Linea Abierta Programming: April 28, 2025

Celebrating 30 Years of Línea Abierta

MONDAY, APRIL 28

PROGRAM #10757 12:00 PM PT

Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola: 30 Years, 30 Voices. In this 30th anniversary edition, renowned expert on mental health, Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, revisits a conversation from three decades ago where he aired the findings of the largest mental health study conducted in the US on Mexican Americans. At that time, he identified the most prevalent mood disorders in the Mexican-origin population in California’s Central Valley. He also reported that living in a city and living longer in the US raised the chances of mental disorders. In this program, Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola looks back on that landmark research, the changes it helped to spawn, its impact on mental health care for Mexican Americans, and the challenges ahead.

Guest: Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Founding Director, UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities; Director, Community Engagement Program, Clinical and Translational Research Center; Professor of Medicine, UC Davis, Davis, CA.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 29

PROGRAM #10758 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: Fentanyl Awareness Day. The fentanyl crisis is worsening among Latinos in California. In 2023, about 2,500 Latinos died of fentanyl overdoses. On National Fentanyl Awareness Day, state health leaders reach out to the public to educate about the dangers of opioids. They also launched an initiative to provide free access to naloxone and fentanyl test strips through public vending machines empowering individuals to save lives and access treatment when they need it most. Experts talk about the challenges, new efforts to prevent the epidemic, and the uses of life-saving medication.

Guests: Dr. Lucía Abascal, Public Health Physician, California Department of Public Health-CDPH, San Francisco, CA; Jessica Mora-Ramirez, Chronic Disease Prevention Coordinator and Cultural Competence Ethnic Services Manager, Behavioral Health Quality Division Department, Monterey County, Salinas, CA.

Limits on rent increases. More than 800 tenants, union members and faith leaders are taking their voices to the State Capitol this week, demanding immediate action on California’s out-of-control housing costs. The Housing Now! coalition will lobby lawmakers to pass the Affordable Rents Act (AB 1157), which would reduce maximum allowable rent increases from 10% to 5% statewide, potentially saving millions of California families from displacement.

Guest: Eddie Carmona, Director of Organizing, PICO California, Sacramento, CA.

PROGRAM #10759 12:00 PM PT

State Immigrant Protections. The Colorado Senate passed a bill to expand protections for undocumented immigrants and limit where federal officials can enforce immigration law in the state, including public child care centers, schools and health care facilities. Also, a federal judge in Denver extended a ban on deportations under a 1798 law.

Guest: TBA

ICE Raid in Los Angeles. ICE agents arrested between 15 and 20 people at a day laborers gathering site in Pomona, sparking concerns among families and outrage among community members and civic leaders, who pledged to assist those affected. Why and how were they arrested?

Guest: TBA

ICE Raids in Florida. A large-scale operation to arrest hundreds of undocumented immigrants is reportedly under way in Florida. The raids, known as Operation Marea Negra, Oil Spill, are carried out in several cities by federal ICE agents with the help of state police. Florida Gov. DeSantis signed earlier this year two laws that allow the state to crackdown on undocumented migrants.

Guests: TBA.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30

PROGRAM #10760 12:00 PM PT

Pope Francis: His Legacy. During his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit and Latin American pope, identified with the “theology of the people” and criticized the global economic model, viewed climate change as an environmental and ethical crisis that affects the poorest and most vulnerable the most. He also built a special bond with people in Gaza. Analysts comment on the tributes to Pope Francis.

Guest: TBA.

Building Latino Political Muscle. Latino leaders around the country hold a week of coordinated activities to promote civic engagement and advocate for issues in key policies affecting their communities, in areas such as education, health, the environment, and immigration. The theme of this Latino Advocacy Week is “Our Voice, Our Strength, Our Future.” A leading organizer discusses the issues driving the campaign.

Guest: Jessica Godinez, Interim Director of Conservation, Hispanic Access Foundation, San Diego, CA.

Most Polluted Cities. Los Angeles is still the smoggiest city in the US, followed by cities in California’s Central Valley. A recent report shows that almost a half of the US population lives in areas with dangerous air pollution levels. Latinos are among the worst hit by particle pollution. The report comes weeks after the EPA announced it is rolling back existing clean air rules. What’s worsening the air quality? What are the consequences for Latinos’s public health? Who are the biggest contributors to pollution?

Guest: Dr. Juanita Mora, Spokesperson, Member of the Board of Directors, American Lung Association, Chicago, IL.

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THURSDAY, MAY 1

PROGRAM #10761 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: May 1 Rallies. A broad coalition of immigrant and civil rights groups and labor unions are taking to the streets to mark International Workers’ Day, to protect the rights of immigrants and urge the Trump administration to end mass deportations. Contributors report from Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and other locations.

Guests: TBA.

PROGRAM #10762 12:00 PM PT

Sin Fronteras. This is a program of “Sin Fronteras,” a special series to serve audiences in the US and Mexico with breaking news and analysis about major developments impacting Latinos in the US.

May 1: Day of Actions. On International Workers’ Day, demonstrators are gathering in a number of coordinated rallies and strikes around the nation to protest draconian policies targeting immigrants, people of color and workers. This is an overview about the day of action.

Guest: TBA.

Military “Border Buffer Zone.” The Trump administration has announced that members of the federal armed forces will now be apprehending, searching, and detaining migrants who “trespass” in the newly designated “defense area” along the southern border. Critics call this move, allowing the military to detain civilians, an “abuse of executive power.”

Guest: Elizabeth Goitein, Senior Director, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, New York, NY (TBC).

California: World’s 4th Economy. California, a Latino-majority state, is now the fourth largest economy in the world, surpassing Japan. What industries are fueling the state’s economy? What are the threats?

Guest: TBA.

Failing to Register as an “Alien.” An immigrant in Phoenix is facing a federal charge for failing to register as an “alien” with the US government. The Trump administration had promised to enforce a little-used law that was used in the 1940s. This appears to be the first time this law has been enforced in Phoenix and perhaps the entire country.

Guest: Elvia Diaz, Editor, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ (TBC).

DOGE Access New Migrants Data. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has reportedly been granted access to sensitive immigration case data stored at the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Courts and Appeals System. This system includes millions of confidential records from immigration court cases, ranging from asylum claims to personal biographical information. What will DOGE do with the data? What are the concerns about access to this sensitive data?

Guest: TBA.

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FRIDAY, MAY 2
PROGRAM #10763 12:00 PM PT

Mexico Edition. After Mexican TV giants broadcast a multimillion, US-government funded anti-immigration ads campaign, Mexico’s President Sheinbaum asked Congress to reform broadcast law to ban propaganda from foreign governments on Mexican media. The legislation is being fast-tracked. On other news, on occasion of May First, an expert comments on recent labor law reform, the state of the movement to organize independent unions, and the state of protections for basic labor rights in Mexico.

Guests: TBA.