Politics
In The Community
Within hours of President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, the official White House website underwent significant changes, prompting discussions about the administration’s priorities. Among the most notable alterations were the removal of the White House Spanish page and the website section featuring the U.S. Constitution. Harrison Fields, the principal White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement regarding some of the missing pages, "It's day two. We are in the process of developing, editing and tweaking the White House website. As part of this ongoing work, some of the archived content on the website went dormant. We are committed to reloading that content in a short timeline."
What appears to be a permanent removal, however, is the Spanish-language version of the site, previously found at WhiteHouse.gov/es. Visitors to the site now get a 404 error message and a “Go to Homepage” button. Some early viral reports on social media claimed that the text used to read “Go Home” instead of “Go to Homepage,” but Luz Media was unable to verify the veracity of the viral image.
The removal of the Spanish-language site mirrors a similar decision during Trump’s first term in 2017 when the Spanish-language landing page also went offline. At the time, former press secretary Sean Spicer indicated that the page would return, but it remained unavailable throughout Trump’s four years in office. The absence of Spanish-language resources marks a departure from a tradition upheld by previous administrations, starting with George W. Bush in 2001 and continuing through the Obama and Biden presidencies.
The removal of the Spanish-language page comes alongside other immigration-related executive orders signed by Trump on his first day in office. These include reviving the “Remain in Mexico” policy, restarting construction of the border wall, and introducing a controversial effort to end birthright citizenship.
While the Constitution is widely accessible through other government and educational platforms, other White House website pages, such as the Bill of Rights and biographies of former presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton still appear as “Error 404 - Page Not Found” at the time of this writing.
The administration requested patience as they continued to update and build the new White House website and affirmed their commitment to restoring the missing content. "We are committed to bringing back online the Spanish translation section of the website," Fields said, as reported by USA Today.
LGBTQ and HIV-focused resources, which were previously available on various government websites, have also been removed from the White House website. This includes the elimination of pages dedicated to LGBTQ rights on the Department of State's website and the removal of LGBTQ workers' information from the Department of Labor's site. Additionally, the White House website no longer features a contact form that allows users to specify their preferred pronouns, a feature that was implemented during the Biden administration.
These changes to the White House website coincided with the removal of reproductiverights.gov, a Biden-era initiative providing resources on reproductive health, including abortion access. These adjustments are part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to reshape digital communication in alignment with its policy goals.
The administration also discontinued the use of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection One app for scheduling appointments for migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, a tool introduced under President Biden to facilitate legal entry for migrants. The app, which allowed appointments for 1,450 individuals daily at border crossings, was a central component of Biden’s immigration strategy, aiming to create structured pathways for legal entry while discouraging unauthorized crossings. Nearly 1 million people have used the app to enter the U.S. legally since its launch in early 2023. Its termination leaves migrants who had secured appointments weeks in advance without options.
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Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy in the Civil Rights space is an ever-present inspiration to all oppressed and marginalized people. MLK played a massively pivotal role in inspiring the Black community, but through his speeches, fights, and political views, he also effectively highlighted that the spirit of mutuality is where we needed to collectively focus. As MLK noted in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," written on April 16, 1963:
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
It’s in this spirit that he was able to influence Latino leaders and communities to join in the fight for civil rights and collective liberation.
MLK Supported Civil Right Latino Activists
MLK recognized the interconnectedness of civil rights struggles across racial lines. His philosophy of solidarity laid the groundwork for collaboration between Black and Latino civil rights movements. One of the most significant examples of this solidarity was MLK's support for César Chávez and the farmworkers' movement. In 1966, MLK sent a powerful telegram to Chávez after he marched 300 miles to raise awareness about the mistreatment of farmworkers. His message read:
"As brothers in the fight for equality, I extend the hand of fellowship and good will and wish continuing success to you and your members. The fight for equality must be fought on many fronts—in the urban slums, in the sweat shops of the factories and fields. Our separate struggles are really one—a struggle for freedom, for dignity and for humanity."
Chávez admired MLK’s work, and MLK was impressed by what Chávez was achieving for the movement. Inspired by MLK's work, Chávez and Dolores Huerta, co-founders of the National Farm Workers Association (which later became the United Farm Workers of America), launched their own marches in California and adopted nonviolent strategies like boycotts and picketing.
MLK Inspired Nonviolent Resistance in Latino Civil Right Leaders
Chávez and Huerta weren't the only Latino civil rights leaders inspired by MLK's philosophy of nonviolent resistance. Reies López Tijerina was a Mexican American activist who fought for land rights in New Mexico. He attended a gathering of Latino and Black leaders in Atlanta with MLK to plan civil rights actions. Though MLK initially had limited knowledge about Latino issues, this meeting helped bridge the gap between African American and Latino civil rights movements.
Raul Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza (now UnidosUS), was deeply moved by King's "I Have a Dream" speech. It inspired him to expand his civil rights advocacy beyond Latino causes to include a broader vision of justice for all minorities. In a 2003 NPR interview, Yzaguirre stated:
"Although the focus was on the African-American community at the time, I think his thoughts, his sense of justice resonated with those of us who had perhaps a broader sense of inclusion, who wanted Latinos and Native Americans and other minorities to be an integral part of a civil rights movement."
MLK Wanted Latinos Involved in the Poor People’s Campaign
Gilberto Gerena Valentín, then president of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, was personally recruited by MLK to mobilize Latino participation in the March on Washington. King asked him to organize Latinos from several northeastern states to join the historic event, making the Latino community an active part of that historic moment.
It's been reported that in an interview with El Diario NY, Gerena recounted:
“Martin Luther King Jr. invited me to Atlanta, Georgia to discuss the march that was being organized, and I went there with a strong team. He personally invited me to organize the Latinos in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and so I did.”
MLK Was Directly Engaged with the Latino Community
MLK's influence extended beyond his interactions with Latino leaders. He traveled to Puerto Rico three times, speaking at universities and addressing issues of criminality that stigmatized communities of color. In 1962, he spoke at the Interamerican University in San Germán and the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras. In 1965, he returned to Puerto Rico after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to speak at the World Convention of Churches of Christ. During these visits, MLK addressed issues of criminality that stigmatized communities of color.
In Los Angeles, MLK spoke at the Freedom Rally in 1963 to over 40,000 people at Wrigley Field. At that rally, he sponsored special guest speaker Juan Cornejo (the first Mexican American elected to the all-white city council in Crystal City, Texas), and his presence inspired people to donate to various causes that fought for the needs of people of color. The Freedom Rally was part of MLK's broad strategy to build a coalition across racial lines because he recognized the shared struggles of African Americans, Latinos, and other marginalized communities.
MLK’s Legacy is Timeless
MLK's impact on the Latino community continues to resonate to this day. His principles of nonviolence, equality, and social justice have inspired generations of Latino activists. Dolores Huerta, reflecting on MLK's legacy in a 2022 CNN interview, emphasized the ongoing relevance of his message:
"Racism is a sickness. [...] Dr. Martin Luther King warned us that racism threatened the very foundation of our democracy. Racism began with slavery, the oppression of workers, the subjugation of women and children. [...] We have no choice but to heal."
Martin Luther King's work will always be a source of inspiration to civil rights leaders and activists across the board. Even though we’re still a massively long way from the dream he envisioned, reminding ourselves that together we can work towards a better future is the best lesson we can move forward with.
Service to his legacy means being in service to ourselves while being in service to others without getting into oppression olympics. It’s not about who has it worse, but rather acknowledging the harm, trying to move forward collectively to address it, and working towards solving it for the good of all.
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Originally published in The Latino Newsletter–reprinted with permission.
SAN JUAN — Danielle Bertothy, of St. Peters, Missouri, an American tourist accused of setting fire to several businesses in southwestern Puerto Rico was arrested and then indicted by a federal grand jury from the District of Puerto Rico late Thursday afternoon.
As The Latino Newsletter previously reported, Bertothy used a gas canister meant for a generator left at the Airbnb she was staying in following a nearly island-wide blackout on New Year’s Eve to burn down Marinera restaurant, Bar Marea, and Artesanías Juavia, as well as damage parts of Luichy’s Seaside Hotel—which was nearly full at the time. She then left Puerto Rico for Missouri shortly after even though her original stay was meant to last over a week longer.
“This defendant will be held accountable for her dangerous actions that caused significant damage and put many lives at risk,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico in a media release. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws and bring to justice criminals who engage in violent crimes.”
Ángel Luis Marrero Negrón, owner of the hotel and the buildings where businesses once stood, criticized the municipal police’s response, who did not detain Bertothy and instead escorted her to her Airbnb twice after she allegedly harassed staff and patrons of Bar Marea. One municipal police officer has been arrested pending an ongoing investigation.
“We are people trying to get ahead and nobody can come here to not treat us with respect,” Marrero Negrón said.
He hopes that this case will have big repercussions when it comes to how tourists treat and view Puerto Ricans. Earlier this week, another tourist was caught on video harassing police and staff at a hotel in Arecibo, another coastal town.
Marrero Negrón has already started rebuilding the hotel, which he hopes to fully reopen by February 1. Only seven of the hotel's 15 total rooms are currently available to rent. However, he emphasized that getting the money necessary has been an uphill battle because he did not have property insurance. He has opened a $190,000 credit line and a GoFundMe, which has amassed $13,487 of its $150,000 goal. All told, he estimates the damages add up to half a million dollars.
The Puerto Rican diaspora has played a “crucial role” in the whole incident, Marrero Negrón said. Shortly after news of the fire reached the internet, Puerto Ricans on social media identified Bertothy and called for her arrest. The most prominent voice was Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez of St. Louis.
According to the Department of Justice, ”Bertothy is charged with the use of fire to destroy any building affecting interstate commerce (arson) 18 U.S.C. § 844(i). The defendant is scheduled for her initial court appearance on Friday, January 17, before a magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and up to twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.”
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