Abuse accusations destroy César Chávez’s legacy
César Chávez, co-founder of the United Farm Workers labor union, was accused of sexually abusing girls following a New York Times investigation on March 18. In his 40s, he raped Debra Rojas when she was 15 years old and had sexual encounters with Ana Murguia when she was 13 years old. Dolores Huerta later made a statement that she was also raped by him in 1966. Gov. Gavin Newsom considers renaming César Chávez Day, and Chávez’s portrait has been removed in the U.S. Department of Labor.
Death of Mexico cartel leader sparks chaos
Mexican cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes was killed on Feb. 22 in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico during a Mexican military operation with aid from the U.S. Oseguera was head of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, responsible for allocating cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl. Following his death, violence erupted in Mexico as cartel members set fire to vehicles and blocked roads, forcing civilians to go into lockdown. As a result, 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard, 30 cartel operators and one bystander were killed.
Trump fires Kristi Noem after controversial term
President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5 and will be replacing her with Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin starting March 31. Trump’s decision followed a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on March 3, where Noem was confronted about the Minneapolis incident, where federal ICE agents killed two U.S. citizens and the $220 million ad campaign she oversaw that encouraged anyone illegal in the U.S. to deport voluntarily. Trump later published a Truth Social post stating her new role as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.