The Brief

When Alma Mendoza Tlachi’s work permit expired while she waited for the federal government to process her renewal, she had to stop teaching her high school students and could not return to work over the summer or prepare her classroom for the new school year.

As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, recipient, Mendoza Tlachi relies on an employment authorization document, or work permit, to legally work in the United States.

Mendoza Tlachi has paid to renew her work authorization every two years, as required, since she first applied for DACA in 2017 at age 16. But this year, processing delays caused her work permit to expire before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reviewed her renewal application, even though she filed nearly six months before it was set to expire. She said her previous renewal applications had all been processed in under one month.

Alma Mendoza Tlachi is a Spanish language and literature teacher at a high school in Los Angeles and a DACA recipient. This year, she had to stop working after a prolonged delay in the renewal of her work authorization document.

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Alma Mendoza Tlachi

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“I constantly found myself wondering: ‘Will I be able to continue teaching? Will I be able to support my family? Will I be able to finish school?’ ” said Mendoza Tlachi at a press conference Thursday morning. She is a third-year Spanish language and literature teacher completing her master’s degree in education at Cal State Fullerton.

The delays prompted California lawmakers to call on the federal government to act. Assemblymember José Luis Solache, Jr., D-Paramount, introduced House Resolution 124, which the state Assembly recently approved unanimously. The resolution urges federal agencies, including USCIS, which oversees DACA renewals, to expedite work authorization renewals for DACA recipients.

The resolution passed after months of uncertainty over prolonged delays and a lawsuit seeking information from the federal government on DACA processing times.

Over a quarter of the nation’s roughly 506,000 DACA recipients live in California, and thousands of them are educators in the state’s K-12 and higher education systems.

“Immigration cases are often delayed. That is not unusual,” said Tess Feldman, a supervising attorney at Loyola Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic, at Thursday’s news conference. “But what we’re talking about today for DACA renewals are unprecedented delays impacting a very sensitive group of students and teachers and educators that this program is designed to protect, not cause further harm to.”

One of Feldman’s clients, a 10th grade teacher, cannot return to work this school year because of renewal application delays, Feldman said. “By comparison, one of her applications in the past was renewed and approved on the same day.”

The DACA program was created by the Obama administration in 2012 to provide temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. The program grew out of years of organizing by undocumented immigrants seeking protection and a pathway to citizenship.

DACA has since faced a series of legal challenges. A federal court order currently prevents the government from approving new applications to the program while still allowing renewals to be processed.

Pablo Villavicencio, CEO of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, said the delays cause a domino effect of disruptions that affect many people beyond the individual DACA recipient.

“For our students, that disruption matters. It can affect their academic progress and preparation for college. Many of our students will be the first in their families to graduate from high school and to attend college and, at such a critical point in their education, losing a teacher who knows them, believes in them, and is helping prepare for what comes next in their life has a lasting impact,” Villavicencio said. Educator Mendoza Tlachi teaches at one of the 25 sites in the Los Angeles-based network of public charter schools that he leads.

The delays can also disrupt an educator’s financial stability as well as the larger communities that depend on their work, said Jacob Sandoval, state director with civil rights organization League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC.

“Employers lose workers, families lose income, the federal government loses taxes and communities lose economic activity. This is why processing timely applications is not simply a matter of immigration policy, it’s about civil rights, workforce stability, family stability and our economy,” he said.

Feldman, of Loyola Law School, said some DACA recipients whose work permits have expired are relying on savings while waiting for their cases to be processed. Others are being supported by employers who are holding their jobs open while they wait.

“They’re very much living day to day. They’re checking their status on their case when they wake up and when they go to bed at night, and they’re living off savings, and they’re living in a space of hope,” Feldman said.

Faculty at California State University are also working on legislation to support students awaiting their renewal applications to be processed.

“What we see happening many times is students leave halfway through the semester and then, without any date of return, they actually have to start all over again to apply to the university,” said Theresa Montaño, a CSU faculty member and president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education.

The legislation would allow students facing disruptions such as delayed DACA renewals to temporarily pause their studies and return without having to start the process over, Montaño said. Once they can return, “they would be able to start where they left off,” she said.

For Mendoza Tlachi, the wait finally ended a few days ago. She was brought to the United States at age 7, first received DACA in 2017 and has renewed it about five times. Her latest renewal was approved about six months after she applied.

It meant that, instead of spending her summer working and preparing for the new school year, she spent that time checking the USCIS website for any update on her renewal application until, finally, it arrived.

“I hope we can create a process where educators like me do not have to wonder whether a process and delay will keep us from our classrooms, and where our students do not have to wonder whether their teachers will come back the next day,” she said.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is leading Republican businessman Steve Hilton by a double-digit margin in the race for California governor, according to a new poll from UC Berkeley.

The Institute of Governmental Studies poll found about 55% of likely voters saying they’ll support Becerra, 37% backing Hilton and just 7% undecided.

Becerra’s 18-point lead marks a stark contrast to June’s messy and crowded primary contest, which included numerous serious Democratic candidates and remained unsettled until the very end.

Steve Hilton, Republican gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on April 22, 2026.

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Jason Henry

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Nexstar / Bloomberg

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“It’s shaping up to be a pretty traditional Democrat versus Republican general election matchup with strong partisan preferences kind of dominating everything,” poll director Mark DiCamillo said.

California’s electorate is largely Democratic — Republicans are outnumbered by Democrats nearly 2 to 1, and independent voters make up more than one-fifth of the electorate.

Partisan leanings appear to be driving voter opinions in the governor’s race, DiCamillo said: 88% of Democrats are backing Becerra, while 91% of Republicans are behind Hilton.

The poll’s findings overall track with trends in recent statewide races, including the 2024 presidential contest, which former Vice President Kamala Harris won by 20 points over President Donald Trump in California.

“When you ask voters, ‘Why are you supporting Becerra?’ they want a Democrat who takes the positions that Democrats traditionally take — that’s what they’re voting for. Plus they want somebody who’s going to fight Trump,” DiCamillo said.

Those partisan, anti-Trump views appear to outweigh Becerra’s history-making potential: If he wins, he would be the first Latino elected governor of California.

Yet just 1% of poll respondents said his identity as the son of Mexican immigrants is the reason they’re supporting him, the poll shows.

It will be difficult for Hilton to close the gap with Becerra, DiCamillo said, because the survey shows that he’s also struggling among voters not affiliated with one of the two major political parties.

The poll shows Hilton’s favorability rating underwater among independents, with 31% viewing him favorably and 59% unfavorably.

The last two standing: Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, center, shakes hands with then-fellow candidate Chad Bianco at a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on April 22, 2026. Now, it's just Becerra and Steve Hilton, at right.

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Jason Henry

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Nexstar / Bloomberg

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“In order for Hilton to win, he really has to go after the Democratic constituencies,” DiCamillo said. “If you look at, for example, no party preference voters, sometimes you try to peel those off if you’re a challenger on the Republican side.”

But with a strong majority of independents viewing the Republican businessman negatively, “it’s a tall order,” he said.

“Hilton represents the Republicans. He’s the standard bearer. And the reason people are voting for him is because that’s what they’re voting for,” DiCamillo said. “Unfortunately for Republicans and for Hilton, there’s not enough of them.”

The survey was conducted online in English and Spanish from Aug. 3 to Aug. 9 among 4,207 registered voters; a sample of 2,310 were considered likely voters in the November general election.

The gap is stark more than a year and a half after the Eaton and Palisades fires:

Homeowners are short, on average, $500,000 in what it will cost to rebuild their homes – that’s with what they’ve received from insurers.

The figure is from a July survey by the Department of Angels of more than 2,000 survivors across both fire areas.

Small Business Association Loans have been one way survivors have attempted to fill the gap. The window to apply officially ended in June. Programs like the state’s CalAssist Mortgage Fund provides up to one year of help. The federal government extended housing assistance for another year. And some banks have also offered to extend mortgage relief. (You can learn about all of these programs here and here.)

The majority of survivors are most interested in loans that are forgivable and low or no-interest, according to the Department of Angels survey.

“There are still people out there who need help,” said Ursula Hyman, co-founder of the Altadena Land Initiatives Corporation.

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Department of Angels

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Hyman knows firsthand — her home was seriously damaged and her daughter’s home was lost to the Eaton fire.

Her group’s fund is one of several that have cropped up as traditional safety nets prove to be far from enough. These funds attempt to bridge the financial gap, as well as the knowledge gap many face in rebuilding from scratch.

As the fire becomes “old news,” Hyman said — “It’s not old news to the people who are still living it” — it’s harder to find investors to support that work.

 ”It's much harder for all of the nonprofits to raise money right now,” she said. “ We'd like to do 100 homes this year, and I have about enough capital right now to do 25.”

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Department of Angels

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‘Rebuild gap’ funds

Here’s a quick roundup of “rebuild gap” funds. If we missed any, or you want to share your experience with these programs, reach out to reporter Erin Stone at estone@laist.com.

All of the funders LAist spoke with encouraged survivors to reach out to them regardless of whether they’re sure about participating in the program.

Altadena Land Initiatives Corporation

Supported by Cathay Bank, this fund provides zero-interest loans, on average about $260,000, as well as pre-approved construction plans with vetted builders. They have over 70 construction plans available (soon to be more) and no income requirements. Learn more at their website.

Greenline Housing Foundation

Provides temporary housing assistance as well as up to $250,000 grants to Eaton Fire survivors rebuilding a home. For the grants, there are no income limits and the money does not need to be repaid. Learn more on their website and fill out an intake form here.

Habitat for Humanity

Provides smoke remediation, home repair and rebuilding assistance for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors. You can learn more and fill out their intake form here. They, along with Greenline Housing, have worked with the Resilient Delta Fund to provide some of these programs.

Lendistry disaster recovery mortgage pilot

L.A.-based Lendistry has worked to assist fire survivors and, with the support of Bank of America and the California Community Foundation, recently launched a new pilot program for fire-affected homeowners. The program will provide comprehensive rebuild financial assistance and guidance, including construction loans and mortgage assistance. They say their interest rates will be “competitive and market-driven” and aim to close loans within 45 days. You can learn more and fill out an interest form here.

Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Program

Gov. Gavin Newsom approved $100 million in state funds to help fire survivors afford to rebuild. The program is not yet available as it just opened for lenders, but survivors can learn more and stay up to date on the program’s launch here.

Leo Jeong, chef-owner of Ho Tok Korean Pocket Pancake, originally started their pop-up as a way to bring a California take to Korean street food. Their spin on Hotteok, a pancake filled with fillings like bulgogi or chicken, has been popular with customers and allowed him to make vending his full-time job.

About the owners

Photo of Lisa Park (L) and Leo Jeong (R).

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Courtesy Lisa Park

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Jeong, along with his wife and co-owner Lisa Park, had quite the journey that led them to open a pop-up. The couple had been in a long-distance relationship, with Park in Canada and Jeong in California. They tied the knot about a year and a half ago, and cite their months-long IVF treatment journey as an inspiring force for their cooking.

For six months, they cooked extensively together, with their favorite dish being traditional Korean Hotteok. This led Jeong to eventually conceptualize the idea for Ho Tok as a pop-up, bringing their love of street food to folks in Southern California.

Jeong and Park sat down with Austin Cross, who hosts AirTalk every Friday, to share their story, and how they put a California spin on the Korean food they love.

What makes for the ideal Ho Tok experience?

The couple noted that they have seen the interest in Korean food grow over the years alongside the surge in popularity of K-pop music and media like K-Pop Demon Hunters, although most folks tend not to be familiar with the culture's cuisine.

So they typically run through the basics with new customers, explaining how their pancake dough is made through a 10-hour fermentation process, and then giving a rundown of each filling option.

At that point, they let customer customize as they'd like, so they can best enjoy their handheld treat while they walk around any street market they're vending at that day.

Pop-up details

• Their first attempt began at Tustin Farmers Market in October 2025, with more than a dozen folks from his local church coming by to support. Since then, they have been vending at places like 626 Night Market and the Culver City Farmers Market.
• Along with their Ho Tok, they’ve also been selling more traditional items like kimbap and fusion items like their takes on burritos and hot dogs.

Menu items we tried

• Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) Ho Tok
• Jeyuk (Spicy Pork) Ho Tok
• Dakgalbi (Spicy Chicken) Ho Tok

What should we try next?

Drivers in the city of Orange could receive a $500 rebate for new vehicles, or $250 for used models, under a program approved by the City Council. But there’s a catch: the rebate would only go into effect if voters approve a one-cent sales tax in November.

Councilmembers John Gyllenhammer and Arianna Barrios opposed the agreement at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

They argued that the rebate benefits a handful of dealerships and uses public money to promote those dealers.

City Manager Jarad Hildenbrand said the goal is to incentivize Orange residents to shop locally and offset revenue pains that may be felt by the auto businesses as a result of the proposed sales tax.

What car buyers should know

Orange residents and businesses qualify for the rebate only on new or used vehicles purchased from the city’s five major dealerships — Mazda, Selman Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota and Villa Ford of Orange.

The purchase price for the vehicle must be more than $15,000. The program would last for 13 years, mirroring the timeline for the sales tax.

Where is the rebate coming from?

Rebates are paid with the city’s general funds. This agreement is expected to cost the city $1.6 million annually — about $1.5 million earmarked for rebates and an additional $50,000 for marketing. More than $20 million is earmarked for the rebates throughout the 13-year deal.

It will be the city’s responsibility to market the program to residents, Hildenbrand said.

“The whole premise of the program is to influence purchasing behavior,” Hildenbrand added. “So if Orange residents don’t know the program exists, they might go shopping elsewhere.”

The city anticipates earning more than $118,000 annually from car sales, according to a staff presentation.

“This provides a very unique incentive to give taxpayers in Orange their money back for shopping in the city of Orange,” Councilmember Denis Bilodeau said. “I think it’s an important incentive to give our Orange residents to live and shop in Orange.”

What do opponents say? 

Opponents of the deal took issue with the focus on just the five big car dealers and the use of tax dollars to essentially market for these businesses.

The deal helps a certain group of residents, Barrios said, “It doesn’t hit the people who are going to be hardest hit by paying extra in the city.”

Gyllenhammer took issue with using public funds to benefit only a concentrated number of residents and car dealers.

“In this case, we’d redistribute tax money that everyone will pay, at every income level within the city,” Gyllenhammer said.

He added that those tax dollars under the rebate would go to five dealers, and if “we don't apply it to any other dealers within the city, there will be impact.”

And car buyers who purchase a used vehicle for less than the $15,000 threshold are also left out of the deal, he added.

“There’s absolutely no rebate for anyone else that’s buying any other car outside of these five dealerships,” Gyllenhammer said. “So it truly does create a situation where we are subsidizing and picking a specific industry that we have just created duress because of a sales tax increase.”

Gyllenhammer previously opposed a rebate program with the same five businesses back in 2024, when voters were considering a sales tax measure that ultimately failed.

Orange resident Chip O’Neal told the council the agreement doesn’t benefit taxpayers.

“I would like the City Council to explain why they would ask the citizens of Orange to approve a 1% sales tax and then use city funds to subsidize the very industry most affected by said tax?” O’Neal said. “The same industry that previously helped defeat the last sales-increase measure, which I imagine is why we’re looking at this measure now.”

What’s next? 

The deal will only go through if residents approve the sales tax hike in November. In recent years, the city of Orange has faced increasingly dire budget constraints.