Maria Gonzalez was high school student when a neighbor called. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement was conducting a raid at the meat packer her mom worked at. The neighbor said her mom, an undocumented immigrant, got caught in the roundup.
“It hit me. Oh my God. How do I protect my mom?’ “Gonzalez said. “I kind of just froze. And I remember turning to look at my brother who is two years younger than me and saying, ‘I think they’re going to deport mom.’ ”
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith talks with Gonzalez and Maria Acosta, two migrant organizers in Iowa about what he road looks like under President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
Iowa Starting Line’s community editor Amie Rivers and reproductive rights reporter Nikoel Hytrek join to talk about a move to remove requirements for blood lead level tests for Iowa children and the renewed interest in Baby Olivia.
Resources:
Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice is encouraging folks to learn their rights. They are also maintaining a hotline for reporting ICE enforcement actions: 515-505-8805
Links:
1. IA Republicans advance bill to make schools teach that life begins at conception (Iowa Starting Line): https://iowastartingline.com/2025/01/24/conception/
2. Iowa lawmakers advance proposals affecting homeschooling (The Gazette): https://www.thegazette.com/k/iowa-lawmakers-advance-proposals-affecting-home-schooling/
3. Vandals deface two Muscatine restaurants with swastikas; owners stand firm: ‘We do not know fear’ (Little Village): https://littlevillagemag.com/vandals-deface-two-muscatine-restaurants-with-swastikas/
Guests:
– Baby Olivia is a fictional character based on bad science.
– Maria Gonzalez of Marshalltown is an organizer with Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice.
– Maria Acosta of Des Moines is an organizer with Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice.
Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line with music by Avery Mossman. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.
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Since day one, our goal here at Iowa Starting Line has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Iowan families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
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