Democratic Assemblymember Cecelia Gonzales, chair of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus. (Image courtesy NLLC)
On the first official day of the 2025 Nevada legislative session, members of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus announced support for bills to protect the well-being of Latino families in Nevada against the Trump administration’s anti-migrant policies.
The state needs to take decisive action to support Nevada’s Latino families, including protections for children in mixed-status families, and educational support for multilingual students, said Assemblymember Cecilia Gonzalez who serves as chair of the caucus.
“There is no doubt that our Latino community is under attack,” Gonzelez said. “I feel and see the fear in our community every day. And as a teacher where I teach, I hear students being scared of coming to school, going to the grocery store, and just living in their communities.”
“The caucus is committed to supporting policies that access health care, ensure the protection of workers, and secure the rights of our immigrant families,” Gonzalez continued.
On Monday, the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus announced several caucus priorities during this year’s legislative session focused on legal safeguards, worker protection, housing, and education.
One bill aims to support Nevada’s mixed-status families, or families made up of U.S. citizens and those with other legal immigration statuses.
The Family Unity Support Act — sponsored by Gonzalez and supported by the caucus — would establish safeguards to prevent children from being left without care in the event their parent or guardian is placed in deportation proceedings. The bill would also establish a process to connect children left without a parent to legal, social, and education resources in the aftermath of family separation.
“This issue is extremely personal to me,” said Gonzleaz, who grew up in a mixed-status family.
“This bill is critical in preventing family separation from leaving children vulnerable to instability and systemic neglect,” Gonzalez continued.
In the first week of his second term, Trump expanded authority for ‘expedited removal’, allowing the immediate deportation of those unable to prove they’ve been in the U.S. for two years. Such a move could leave children without parental support with little warning or preparation.
During the press conference, Democratic Assemblymember Selena Torres, the caucus vice chair, condemned Trump’s move to rescind a 2011 policy prohibiting immigration enforcement in ‘sensitive’ places such as schools, churches, and hospitals.
“I think we’re going to continue to see the federal government and President Trump inciting fear and hate in our schools and our communities, and we will continue to fight that in every way that we can,” Torres said.
The caucus is also supporting the Mandated Court Notification Act, a bill sponsored by Gonzalez that would require courts to send Nevadans “clear, timely, and accessible notifications” about their court proceedings. In Nevada, a failure to appear in court can result in serious legal issues, including arrest warrants, and even criminal charges in some cases. Gonzalez said language barriers can make it especially difficult for non-English speakers to keep track of court appointments.
The bill would ensure “that everyone has access to due process and that no innocent mistakes will land people in deportation,” Gonzalez said.
Torres, the caucus vice chair, is sponsoring a bill designed to improve education outcomes for English language learners (ELLs) in the state. The bill would strengthen data collection and improve oversight of existing ELL programs, and establish training requirements for educators. The bill would also give students more time to complete high school while learning English, said Torres.
“Additionally, it creates a council to advise on English language learner policies to ensure ongoing support for multilingual students,” Torres said. “We know that when we can provide this support for our students, we can provide the support to their families as well.”
Torres, who works as a teacher, also introduced the Teaching Beyond Testing Act, a bill that would “eliminate barriers” and “unnecessary red tape” to teacher licensure in order to tackle Nevada’s teacher shortage. The bill would establish a pilot program to assess teacher licensure based on mentorship, performance, and professional development as an alternative to current exam requirements.
“Once we do this, we can truly diversify the teacher pipeline and create a profession that looks and reflects the scholars that we are proud to serve,” Torres said.
The caucus also emphasized housing measures, tenant protections, and economic opportunities for Latino entrepreneurs and farm workers.
The economy is a top priority for Nevadans, said State Senator Fabian Doñate. Doñate said he is working on legislation to provide resources to Latino entrepreneurs, including grants, tax credits, and capital. The caucus will also work on legislation to strengthen labor protections for farm workers in the state, Doñate said.
“Latino immigrants — both documented and undocumented — are the backbone of this nation. They have fed us, they have cared for our children, they have cooked our meals, but they’ve also been our nurses, our doctors and our teachers. They’ve opened small businesses throughout the state. They’ve created jobs, and they’ve built our thriving communities. There is no economy without immigrants, period,” Doñate said.