The Brief

“Why do you want to become a U.S. citizen?”

That's how Melissa Michelson starts her class at Pasadena City College each semester. And as her course preparing immigrants for the naturalization test opens this week, it's what she'll ask again.

Michelson’s students come from China, Russia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand and many parts of Latin America. Often, they tell her they’d like to become citizens to travel with greater ease. Others say they’d like to be able to vote.

Whatever their motive, Michelson’s job is to help them reach that goal. But increasingly, she’s grown conflicted about her role.

There are moments, in Michelson’s view, when what she’s teaching doesn’t line up with what she’s seeing happening across the country.

"It's a very strange position to be in,” she said, “coupled with the fear that I have.”

Fostering an active citizenry

For the past three years, Michelson has taught a course that prepares immigrants for their naturalization test. This involves demonstrating the ability to read, write and speak basic English. Candidates must also answer questions about U.S. history and government.

But Michelson doesn’t just want her students to pass the test. When they become U.S. citizens, she said, she wants them to feel ready to exercise their rights — and their responsibilities.

To that end, some of her lessons involve teaching students to identify their local and state representatives. Then, she has them practice weighing in on issues by writing to those officials. She’s also modeled how to call them.

Michelson also teaches classes for English language learners. Many of those students go on to enroll in her citizenship course.

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Ashley Balderrama

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LAist

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Michelson also preps her students with the questions they might encounter during the oral exam.

In the past, candidates studied the answers to 100 questions issued by the federal government. During their test, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers would ask 10 questions from the list; to pass, the candidates had to answer six correctly. Starting this week, students will need to be prepared to answer 128 civics questions — including “How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?” and “The president of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?” Now, the number of questions prospective citizens will have to answer will double to 20. Twelve correct answers are required to pass.

The change is part of broader efforts under the Trump administration. When assessing a naturalization candidate’s “good moral character,” for instance, USCIS has instructed its officers to seek “positive contributions to American society instead of a mere absence of bad behavior.”

The agency also has announced that it is reintroducing “neighborhood investigations” into aspiring citizens — a discretionary practice that’s been shelved since the 1990s. A USCIS memo indicates that this can involve covering the vicinity of a candidate’s residence and employment, dating back to at least five years from the time they submit their applications.

“This is going to be a very tricky new space to navigate,” Michelson said.

Dominique Quevedo, managing attorney at the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation, echoed these concerns.

“We're still operating under the old procedure," she told LAist before the changes were implemented. "It's unclear how it's going to play out.”

The Legal Aid Foundation assists people with incomes under 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. (Following publication of this article, a spokesperson for the foundation said its attorneys have "worked hard to adapt very rapidly.")

“For something as seminal as naturalization, to throw in these additional roadblocks, we're very concerned about the impact it will have on clients,” she said.

Inside Michelson's office at Pasadena City College.

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Ashley Balderrama

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LAist

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Outside of her office, students and faculty can pick up one of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center's red cards, which describe constitutional rights, in multiple languages.

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Ashley Balderrama

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LAist

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Fighting off a sense of dread  

In preparation for the civics test, teaching the Constitution is what excites Michelson the most — particularly the First Amendment. Many of her students come from countries where civil liberties aren’t respected, she said, so it’s essential to build in time to discuss freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and other rights.

“You should feel no fear when engaging in peaceful protest,” she used to tell her students.

But lately, she’s not so sure this is true.

Earlier this year, Michelson watched in dismay as immigration officials detained green card holders who participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations. This included Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student who was arrested at what was supposed to be his citizenship interview.

“For the first time, I was nervous for my students,” she said.

The Trump administration said it sought to deport Mahdawi, along with other noncitizen protesters, because their activities could “potentially undermine” foreign policy goals. But in Michelson’s view, these students were “getting picked up because they engaged in civic activism.”

In class, Michelson and her students talked about what they were seeing on TV and social media. Often, she said, she felt at a loss. “I don't know what to tell you guys,” she found herself saying last spring. “I don't know.”

As she prepares to teach a new course this fall, Michelson says she remains committed to helping her students become active U.S. citizens. She will help them practice their comprehension, pronunciation and grammar. And she’ll make sure they can answer any of the 128 questions.

She used to encourage her students to take their tests as soon as possible so that the material would still be fresh in their minds. Moving forward, she plans to underscore that they should speak to a lawyer.

Julie Mitchell is the legal director at the Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles, which offers citizenship courses like the one Michelson teaches at Pasadena City College.

These courses are a great way to prepare for the part of the test that examines candidates’ English fluency and knowledge of U.S. government and history, Mitchell said. But for navigating other parts of the naturalization process, she recommends legal counsel.

“But also, I don't want to scare people,” she added. “I think part of this is a scare tactic to get people to not apply for citizenship because it makes it sound scarier to do so.”

The test questions have changed, she acknowledged, but USCIS always has assessed “good moral character.”

How the agency interprets that may look different, Mitchell said, “but the baseline statute [that underpins naturalization] remains the same.”

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.