Asylum seekers who used CBP One app lose deportation protections

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Monday April 21st.

Asylum seekers who used the CBP One app to enter the U.S. are no longer protected from deportation. More on that next. But first... the headlines….

San Diego County’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.2-percent in March.

That’s down from 4.4-percent in February.

The government sector gained the most jobs. Leisure and hospitality, private education and health services also added jobs.

The trade, transportation and utilities sector lost the most jobs.

This week the County will start dropping larvicide from helicopters to fight mosquitos.

The County says it’s targeting up to 52 local waterways in an effort to combat mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile Virus.

The larvicide doesn’t harm people or pets.

The helicopter operations are just part of the county’s mosquito control plan. Boats, trucks and hand-crews also distribute the larvicide.

Officials say it’s also important that residents dump standing water around their homes.

A new bus was added to San Diego County’s Live Well on Wheels program.

The fleet of four buses serve as a rolling public health resource. They provide services like outreach for public health benefits, health education and vaccines.

The newest bus — which is called a “Live WoW” — will be used for tasks such as testing for communicable diseases, supporting large-scale investigations for T-B and some dental services.

From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ELIMINATED DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO ENTERED THE COUNTRY THROUGH THE CBP ONE MOBILE APP. REPORTER GUSTAVO SOLIS SPOKE TO AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER REPRESENTING MULTIPLE MIGRANTS IMPACTED BY THE DECISION.

The news came in the form of an email. “Notice of termination of parole. It is time for you to leave the United States.” That is San Diego immigration lawyer David Landry – reading the email recently sent to thousands of asylum seekers who entered the country through the CBP One app. The app was a Biden administration reform to the asylum system … for people fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries. President Trump killed the program on his first day in office … and is now telling everyone who used the app to go back to their home country. “If you do not depart the United States immediately, you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States.” Landry has heard from several people who received that email. All of them scared. “She was terrified. Came to us immediately. And said oh my god am I having to leave, do I have to pack up my kids, do I have to do all of these things?” But Landry says many people receiving the email might have legal protections from deportation … and don’t have to leave. He’s worried about those who don’t have lawyers. Who may have a legal right to stay in the country but will self-deport out of fear. Gustavo Solis, KPBS News

SAN DIEGO MAYOR TODD GLORIA IS SET TO PRESENT HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL today (MONDAY). METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS IT'S A GRIM PICTURE THAT COULD GET WORSE.

The proposed budget aims to close a structural deficit the city has been putting off for years. The mayor proposes closing all libraries on Sundays and Mondays, consolidating some police and fire operations, reducing rec center hours and waiving contributions to the city's reserves. Those cuts could have been much worse if the city weren't pursuing new revenue, like raising parking meter rates and charging for trash pickup at single-family homes. The mayor's office told KPBS that economic forecasts are changing fast due to tariffs and federal spending cuts. But it declined to speculate whether that will require more cuts in a revised budget due out next month. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

SINCE JANUARY FIRST, MORE THAN 740 WILDFIRES HAVE BURNED IN CALIFORNIA. THAT’S ACCORDING TO CAL FIRE..

REPORTER MELISSA MAE SAYS NEW RESEARCH FROM UC SAN DIEGO SHOWS TRAUMA FROM WILDFIRES AND OTHER CLIMATE DISASTERS CAN AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.

UC San Diego researchers found that traumatic experiences caused by climate, like wildfires, can have lingering impacts on our long term decision making abilities. Jyoti Mishra is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UC San Diego. She and her colleagues studied people impacted by California’s deadliest wildfire… the 20-18 Camp Fire. “Just example, simple things like, should I take a small grocery store job or go to school today? And maybe if I go to school today, then in a few years, I will have a degree that will help me get a better job and a better and more stable salary.” Mishra says this impacted decision making may be linked to parts of the brain associated with rumination, or repetitive negative thinking, that was greater in the wildfire impacted subjects. She encourages anyone who has been affected by climate-disasters and is experiencing things like feeling very distracted, brain fog, low mood and anxiety or anger for more than two weeks, should contact a mental health professional. Melissa Mae KPBS News.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS FROZEN FEDERAL FUNDING TO SOME PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION...AND THREATENED OTHERS. EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS TELLS US ABOUT UPGRADES TO SAN DIEGO CITY COLLEGE’S PLANETARIUM MADE POSSIBLE BY FEDERAL FUNDING FOR LATINO STUDENTS.

Since 2014, San Diego City College students have had astronomy classes in a planetarium. Bianka Sanchez does twice a week. I really like the experience in the planetarium. It's, I would say, it's the part of my day that I look forward to on my Tuesdays and Thursdays. Professors look forward to it, too. Radio: Lisa Will is a physics and astronomy professor. Having taught astronomy in a planetarium and for many, many years without one beforehand, I can't imagine going back to not having a planetarium anymore. She taught the first astronomy class to use the college’s planetarium in Spring 2014. What I remember the most from that day was, a student said, ‘It's good to see City College finally getting what it deserves.’ And I think what that student meant was, really, it's good to see the city College students finally get what they deserve. They deserve the best equipment. They deserve a room that excites them, that makes them want to come to class. More than a decade later, it’s no longer the best equipment. One of the projectors takes about 25 minutes to warm up as opposed to the other projector, which is still working fine. But, they don't manufacture these projectors anymore. And you want to have matching projectors in a planetarium system. And so, it's still working, but every time I boot it up, I'm kind of worried that this will be the day that it doesn't. Will knows just how good the planetarium could be. She’s also the Fleet Science Center’s resident astronomer. There, she can easily access data from agencies around the world, like NASA and the European Space Agency. New software would also allow her to show constellations from other cultures, like the Kumeyaay. There are beautiful stories to tell across different cultures. And when I show them the constellations, I try to include that. But the constellations that we're showing have the 88 stories that basically are connected to the constellations that professional astronomers use. That kind of cultural relevance is something City College has been working to incorporate throughout its classes. Administrators realized the outdated software limited those efforts. So, they got permission from the U.S. Department of Education to spend some grant funding focused on Latino and low-income students in STEM on the planetarium. Claudia Diaz-Carrasco leads the college’s diversity and accessibility efforts. She says School leaders say improving the planetarium aligns with the mission to make science more accessible. The reality is that a lot of our students doesn't have the ability to go into the field, like, or do, like do field trips ever since they K-12 system. Right. So not all of the schools have the same access to field trips or hands-on science education. So here at the City College, we are really lucky that our faculty and our dean envision to have a space that could provide hands-on learning without leaving campus. In February, the San Diego Community College District’s board of trustees voted to spend more than $400,000 from that federal grant on the planetarium. The agenda item said they should spend the funds as soon as possible, since federal funds supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives could be frozen. Diaz Carrasco says the funding for the upgrades is secure. Our particular grant, again, it's meant to support low income, Hispanic or Latino students. And this hasn't been we haven't received any legislative action that says that that mission is going to change. So, like, we have been instructed to continue to work as we have been doing it. Will says it’s important for federal funding to support public resources like the planetarium. I think sometimes the general public hears of these datasets or these missions and they don't feel a connection to them, but they are owed the right to witness them, they’re owed the right to see that data, because they paid for it and that's theirs. The fifth and final year of the grant begins in October. Diaz Carrasco says she doesn’t expect that funding to be pulled, as long as they continue to follow the parameters approved in 2021. It’s helped City College expand STEM tutoring, counseling services, faculty development and research opportunities for students. They are transferring to four year institutions. They are being recognized in national conferences. So we wanted to continue to do that type of work regardless of who funds it. The new planetarium equipment is expected to be installed in the fall. Katie Anastas, KPBS News

That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.