Special Guest: Jasmin Chavez Cruz

Born in El Salvador and raised in Falls Church, Virginia, Jasmin began organizing in her community in middle school. Her early passion for justice and service has grown into a lifelong mission to bridge the gap between government and the communities it serves.

• Spanberger Political Director for Coalitions in Northern Virginia
• Associate Director of the White House Internship Program for President Biden
• Virginia State Director for the League of United Latin American Citizens for three years
• Chair of the Latino Youth Outreach in Virginia for the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign

Read her bio HERE and see the Latino Leaders Network 8th Cafecito Series in the Events below.

Opinion - Opinión

A Wolf in Wolf’s Clothing:

Trump’s Law-and-Order Theater in D.C.

Let’s call this what it is: Trump’s deployment of federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Washington, D.C. is not about fighting crime. It is an immigration dragnet in broad daylight. It is a wolf in wolf’s clothing, an unmasked assault on immigrant communities carried out under the false banner of “public safety.”

If this were really about stopping crime, why are troops patrolling the tourist corridors instead of the neighborhoods where violence is actually happening? Why are immigrant families the ones being rounded up while violent offenders walk free? The truth is plain. Most of the arrests have been immigrants, not criminals terrorizing the streets. Trump does not care about safety. He cares about headlines, about scaring people into silence, about feeding his base with the politics of fear.

This is theater, not justice. Militarized agents are not building trust, they are tearing it apart. Parents are afraid to walk their kids to school. Workers are scared to take the bus. Victims are terrified to call the police because they know they might be the next ones targeted. And when communities stop reporting crimes, everyone loses except the predators who thrive in that silence.

We will not be fooled. Trump’s wolf bares its teeth openly, not even pretending to protect us. This is about control, about scapegoating, about ripping apart families to put on a show of power.

We must stand together and shout the truth. This is not safety. This is state-sanctioned fear. This is not crime prevention. This is a crackdown on our neighbors. And we will not let immigrant communities be hunted while Trump parades soldiers down Pennsylvania Avenue pretending to keep us safe.

‘HE ISN’T GETTING AWAY’: TRUMP ADMIN PLANS TO SEND KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA TO UGANDA

After Abrego Garcia was allowed to return home, a Trump official tells Rolling Stone, “We are not going to stop coming after him”

By NAOMI LACHANCE, ASAWIN SUEBSAENG, ANDREW PEREZ

August 23, 2025

Donald Trump’s administration now intends to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man it unlawfully sent to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador, to Uganda — after he refused a plea deal, was released from jail, and was allowed to return to his family.

“We are not going to stop coming after him,” a senior Trump administration official tells Rolling Stone. “If this criminal wanted amnesty, he should have prayed for Kamala to win. She didn’t. President Trump did… He isn’t getting away.”

By its own actions, the Trump administration has made Abrego Garcia a public symbol of its cruel and inhumane treatment of migrants. As Abrego Garcia and his family have racked up victories, big and small, against Trump in court, the administration has lashed out with increasing intensity.

Multiple sources familiar with the matter say that several top Trump officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, believe that if Abrego Garcia and his legal team were to score a sustainable legal victory, it would be a significant blow to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda — and therefore Abrego Garcia cannot be allowed to win. In recent weeks, several contingency plans were developed for different ways to punish or deport him, to try to ensure that any individual court victory Abrego Garcia might secure would be met with a trap door.

In March, Trump unlawfully sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, where the Maryland father says he was tortured, in defiance of a court order barring his deportation there. For two months, the administration disregarded a Supreme Court order demanding his return, before suddenly bringing him back to the U.S. to face new alien smuggling charges in Tennessee. 

With that Tennessee case faltering, Trump officials apparently gave Abrego Garcia a disturbing choice. If he pled guilty, once his sentence is complete, he could go to Costa Rica, which would offer him refugee status or residency. Beat Trump in court again, and Trump would pull the rug out from under him and send him to Uganda, a country the State Department says Americans should reconsider traveling to due to threats of terrorism and violent crime. 

After the Tennessee court let Abrego Garcia out of jail on Friday and allowed him to return home to his family in Maryland, Trump officials quickly announced their intent to deport him to Uganda, even though the criminal case remains ongoing. On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security told Abrego Garcia’s lawyers that he could be sent to Uganda in a matter of days. 

“We will not stop fighting till this Salvadoran man faces justice and is OUT of our country,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement on Friday. In the statement she also called him a “monster.”

Abrego Garcia rejected part of the Trump Justice Department’s plea deal on Saturday, according to the Associated Press. 

The lawyers called the choice the government gave him “coercive,” adding that there is “little doubt that the entire federal government is engaged in a coordinated effort to punish Mr. Abrego for fighting back against its unlawful conduct.” They have also called the treatment “prosecutorial misconduct.” 

“Heightening the constitutional concern, the government has engaged in these tactics through two agencies — DOJ and DHS — that it has previously represented were ‘separate agenc[ies] with separate leadership [and] separate direction’ that could not control one another,” the lawyers wrote. “But these two agencies are obviously working in lockstep to coerce Mr. Abrego into accepting a guilty plea in his criminal case, holding over his head the prospect of possible indefinite detention — or worse — in a country halfway across the world. It is difficult to imagine a path the government could have taken that would have better emphasized its vindictiveness.”

Read the entire article HERE.

Current Events - Eventos Actuales

Click above to see the MSNBC Morning Joe segment with the Washington Post writer who filmed the takedown.

Read the Washington Post article by Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Katie Mettler, Teo Armus and Emma Uber HERE.

Resources - Recursos

Thanks to Gina Medsker, Mt. Vernon District Committee Chair, for the resources above.

Legal Aid for Immigrants

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends our immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system. Click on the logo to learn more.

​ImmDef was created in 2015 from the vision of a small group of immigration lawyers and advocates who believed there was a better way to protect the due process rights of immigrants facing deportation. At its founding, ImmDef was solely focused on ensuring that every immigrant before the immigration court had a lawyer by their side. However, in the years that followed, we recognized the need to not only help individual facing deportation, but also work towards systemic change that reimagines a more just immigration system.  

Special Election - Elección especial

September 9 - 2025 - 9 de septiembre

11th Congressional District - 11.º distrito del Congreso

James Walkinshaw

James Walkinshaw

Click above to get involved.

Click on the Fairfax Votes site for current information and locations

Events - Eventos

Fiesta Politica for Latino Voter Mobilization

Virginia Latino Leaders Council

August 26, 2025 @ 6 - 8 pm

Falls Church, VA 22044

Location will be sent upon response

¡Ven y únete a la Fiesta Política para Movilizar a los Votantes Latinos!

Fiesta Politica for Latino Voter Mobilization with Special Guest Congressman Don Beyer

Now is the time to take action for our community and we need your help!

Join us for an evening of food, conversation, music, and networking to fund a powerful Latino Get Out the Vote effort. Let’s elect candidates who respect and appreciate our community. Every dollar raised will help us reach Latino voters through a variety of media strategies. Adelante!

HERE is our video invite. We hope to see you there!

Click HERE to register and get tickets.

5th Annual

Manassas Park

Latino Fest

September 7, 2025 @ 1 - 7 pm

99 Adams St.

Manassas Park, VA 20111

Get ready for a vibrant celebration of Latino culture with delicious food, live music, artisan crafts, and family-friendly fun—all FREE to attend! Bring your friends and family for an unforgettable day of:

🍴 Latino Cuisine

🎶 Live Music

🛍️ Unique Vendors

🎨 Activities for All Ages

Come out and celebrate the rich diversity of our community! Enjoy a day filled with flavor, rhythm, and culture. Mark your calendars, invite your friends, and let’s make this the biggest Latino Fest yet! Click HERE for more information.

Please join us for a reception honoring Jay Jones

Democratic Nominee for VA Attorney General

Organized by Aida Pacheco, the Hon. Carlos Del Toro, Cecilla Barbosa & Nico De León, Ricardo DeLeon and others

September 14 @ 12:30 - 2:00 pm

Mechanicsville, VA

Address available upon RSVP

Click HERE for tickets.

¿Qué Pasa?

Festival of Herndon

September 14, 2025 @ 12 - 6 pm

Lynn Street & Surrounding Areas

777 Lynn St., Herndon, VA 20170

Kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating at the annual ¿Qué Pasa? Festival of Herndon! This festival features a diverse array of activities, including live music and performances, authentic Latin/Hispanic cuisine, artisanal crafts, interactive workshops, and much more. Attendees can expect to be immersed in the vibrant Latin/Hispanic culture, experiencing the sights, rhythmic sounds, and incredible flavors that make it so unique.

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Latino Leaders Network

8th Cafecito Series

Rescheduled:

September 15, 2025

By invitation only, non-transferable 

info@latinoleadersnetwork.org​ for more information.

The Latino Leaders Network is proud to announce the 8th Cafecito Series on July 30th, 2025, at the National Education Association in Washington, DC, featuring Jasmin Chavez Cruz as the recipient of our Rising Star Award! 🌟 This prestigious award celebrates a rising Latino/a changemaker demonstrating remarkable leadership, potential, and commitment to community impact.

Read her biography HERE.

Click the picture to learn more.

Festival Latinoamericano

September 27, 2025 @ 5 - 9 pm

Arlington Mill Community Center

909 S Dinwiddie St, Arlington, VA 22204

Enjoy the rich tapestry of Latin American art, food, and culture found right here in Arlington, celebrating the vibrant and diverse cultures that enrich our community. Our mission is to showcase the rich tapestry of Latin American art, food, and culture in Arlington County, providing a platform for local artists, chefs, and performers to share their talents and traditions with the public.

Festival Latinoamericano is FREE. Registration is not required, but heavily encouraged to allow us to have an accurate count of anticipated attendance.

Manassas Latino Festival

September 27, 2025 @ 11 am - 6 pm

The Loy E. Harris Pavilion

9201 Center Street

Manassas, VA 20110

The Manassas Latino Festival is an annual event which includes live music, dance performances, diverse foods and other fun activities for the entire family, all in celebration of the cultural heritage and contributions of the Latin American community to our City, surrounding areas and to our nation. 

The Manassas Latino Festival is a project of Sambos USA, Inc.

Fiesta DC

September 27 & 28 @ 11 am - 7 pm

Pennsylvania Ave NW

between 7th NW and 3rd St NW

Immerse yourself in the vibrant energy of Fiesta DC! This two-day extravaganza transforms Washington, D.C. into a global fiesta celebrating Latino cultures. Savor authentic and diverse Latin American cuisine, lose yourself in the infectious rhythms of live music and dance performances, and explore a marketplace brimming with handcrafted artisan creations. Fiesta DC is a celebration for all ages, offering engaging activities and fostering a spirit of community and cultural exchange.

Meet the Candidates and Get Involved

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Statewide Candidates

We have excellent candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Click on any picture to learn more about the candidate and how you can help.

Abigail Spanberger

for Governor

Ghazala Hashmi

for Lieutenant Governor

Jay Jones

for Attorney General

Click HERE to download talking points for Jay Jones.

Latino Candidates for House of Delegates

Alfonso Lopez

District 3 (Arlington & Alexandria)

Elizabeth Guzmán

District 22 (Prince William County)

Michelle Maldonado

District 20 (Manassas and Manassas Park)

Fernando “Marty” Martinez

District 29 (Leesburg)

Phil Hernandez

District 94 (Norfolk)

Alfonso Lopez, the first Latino Democrat elected to the General Assembly, has led efforts to pass the Virginia DREAM Act and expand driver’s license access for immigrants.

Elizabeth Guzmán was the first Latina elected to the Virginia General Assembly in its 200-year history and is now running to continue bringing inclusive, values-driven leadership to one of Virginia’s most competitive districts, while capturing for the Democrats the last Republican-held seat in Prince William County.

Michelle Maldonado is a long-time resident of Prince William County and the City of Manassas and has proudly served in the House of Delegates fighting for families, a cleaner and greener economy, accessible and affordable housing, healthcare and reproductive rights, technology and innovation to keep Virginia competitive, and funding for schools and teachers as our students recover from learning loss.

Phil Hernandez, a civil rights attorney and former Obama administration official, brings a strong policy background to the legislature and is fighting for public education and working families.

Fernando Martínez, elected in 2023, is a rising voice for housing affordability, immigrant protections, and inclusive economic growth in Northern Virginia.

https://www.youtube.com/@FCDCLatinoCaucus

Latino Caucus

Fairfax County

Democratic Committee

Click HERE to join FCDC

www.FairfaxDemocrats.org

 ‌or HERE to join our mailing list



Maritza Zermeño — Chair

Marta Calderon — Secretary

Leonel Rojas — Social Media Master



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