Rivas hails SCOTUS rebuke of Trump on birthright
U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (D – San Fernando, Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, Van Nuys, Sun Valley, North Hollywood) hailed last week the Supreme Court’s decision striking down President Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship.
The court struck down Executive Order 14160, signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, which sought to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil if their parents were not citizens or lawful permanent residents. The case, Barbara v. Trump, was argued before the Supreme Court on April 1, 2026.
“The Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s illegal attempt to end birthright citizenship and ruled that 4 million children born in the United States — including many across the San Fernando Valley — have a place in this country as American citizens,” said Rivas. “For 250 years, our country was built and defined by immigrants and children of immigrants. This includes the contributions that Latino, Black, and Asian communities have made to define the San Fernando Valley and Southern California. The Fourteenth Amendment is clear: ‘All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.’ Donald Trump does not get to bend and rewrite the Constitution to comply with his illegal, anti-immigrant agenda.”
Rivas called on Congress to act further by passing legislation that strengthens the pathway to citizenship and stops Trump from further attempts to undermine the Constitution.
Constituents needing assistance can call Rivas’ Arleta office at (818) 253-3535.
Pérez, Harabedian slam door on Altadena speculators
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D – Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Glendale, Arcadia, Monrovia) and Assemblymember John Harabedian (D – Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Claremont) secured bipartisan passage last week of legislation aimed at protecting Eaton Fire survivors from real estate speculators seeking to exploit California’s existing housing density laws during the community’s recovery.
The Keep Altadena Land in Altadena Hands Act (SB 1090) would establish a temporary moratorium on SB 9 and SB 1123, two state laws allowing increased residential density and lot splits on single-family properties. Altadena residents have raised an alarm that speculators are using those laws to acquire fire-damaged properties for high-density development that would strain local infrastructure and alter the character of the recovering community.
“Altadena residents want equitable treatment in their recovery,” said Pérez. “This is community-driven legislation that puts the needs of Eaton Fire survivors first. SB 1090 temporarily exempts Altadena from SB 9 and SB 1123, an exemption that has been in place for over a year in the Palisades and Malibu, giving the community time to address important concerns about emergency evacuations and limiting the influence of corporate developers.”
Harabedian said the bill ensures Altadena’s recovery is guided by its own residents.
“Altadena continues to face a long road to recovery following the Eaton Fire,” said Harabedian. “During this critical rebuilding period, residents should have the opportunity to restore their homes and neighborhoods without added pressure from speculative development. This legislation will support community-led recovery efforts and help preserve the historic and cultural heritage that makes Altadena unique.”
Bass mourns civil rights giant Billy Mills
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass yesterday mourned the passing of Billy G. Mills, a civil rights attorney, jurist and trailblazing public servant who in 1963 became the first Black man elected to the Los Angeles City Council — alongside future Mayor Tom Bradley — and later served as a judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Mills was born in Waco, Texas, and raised near a sundown town before building his legal career in Los Angeles while navigating segregation and racial intolerance. He became the first Black graduate of the UCLA School of Law and devoted his career to advancing equal justice in the city.
On the City Council, his leadership guided Los Angeles through the aftermath of the 1965 Watts Uprising, and he pushed for paved alleys and essential infrastructure in South Los Angeles neighborhoods that had long been neglected by city government. He was preceded in death by his wife and life partner, Dr. Rubye Mills, herself a trailblazer.
“Today, Los Angeles mourns the passing of Billy G. Mills, a trailblazing public servant, civil rights attorney, and jurist whose life helped shape the arc of justice and opportunity in our city,” said Bass. “Judge Mills was born in Waco, Texas, and raised near a sundown town. He later built his career in Los Angeles while navigating segregation and racial intolerance, yet he refused to accept that reality as permanent. He devoted his life to advancing equal justice and helping build a fairer city. On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, I extend my deepest condolences to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and to all who carry forward their legacy of service, dignity, and justice.”
Whitesides dares Trump to sign stalled housing bill
U.S. Rep. George Whitesides (D – Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, Antelope Valley) called on President Trump to sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill that has passed both the House and Senate but which Trump has refused to sign, calling it “unimportant” even as housing costs continue to climb for working families across the country.
The legislation includes provisions to broaden access to homeownership, expedite construction of manufactured housing, expand availability of small-dollar mortgages, strengthen protections for borrowers and families in public or assisted housing, enhance federal oversight of housing providers, and lay the groundwork for the development of new affordable homes nationwide.
“I’m here because housing is getting more and more out of reach for our neighbors in the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley, and San Fernando Valley,” said Whitesides.
“Republicans and Democrats came together to pass a bipartisan bill to lower the cost of rent and mortgages while increasing the supply of affordable housing, but the President refuses to sign it into law. That’s unacceptable, and I’ll keep pushing with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bring this relief to the hardworking families who need it most,” the lawmaker added.
