Here’s a look at what’s been happening across the Local Progress network:
Milwaukee County Board Takes a Stand Against ICE
Earlier this month, ICE agents made two arrests in the Milwaukee county courthouse, sparking criticism and condemnation from local officials and advocates. Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson, a Local Progress Board member and Co-Chair, said the arrests “didn’t just detain individuals, it delivered a message: ‘This space may not be safe for people who look a certain way, or speaks a certain language.’” In response to these actions by ICE, The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution opposing ICE agents operating outside the limits of the law in and around the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex while also calling on the sheriff to work with the county executive and chief judge of the First Judicial District to make sure all community members could access services and safeguard every person’s constitutional right to due process.
San Antonio Council Takes Steps to Establish Trades Advisory Board
Local Progress members Councilwoman Teri Castillo and Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez of the San Antonio Council proposed a trades advisory board that would better serve local workers and ensure responsible use of public funds – through prioritization of local input on labor practices, contracting, and safety standards for city construction projects. Castillo underscored the impact of the proposal on San Antonio workers, saying, “No doubt the city of San Antonio is receiving billions of dollars of investment, and we need to ensure that those who are building our city, our roads, our hotels, are receiving the livable and fair wages, because we know that when our workforce is strong, our families are strong and our communities are stronger.”
Rental Price Fixing Passes In San Diego, Introduced in Other Cities
Earlier this month, San Diego became the fifth locality to ban algorithmic rental price fixing. “This is about more than software — it’s about standing up for working families. It’s about making sure that the city we love doesn’t become a place where only the wealthy can afford to live. San Diego cannot call itself a world-class city if families are forced out by corporate greed,” said Local Progress member Sean Elo-Rivera. Similar legislation has been introduced in Portland, OR, Providence, RI, and other cities around the country. As our Legal Fellow, Angelo Pis-Dudot, told Portland’s Housing and Homelessness committee last month, the core purpose of RealPage’s software is to “maximize profits for landlords, which means setting higher and higher rents at the expense of tenants.” We’re hopeful that more localities will take action against corporate greed and skyrocketing rents by adopting their own bans on algorithmic rental price fixing. To learn more about how rental price fixing is a result of corporate greed, read more here →.
🧰 Tools to Interrupt Criminalization
The federal administration has escalated its use of criminalization to target immigrant communities and suppress dissent. In the past few weeks alone, over 300 student visas have been revoked on political grounds, and more than 200 immigrants—like Maryland father Abrego Garcia—have been deported to a notorious torture facility in El Salvador in defiance of court orders. These acts are part of a broader strategy: using criminalization to silence opposition and enforce policies that consolidate right-wing power. Local governments have the ability—and responsibility—to push back.
Here’s how we can act:
- Anchor our messaging. Use LP’s updated guides–Protecting Immigrant Rights Under a Hostile Federal Administration and Let’s Talk Real Safety–to align around a strong, consistent narrative. New content includes Best Practices for messaging on immigration and guidance on Responding to a Raid in your Community; and Addressing Public Suffering and Ending Harm and Surveillance, emphasizing the urgent need to move away from carceral solutions and toward real investments that address the root causes of harm.
- Interrupt policies that criminalize residents. Reach out to Interrupting Criminalization’s Help Desk for 1:1 assistance with any organizing, policy, budget, or litigation strategies.
- Strengthen community defense. Invite a local partner organization to sign up for National Immigration Project’s “Removal Defense for Community Defenders” training starting in May.
- Apply for funding. Vera is accepting applications for jurisdictions committed to creating or expanding publicly funded deportation defense programs. Local governments are eligible for catalyst funding up to $100,000 for one year. Applications are due April 21 at 11:59pm PT. Learn more and apply here.
❤️🩹 Centering Care in Addiction, Mental Health, and Homelessness
Drug Policy Alliance’s new report, From Crisis to Care, discusses the complex relationship between drug use, mental health, and homelessness. The report details how arrests, incarceration, and punishment increase homelessness and undermine care for people with mental health disabilities and substance use disorders. It also highlights effective and humane policy solutions that address these complex issues and create healthier, safer communities.
🌍 How to Protect Communities Before and After Climate Disasters
Local elected officials need to know how to protect the communities they serve in the lead up to and before a climate disaster. Hurricanes, wildfires, and floods not only destroy people’s physical and emotional well-being but also can cause families to get to the brink of financial crisis. Working with community disaster recovery organizers, insurance consumer protection advocates, disaster response attorneys, and housing counselors, the Equitable and Just Insurance Initiative released a report that details how state and local governments can protect people’s financial well-being before and after climate disasters. The report details policy recommendations state and local governments can implement from protecting renters and homeowners to helping people avoid scams and holding fossil fuel companies accountable.
💰 Calling City & County Leaders: Sign On to Fight for Critical Student Debt Programs
The Student Borrower Protection Center is circulating a city/county sign-on letter in response to proposed rulemaking at the Department of Education focused on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR). The proposed rule could restrict access to PSLF and increase costs for low-income borrowers by gutting IDR plans, which would be broadly harmful to borrowers and communities and directly impact the ability of local (and state) governments and their nonprofit partners to recruit/retain workers. The sign on deadline is May 5 at 12pm ET.
💪 How State and Local Governments Can Support Workers & Unions
The NYU Wagner Labor Initiative recently released an issue brief outlining a number of actions state and local governments can take to support unionizing rights for all workers. The brief includes both legislative proposals as well as other ways to support workers’ right to unionize including in jurisdictions that have both been hospitable as well as more hostile to workers’ rights.
Speaking Out on the Trump Administration’s Impacts on Local Communities
The Trump Administration has frozen funding for essential programs families rely on, fired thousands of federal workers delivering critical services, suspended transformative clean energy infrastructure projects, and threatened lasting cuts to Medicaid and social services. Last week, with the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, Indivisible, American Federation of Government Employees, and Democracy Forward, we broke down why gutting the federal government is putting our families and communities at risk. Local Progress Board Member and Chicago Alderwoman, Maria Hadden spoke on the impact on Chicago residents who have lost their federal jobs and especially Chicago residents who rely on Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential government services saying, “all of these [cuts and attacks] have a direct impact on people’s very safety, security, and stability.” Watch the full briefing here →.
✊ It’s Been 100 Days of Trump. Join Us and Fight Back!
Today officially marks 100 days of the second Trump administration (we know, it feels like several years). While things have been bleak for our communities and we’ve grappled with real fears over the safety and well-being of our loved ones, we believe in the power of our collective organizing and voices. Take action with us by 1) hosting an in-person event to mobilize your constituents into strategic action, 2) declare that we put families over billionaires, and 3) advance resolutions and policies that prepare your jurisdiction to protect its people. Read more on how to join us in fighting for our communities in the midst of a hostile federal government →.
📣 LP’s Inaugural Communications Cohort Concludes in D.C.!
Local Progress launched our first-ever Communication Cohort at the beginning of this year – and over the span of 11 weeks, we brought together 22 members from small towns and big cities to build and expand their communications skills. As a part of the first Comms Cohort closing ceremonies, we gathered in Washington D.C. to see communications professionals taking our lessons learned and applying them in the real world. Throughout our time in D.C., members saw the skills we learned applied in real life as members of Congress advocate for the issues important to their communities, local journalists report on changes in the city, and policy wonks build polling to support a bold progressive agenda. We’ll be planning another cohort for sometime next year so stay tuned for more information! Read more about all the learning, fun, and community building that went down for the first LP Comms Cohort →.
🤠 Local Progress Texas Members and Partners Fight for their Communities at the State Capitol
At the end of last month, over a dozen Local Progress Texas (LPTX) members and several partners came together for the 89th Texas Legislative Session to fight for Texas students, immigrants, families, and workers; and to vocalize their concerns about the slew of harmful bills moving through the legislature. LPTX members held a joint press conference, led over a dozen legislative meetings to discuss public education, immigrant justice, and housing bills and finally, testified in key committee hearings to support harm reduction and oppose the criminalization of our immigrant communities. All-in-all, our time together in Austin made one thing clear: Local Progress members are best positioned to uplift their constituents’ voices before a state legislature that can often be missing the everyday Texan perspective. Read more about our time together in Austin here →.
LPCO Heads To Denver!
Our growing chapter in Colorado had the opportunity to impact state policy during its first-ever advocacy day on April 10. Nearly a dozen of our members came together from across the state to meet with state legislators and build deeper relationships with movement partners earlier this month. During the trip, our members delivered a letter to the Governor urging him to support the Worker Protection Act. This letter is a significant show of support from local leaders across the state, demonstrating how our members continue to stand in solidarity with working people. Following the advocacy day, two of our outstanding members, Council Members Alison and Hannah Gay Keao, also published an op-ed urging the state to introduce new legislation to empower local governments to address problematic landlords. In just over a year, our Colorado chapter has grown in size and power with members in every region and every corner of the state. Stay tuned for more good news from our Colorado chapter!
⚡️ 2025 National Convening
We have less than a month until registration closes for our 2025 National Convening so save your spot today! In July, we will gather local elected officials, movement partners, and donors who believe in the strength of bringing together people from different backgrounds and communities to build a country – city by city, county by county – where each of us can thrive. Join us in Chicago on July 10-12 to strategize toward this vision with a community of values-aligned peers and partners! Check your email for your invite and register by our May 21 deadline!
