An investigation by El Nuevo Día shows the “extreme decay” of San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital, as the municipal government reduced its contractual commitments almost by half compared to 2013. As residents complain of crumbling roads, criminality and lack of cleaning services, the city has had a population loss of more than 90,000 residents in the past 10 years. The loss in municipal income has resulted in a $183 million debt in spite of a $73 million budget cut. The problem is exacerbated by non-payments the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico and the city’s difficulties in borrowing money. Link to original story →

Pro-immigrant organizations in Georgia expressed relief and surprise as Republican Gov. Brian Kemp emerged as an unlikely ally this week, Mundo Hispánico reports. Kemp abolished a board investigating immigration law violations which has been accused of illegally harassing immigrant communities. Kemp also vetoed the SB15 bill, requiring Georgia schools to investigate students for “suspicious activities” and create “school safety coaches,” which activists feared would target minority youths. “This is definitely a victory for us,” said Adelina Nicholls, of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR). “You have your ups and downs but this triumph motivates us to keep going.” Link to original story →

Democratic Florida representatives denounced a 36 percent increase in deportations of Venezuelans last year and asked Trump to fulfill his promise to give TPS status to exiles without criminal convictions, Diario Las Américas reports. U.S. House Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Donna Shalala, among other lawmakers, said that Venezuelan asylum applications have boomed in the same period, and deplored that a recently-approved ban on sanctuary cities in Florida will directly impact undocumented Venezuelans. “The situation in Venezuela is exactly what TPS was designed for,” said Mucarsel-Powell, who blamed Sen. Mitch McConnell for blocking a Senate vote. Link to original story →

Due to unspecified “federal obstacles,” the planned May 11 “Hugs Not Walls” event in which Mexican-American families separated by immigration policies meet briefly at the border, has been cancelled, El Diario de El Paso reports. The Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) called for a march on May 25 to protest the cancellation. “Hugs Not Walls” has reunited more than 1,300 separated families since 2016. “The border agencies and institutions created all kinds of obstacles and invented all the necessary pretexts to stop such an important and historic border family reunion,” said BNHR director Fernando García. Link to original story →