble.

Just remember that one thing you’re out marching against are the policies of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. They not only threaten immigrant communities and human rights, but this tells us who she is: twenty years ago Kristi Noem shot and killed her own dog, 14-year-old Cricket, claiming the dog was dangerous. For an Alpha to do this to a member of the pack can only be called utmost depravity.

So, maintain, pups! There’s still a lot of fight in this old dog and on No Kings Day I’ll see you on the streets!

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Copyright 2026 by Xochitl La Pestaña.

 

 

 

 

 

Good things—no masking law, growing and more sophisticated resistance—day laborers in CA wins, No Kings coming up,