The first day of Nevada’s 2025 legislative session set the stage for a fierce battle over immigration protections. Latino lawmakers wasted no time outlining their agenda, unveiling bills designed to shield families from the Trump administration’s intensified immigration policies.
Legislative Priorities Take Center Stage
Democratic Assemblymember Cecilia Gonzalez, chair of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus, delivered a stark message: Latino communities across the state are living in fear. And that fear is shaping the caucus’s priorities.
“There is no doubt that our Latino community is under attack,” Gonzalez said. “I feel and see the fear in our community every day.”
Lawmakers laid out a slate of proposals addressing key issues, including:
- Legal safeguards for families facing separation due to deportation
- Worker protections and fair labor practices
- Housing security for immigrant families
- Expanded education resources for multilingual students
One of the caucus’s top priorities, the Family Unity Support Act, aims to protect children in mixed-status families from being left without care if their parents are detained or deported.
Family Separation Sparks Urgent Action
For Gonzalez, the fight is personal. Having grown up in a mixed-status household, she knows the stakes firsthand.
“This bill is critical in preventing family separation from leaving children vulnerable to instability and systemic neglect,” she said.
The Family Unity Support Act would establish a process to connect children with legal, social, and educational resources in the wake of deportation. The urgency behind the bill has only grown since Trump’s return to office. Last week, his administration expanded the authority for “expedited removal,” fast-tracking deportations for individuals who cannot prove they have been in the U.S. for at least two years.
Such a move, critics argue, could leave thousands of children without parental support overnight.
Courts, Workers, and Education Also in Focus
Another proposed measure, the Mandated Court Notification Act, would require courts to provide clear and timely notifications about legal proceedings.
A missed court date in Nevada can lead to arrest warrants, fines, and even deportation in some cases. Gonzalez emphasized that language barriers make it especially challenging for non-English speakers to keep track of legal obligations.
“We need to ensure that everyone has access to due process and that no innocent mistakes will land people in deportation,” she said.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are also pushing for worker protections, affordable housing initiatives, and increased educational support for students from immigrant families.
Federal Rollbacks Fuel Legislative Push
The Trump administration’s rollback of Obama-era immigration protections has only intensified calls for state-level action.
Assemblymember Selena Torres, the caucus vice chair, condemned Trump’s move to eliminate a 2011 policy that prevented immigration enforcement in schools, churches, and hospitals.
“I think we’re going to continue to see the federal government and President Trump inciting fear and hate in our schools and our communities,” Torres said. “And we will continue to fight that in every way that we can.”
For Nevada’s Latino lawmakers, the message is clear: Washington may be pushing stricter immigration policies, but the state is ready to push back.
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