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Clarissa A. León

@clarissaleon.bsky.social
2.8K followers 1.2K following 100 posts

🇨🇴 DocumentedNY.com Deputy Editor. We cover NYC immigrants + immigration in Spanish, Chinese and Haitian Creole. I appreciate a good coffee + good read. (@documentedny.bsky.social)

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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In an Uber. Driver having loud phone conversation with someone in Spanish. A little annoying, but it happens. He hangs up. Says, “Mi hermano. La Migra.” And starts weeping.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Iowa Capital Dispatch @iowacapitaldispatch.com · 02/09/2026
More than 20,000 unaccompanied immigrant youth remain at risk of losing their legal representation, one month after the Trump administration ended a federal contract for legal services to migrant children, Ariana Figueroa reports. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/09/01/r...
iowacapitaldispatch.com
Legal aid for immigrant kids remains in question after Trump administration pulls contract • Iowa Capital Dispatch
More than 20,000 unaccompanied immigrant youth are at risk of losing their legal representation due to Trump administration program cuts.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Eileen Grench, OLY @grenchpan.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Chajón had died after falling into convulsions at Delaney Hall. But weeks before the U.S. public knew his name, family in Guatemala fought to bring him home and pay their respects. “If we don’t have any [money] what can we do?” said his mother, when asked about justice for her son.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Eileen Grench, OLY @grenchpan.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
NEW🚨 Jose Chajón Raxón died less than 4 days after being arrested by ICE in Passaic, NJ. He was one of 75 people taken from his town in July — a 4,000%+ surge in arrests during the peak week. Fear has transformed the majority-Latino city, but also fueled resistance. documentedny.com/2026/08/28/p...
documentedny.com
Violent ICE Raid in New Jersey Sent Dozens to Detention and One Immigrant to His Death
Immigration sweeps have upended Passaic, NJ, with videos showing federal agents arresting dozens of people on the street and from their homes, including at least one U.S. citizen.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
🚨Exclusive: Documented was able to track down the family of José Chajón Raxón, the latest man to die in connection to being detained at Delaney Hall. documentedny.com/2026/08/24/g...
documentedny.com
While the U.S. Stayed Silent About His Death, Hundreds in Guatemala Mourned
After José Efraín Chajón Raxón died following a medical emergency in Delaney Hall, his Guatemalan community in San Juan Sacatepéquez raised thousands to bring him home — weeks before U.S. officials co...
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Dara Lind @daralind.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Seriously, I’ve quietly built a body of work I’m pretty proud of with the Throughline. Servicey, explanatory work that’s usually timely but often ends up evergreen.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Adam Sawyer @adamjst.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Yeah, I'm really glad @daralind.bsky.social highlighted this dissonance. It's been bothering me ever since I read the statement from DHS re: Oswaldo Pirela. That weird twilight zone of true in immigration law but lacking logical consistency. documentedny.com/2026/08/21/e...
In a response to questions about the airport arrest of a San Diego Padres coach, a DHS spokesperson said: **“To be clear, work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States.”** This is one of those statements that is both true of U.S. immigration law, and, when you think about it for two seconds, makes no actual sense. That is, you can work legally in the U.S. without having legal status here. But work permits are usually tied to your underlying immigration situation: You can get them based on your legal status, another form of protection (like TPS), or having a pending application for one of those things with USCIS.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
If you haven't already subscribed to Early Arrival to get Dara in your inbox, please do! This week's column touched on a great topic this week as thousands are losing their work permits. documentedny.com/newsletter/
documentedny.com
Join Documented's Newsletter - Documented
Sign up for Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter to get everything you need to know about immigration at the local, national, and policy level.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
City and state leaders in New York are pledging $7.5 million to unaccompanied minors facing deportation — when the federal government government won’t. Read more, the latest from @grenchpan.bsky.social documentedny.com/2026/08/12/n...
documentedny.com
City, State Leaders Pledge $7.25 Million in Legal Aid for Immigrant Children Facing Deportation Alone
New York politicians committed the funds to ensure lawyers for unaccompanied minors after the end of a federal contract forced children to face judges by themselves.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
“At immigration court for detained children in New York City on Wednesday, a boy named Diego represented himself in front of the judge, Lisa Ling.” "I don’t know how to do it,” he said about an asylum form he was asked to fill out in English. “I don’t know if you can help me fill it out.”
documentedny.com
11 Years Old. In Immigration Court. Alone. No Lawyer.
More children than ever before are being forced to face immigration judges by themselves without legal representation, advocates say.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Anjali Dayal @anjalikdayal.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
"The boy, whose age is unknown, had repeatedly stressed that he was afraid to return to Guatemala in his native K’iche’, translated through two interpreters relaying his words from K’iche’ to Spanish, then Spanish to English. " documentedny.com/2026/08/06/u...
documentedny.com
11 Years Old. In Immigration Court. Alone. No Lawyer.
More children than ever before are being forced to face immigration judges by themselves without legal representation, advocates say.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Dara Lind @daralind.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
The original draft of this had a whole graf of me hemming and hawing over the term “delegalization” (which I resisted for about a year). These folks had legal STATUS but were not legal IMMIGRANTS — and had no way to become such. And that’s the whole problem. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
newyorker.com
These Immigrants Lived in the U.S. Legally. Now Trump Is Changing Their Status.
More than a million immigrants are seeing protections that granted them safe lives in the U.S. suddenly swept away.
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Ⓐnarchohoodism 🐈‍⬛ 🏴 @161bklyn.myatproto.social · 10/08/2026
These force-feeding methods being used by ICE at these camps are savage. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Shoved the tube so hard it tore my nose’: Kurdish film-maker recounts ‘inhumane’ ICE force-feeding
Gabar Choli tells of how, for months, he was shackled, pinned and forcibly fed – and the physical and emotional scars the ordeal has left
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Truthout @truthout.org · 07/08/2026
One immigrant justice advocate estimated that hundreds of protests have occurred in immigration jails in Trump's second term. He said that most of these protests are sit-ins and hunger strikes — but they only get covered if hundreds of people participate, while smaller ones fly under the radar.
truthout.org
It’s Not Just Delaney. Immigration Jails Have Had Hundreds of Hunger Strikes.
Formerly incarcerated immigrants, solidarity activists, and scholars discuss the underreported resistance in ICE jails.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 08/08/2026
In the first six months of Trump’s second term, the DOJ dropped 23,000 criminal cases — including hundreds of investigations into terrorism, white-collar crime and drugs — while prosecuting 32,000 new immigration cases. (Published March)
propublica.org
Trump’s Justice Department Dropped 23,000 Criminal Investigations in Shift to Immigration
Under Attorney General Pam Bondi, the DOJ abandoned a record number of cases — including hundreds of investigations into terrorism, white-collar crime and drugs — in just the first six months of Presi...
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 08/08/2026
Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, 55 people have died in ICE detention, according to the agency’s own data. The mortality rate of ICE detainees is at the highest level in more than a decade and four times that of the Biden presidency.
motherjones.com
The deaths ICE doesn’t count
Prisciliano Trejo Ricano passed away in the hospital days after being released from detention.
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Hamed Aleaziz @haleaziz.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
SCOOP: The Trump administration in recent days deported a group of Mexican nationals who had been barred from removal to their home country after proving to an immigration court that they would likely face torture, according to two people with knowledge of the move.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
In the great state of New York, children are going to immigration court with no lawyer, and no knowledge of how to file their own asylum claims. Judge Lisa Ling gave them another week to figure it out. documentedny.com/2026/08/06/u...
documentedny.com
Children Face Immigration Judges Alone as Trump Admin Fast-Tracks Deportations of Minors
More children than ever before are being forced to face immigration judges by themselves without legal representation, advocates say.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Reports of an ICE “surge” are spreading fast. But here’s what we know, what we don’t, and why we are not ready to call it a "surge" just yet. documentedny.com/2026/08/05/i...
documentedny.com
What We Know — And What We Don’t Know — About a Reported ICE Surge in NYC What We Know — And What We Don’t Know — About a Reported ICE Surge in NYC
At this time no official confirmation exists of a broader ICE operation happening in the five boroughs.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The latest update on #FederalPlaza via @grenchpan.bsky.social documentedny.com/2026/07/20/m...
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
🚨 BREAKING: A man has been arrested after authorities say he deployed an incendiary device outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. The FBI is investigating the incident. documentedny.com/2026/07/20/m...
documentedny.com
FBI Investigates Explosive Device at 26 Federal Plaza
A man was arrested after setting off an incendiary device outside 26 Federal Plaza on Monday morning. The FBI is investigating.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
MAINE— Killer ICE Agent’s ex: “He wanted me to lie about his character. I won’t. He abused me and my daughter… I’ve waited years to speak my truth, and now a man is dead.” They are hiring the worst of the worst.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A new report reveals how often Houston police turned people over to ICE www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/hou...
houstonchronicle.com
New report reveals how often Houston police turned people over to ICE
Houston police encountered 103 people with civil immigration warrants from April through June, releasing most of them and handing 19 people to federal agents, according to a new city report.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
ICE broke into a New York family’s apartment. Their children are still dealing with the emotional fallout. In a letter, the child writes: “My message to the wor[l]d is that alway[s] be brave and help your mom and dad.” 🖊️ @lamthuyvo.bsky.social documentedny.com/2026/07/13/i...
documentedny.com
'I Don't Wanna Remember That Anymore': ICE Enforcement Takes Mental Toll on Immigrant Children
In November ICE broke into a New York family’s apartment. Their children are still dealing with the emotional fallout.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Documented @documentedny.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
The administration’s next decision on TPS could determine the future of thousands of New York Salvadoran families who have spent decades building their lives in the United States..
documentedny.com
After Haiti and Syria, Salvadoran TPS Holders Fear They’re Next
The administration’s next decision on TPS could determine the future of thousands of New York Salvadoran families who have spent decades building their lives in the United States.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
⏰ It’s the deadline for the Trump administration to decide whether to extend #TPS for El Salvador. For many NYC #Salvadorans, losing TPS would unravel decades of building a stable life in the U.S. 📝 The latest from @grenchpan.bsky.social documentedny.com/2026/07/10/e...
documentedny.com
After Haiti and Syria, Salvadoran TPS Holders Fear They’re Next
he administration’s next decision on TPS could determine the future of nearly 23,000 New York Salvadoran families who have spent decades building their lives in the United States.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Let's hear it again. Self deportation is not 👏🏼 that 👏🏼simple. And, if you haven't already, subscribe to Early Arrival to get Dara Lind's column in your inbox. documentedny.com/2026/07/10/t...
documentedny.com
The Throughline: Trump makes Self Deportation Sound Simple. Immigration Law Says Otherwise.
The Trump administration makes "self-deportation" seem straightforward and painless -- even lucrative. But what kind of deal are immigrants actually getting?
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
St. Jerome's in Brooklyn has become a lifeline for Haitian immigrants navigating the uncertainty with the recent Supreme Court ruling on TPS. Read the latest from Documented's Caribbean Community Correspondent @ralphthjo.bsky.social documentedny.com/2026/07/03/h...
documentedny.com
Amidst TPS Uncertainty, Haitian Immigrants Find Solace and Hope at St. Jerome's
The Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding Temporary Protected Status has left New York's Haitian immigrants in limbo. At St. Jerome's parish, pastors are urging faith over fear.
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Type Investigations @typeinvestigations.org · 03/07/2026
From 2016 to 2023, more than 26,500 people, mostly Latino, have gone to an ER in LA county to seek birthing care typeinvestigations.org/investigatio...
typeinvestigations.org
As LA maternity wards close, patients are giving birth in ERs: ‘There’s no system to care for these women’ - Type Investigations
© Type Media Center document.write(new Date().getFullYear()). All Rights Reserved.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Bright D Limm 임대중 @bdlimm.myatproto.social · 03/07/2026
Public-benefits applications submitted via NYCBenefits providers are much more likely to be accepted than self-submitted apps: • 45% for SNAP • 26% for cash assistance The grand fight is to meet everyone's basic needs someday. But we must also simultaneously fight for a better tomorrow, literally.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Jason Leopold @jasonleopold.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
NEW FOIA Files SCOOP: The FBI redacted Trump’s name—and the names of other prominent public figures—from the Epstein files under two privacy exemptions before DOJ & FBI concluded “no further disclosure” of the files “would be appropriate or warranted.” www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
The FBI Redacted Trump’s Name in the Epstein Files
The bureau’s FOIA team tasked with conducting a final review of the records blacked out the names before higher-ups said last month that releasing the documents ‘would not be appropriate or warranted....
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
The Lever @levernews.com · 01/07/2026
🚨SCOOP: Republican Rep. Tom Kean repeatedly voted against legislation to give Americans paid family/medical leave, before Kean took 4 months of paid medical leave from Congress for depression - all while somehow finding the time to raise himself $160,000 worth of campaign cash.
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Truthdig @truthdig.com · 01/07/2026
SpaceX recorded 427 injuries at Starbase in roughly three years.
truthdig.com
Worker’s Death at SpaceX Factory Follows Hundreds of Injuries - Truthdig
A 25-year-old died last month of “blunt force trauma due to a fall,” part of an injury rate at "Starbase" that is well above an industry national average.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
⚖️ For families who feared their U.S.-born children could lose citizenship, today’s Supreme Court ruling brought relief — and celebration. Read the latest from @grenchpan.bsky.social documentedny.com/2026/06/30/s...
documentedny.com
High Court Rejects Trump's Bid to Limit Citizenship for Immigrant Children
In a 6-3 ruling, and despite the Trump administration's efforts, the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, ensuring that children born in the United States will continue to receive citizenship.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 25/06/2026
The Supreme Court just launched one of the largest attacks on immigrants in modern American history. Thousands of Haitians and Syrians now risk losing the right to live and work in the country they call home.

This decision will cause enormous pain across the five boroughs. Here in New York, it falls hardest on our Haitian community, one of the largest in the country, alongside Syrian families.

I joined labor leaders with 1199SEIU, elected officials, and advocates to send a clear message to immigrant New Yorkers: You belong here. We will not turn our backs on you.

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs will share additional information and resources soon. If you have questions about your status or need legal assistance, call our Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365.
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The City Reporter @thecityreporter.nyc · 26/06/2026
BREAKING: The Rent Guidelines Board on Thursday approved 0% rent increases for about 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, delivering on one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s signature campaign promises. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/06/25/r...
thecityreporter.nyc
Rent Freeze Approved By Mamdani-Era Board, Impacting 1 Million NYC Apartments
Thursday’s vote marked the first rent freeze ever for two-year leases.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
A letter penned from the UN cites NYC home care workers' 24-hour shifts as violations of human rights that amounts to a form of forced labor. Read the latest from @amirkhafagy.bsky.social here: documentedny.com/2026/06/25/h...
documentedny.com
United Nations Intervenes in Home Care Workers' 24-Hour Shift Ban
A letter penned from the UN cites the home care workers' 24-hour shifts as violations of human rights that amounts to a form of forced labor.
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Reposted by Clarissa A. León
Georgia Recorder @georgiarecorder.com · 19/06/2026
DHS appears to axe plan to construct immigration detention megacenter in small Georgia town, reports @elliefivas.bsky.social #gapol
georgiarecorder.com
DHS appears to axe plan to construct immigration detention megacenter in small Georgia town • Georgia Recorder
After months of tension between the city of Social Circle and the federal government, the city announced in a press release Thursday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will abandon its plan...
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Documented @documentedny.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Across the NYC area, soccer fans were glued to TVs in bars, restaurants, homes and streets for the first matches of the tournament.
documentedny.com
The Hottest World Cup Ticket in Town? Seats at the Perfect Watch Party
Across the NYC area, soccer fans were glued to TVs in bars, restaurants, homes and streets for the first matches of the tournament.
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center @the-ilrc.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Texas has long been a testing ground for immigration enforcement that eventually comes to roost nationwide — how has that impacted grassroots response to the World Cup? “Our residents and visitors must exercise caution when driving in our city and state.” 🔗 english.elpais.com/sports/2026-...
english.elpais.com
No ICE in the Cup: Citizens at the forefront for rights and community at the World Cup
Grassroots groups across the United States have united in response to the potential presence of immigration agents at the tournament
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Senegal vs. France — today’s game still holds special meaning for NY’s Senegalese community. documentedny.com/2026/06/15/s...
documentedny.com
As Senegal Faces France in the World Cup, Fans Grapple with a Complicated Past
In New York’s Senegalese communities, Tuesday’s games against the nation’s former colonizer take on added meaning.
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Documented @documentedny.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
1/ Today marks the 14th anniversary of DACA, a 2012 Obama program that protects certain immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. DACA recipients, often called “Dreamers,” can apply for work permits but the program does not provide legal status.
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Truthout @truthout.org · 10/06/2026
80 million more people traveled internationally in 2025 as compared to 2024. Yet, with horror stories circulating of tourists being arrested, and of travelers having to hand U.S. border agents access to their cell phones and laptops, none of that tourism boom is filtering down to the U.S.
truthout.org
Scared of ICE, Angry at Trump, and Facing Red Tape, Many Are Skipping World Cup
Hotel bookings lag in all US host cities, and in several a majority of hotel owners say the tournament is a “non-event.”…
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Truthout @truthout.org · 10/06/2026
Cassandra Robertson, a law professor, said that the denaturalization efforts “are an attempt to suppress the political speech of naturalized citizens.” “Once it becomes easy to take somebody’s citizenship away,” she added, “it becomes easy to take anybody’s citizenship away.”
truthout.org
Trump Admin Moves to Denaturalize 17 Americans in Attack on Legal Immigration
“The government has used this power in the past to target people it views as political opponents,” said a law professor.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
With Haitians banned from traveling to the U.S., Haitian New Yorkers vow to make their voices heard during the World Cup. documentedny.com/2026/06/10/h...
documentedny.com
As Haiti Returns to the World Cup After 50 Years — Haitian Fans Are Left on the Sidelines
With Haitians banned from traveling to the U.S., Haitian New Yorkers vow to make their voices heard during the World Cup.
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Kamala Harris @kamalaharris.com · 10/06/2026
Congratulations to Xavier Becerra. I am excited to offer him all the support I can as he sets out to become our state’s next governor, and I look forward to standing with him as California makes history by electing our first Latino governor in 150 years.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
📢 In the middle of all that's going on with immigration, @thenyic.bsky.social workers are asking to unionize. Read the latest from @amirkhafagy.bsky.social: documentedny.com/2026/06/09/n...
documentedny.com
New York Immigration Coalition Employees Push for Union Recognition
Higher wages, financial transparency, and a seat at the decision-making table are among the workers' demands.
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
trump and republicans very busy making america healthy again: "for breastfeeding mothers, the bill would reduce monthly fruit and vegetable benefits from $52 to $13..." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
House bill rolls back food aid for pregnant women, children
Millions of WIC recipients would have less money for fruits and vegetables under the legislation, which funds the Agriculture Department and other agencies.
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Clarissa A. León @clarissaleon.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Just 13 + D.C. 😑
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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Exciting news!! Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has won the New Mexico Democratic primary for Governor and if elected, she will make history as the nation’s first Native American woman to serve as governor. 
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