Members of the National TPS Alliance rally outside the Supreme Court in April.
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Alex Wroblewski
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Topline:
The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can revoke Temporary Protective Status from hundreds of thousands of Syrian and Haitian refugees, allowing the federal government to begin deportations. Here’s what that means for TPS holders in Southern California.
Who else is affected? The ruling is specific to those from Haiti and Syria, but the remaining countries that fall under the TPS program — including Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan and El Salvador — could lose their TPS designation when they come up for renewal in the fall.
What’s the impact? California is home to nearly 80,000 TPS holders from a variety of countries as of last year, according to the Forum, a nationwide coalition of immigration-related groups.
The TPS program was created by Congress in 1990, forming a pathway for vetted refugees who need protection to live and work in the United States. There are about 330,000 displaced Haitians and 3,800 Syrians living in the U.S. today.
California is home to nearly 80,000 TPS holders as of March 31, 2025, according to the Forum, a nationwide coalition of immigration-related groups. Not all of the TPS holders in California are from Syria or Haiti.
Jose Serrano, executive director of the Orange County Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, said it’s heartbreaking to continue to receive notifications like these.
“They're contributors to our communities. They're local leaders. It's more than just unfortunate,” Serrano said.
Many people could be deported, Serrano added. He said his group will continue “to remind folks that they are part of our communities … and providing the appropriate guidance, so that they feel as if they're not abandoned.”
About the 6-3 ruling
Our partner newsroom NPR reports:
By a 6-3 vote in Mullin v. Doe, the court's conservative majority ruled that the president has virtually unrestrained power to end the Temporary Protected Status program, known as TPS.
Writing for the court majority, Justice Samuel Alito that under the TPS law, the president has unreviewable authority to end the program, without intervention from the courts.
Jessica Bansal, an attorney with the National Day Laborer Network, said that Haitian and Syrian TPS holders will soon lose their work authorization and lawful immigration status.
“The timeline isn't super clear, but we're talking days or weeks,” Bansal said, speaking on AirTalk, which airs on LAist 89.3 FM. “TPS holders, even if they have a U.S. citizen child, even if they have a U.S. citizen spouse, even if they've been here for 20 years, unless they have been lawfully admitted at some point — and TPS is not a lawful admission — they can't adjust their status.”
For Honduran TPS holders who lost their status last year, Bansal added, “ the lives that they built here are just gone on 60 days' notice.”
Given the ruling, some refugees are already preparing for the possibility of self-deportation.
“People have been preparing, but how do you prepare to say goodbye to your citizen children? How do you prepare to bring them to a country where you think they're not safe?” Bansal said. “You can't prepare for something like this, no matter how much you try or know it might be coming.”
Members of the National TPS Alliance rally at the US Supreme Court in Washington in April.
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Alex Wroblewski
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Who are TPS holders?
The designation is granted to immigrants from countries hit by crises, such as natural disasters or war.
“ These are people who have lived here [and] have a justifiable reason for coming to the United States. [They] are entitled to work based on work permits, are paying taxes, and are not committing crimes,” said Stacy Tolchin, an immigration attorney based in Pasadena. “These are the folks that we want in this country.”
The federal government typically renewed the deportation protection every 18 months, which is not guaranteed. For example, TPS holders lose protection if they're convicted of one felony or two misdemeanors, regardless of the type of offense.
Since 2025, when Trump returned to the White House, the administration has attempted to strip TPS from 13 of the 17 countries that had the designation. Those countries are:
Afghanistan
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Ethiopia
Haiti
Honduras
Nepal
Nicaragua
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria
Venezuela
Yemen
(L-R) Alexei Laushkin, Rev. Patrick Mahoney and Katie Mahoney hold a banner that reads "Protect the Haitian Community!" on the House East Front Steps at the U.S. Capitol Building on March 6, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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What could this mean for TPS holders from other countries?
The ruling is specific to those from Haiti and Syria, which are among numerous countries for which the Trump Administration had moved to remove TPS status. Even countries which still have TPS may be at risk. Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan and El Salvador could lose their TPS designation when they come up for renewal in the fall.
"They all now need to understand that they are in a riskier and less safe position now,” Perez said. “So it presents a real risk, a real risk to our refugee neighbors.”
“Especially for people who do not have homes to go back to because they were destroyed or are under Russian occupation,” Reeves said, “I hope exceptions will be made.”
“Orange County has large populations of Arab communities and refugee communities, and so I wouldn't be surprised to see that there's a big impact, particularly to Orange County,” Perea said. “This is going to have a large impact not only in the TPS community but in general on human rights and due process.”
What’s next?
Perez said pushing back against the administration will look different for everybody. For attorneys and advocates, it means finding the pressure points to push back against the campaign against immigrants.
“It means taking care of your neighbors," Perez said. "It means putting your time and your money to work in every way possible, so that folks who are in the target range of this administration are protected by their networks in their communities.”
Serrano recommends that TPS holders contact nonprofits, legal experts and advocates for information and resources.
“It is really important to walk alongside each other,” Serrano said. “Remembering that behind every person who came here seeking safety or refuge is a story of hope, it's a story of humanity, it's a story of potential.”
Rapid response networks and legal aid
Local rapid response networks can be contacted for immediate legal support.
Los Angeles Rapid Response Network: (888) 624-4752
USC Agents of Change created a free hotline to help people file motions to move their in-person immigration hearing appointments online. The service is available in English and Spanish. Call (888) 462-5211
VietRISE has information and resources for Vietnamese community members facing deportation and those supporting them.
Immigrant Defenders Law Center is available to support community members detained by ICE and their families. Call (213) 833-8283, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Immigration Advocates Network offers a database to find legal services near you. The database includes nonprofits that offer free or low-cost legal services.
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network is connecting jornaleros detained by ICE legal resources and mutual aid. If you know a laborer who has been detained, call (626) 799-3566
The Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project offers free legal representation for immigrants, with a focus on helping children and families. Find more information on their website, and for general inquiries, call (213) 534-7594.
The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles offers free legal assistance for low-income immigrants in over eight languages, including for inquiries about asylum, DACA, naturalization and visas. You can find whether you qualify for legal assistance here.
Southwestern Law School’s immigration law clinic provides free legal representation to low-income children and adults with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (clients under the age of 21), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (renewals only), U visas nonimmigrant status and U-based adjustment of status cases. Call (213) 738-5574 or email immigrationclinic@swlaw.edu.
The Public Law Center in Santa Ana assists low-income residents of Orange County in filing for immigration relief and with deportation defense. Call (714) 541-1010, ext. 332, and leave a voicemail to request an appointment.
LAist correspondent Jared Bennett contributed to this report.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said California will accept federal broadband funding to close the digital divide despite provisions requiring the state to drop net neutrality rules. Sonic technician Tom Sherrill installs fiber optic cable to a home in Berkeley on March 4, 2019.
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Carlos Avila Gonzalez
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San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
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Topline:
The state of California has agreed to accept $1.4 billion in federal funding to bring broadband internet access to 270,000 people while simultaneously challenging conditions attached to the funding.
About the federal broadband program: California is the last state to accept money from a broadband program created in 2021 as part of an infrastructure bill passed during the Biden administration. Under terms updated by the Trump administration one year ago, states that accept funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program must stop enforcing net neutrality rules, which ensure equal connection speeds for every app and website, as well as any rules that influence broadband internet costs. California enjoys the strongest net neutrality laws in the nation.
Unresolved terms: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said it is both taking the federal money and maintaining its access rules. The president of the California Public Utilizes Commission, the agency chosen by Newsom to administer the program, provided the federal agency that administers the program with both a signed notice that California will accept the funding and a letter that calls the terms vague and outside of the commission’s legal authority. The letter sent Monday also acknowledges that the state will not distribute program funding to companies like Comcast, Pacific Bell, SpaceX, and Verizon until disagreements about the terms are resolved.
The state of California has agreed to accept $1.4 billion in federal funding to bring broadband internet access to 270,000 people while simultaneously challenging conditions attached to the funding.
Those conditions would stop the state from enforcing broadband laws that reduce costs and guarantee equal access for internet destinations.
California is the last state to accept money from a broadband program created in 2021 as part of an infrastructure bill passed during the Biden administration.
Under terms updated by the Trump administration one year ago, states that accept funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program must stop enforcing net neutrality rules, which ensure equal connection speeds for every app and website, as well as any rules that influence broadband internet costs. California enjoys the strongest net neutrality laws in the nation.
In recent weeks, digital access advocates argued that if the state accepts the money without meaningfully challenging the terms, it could endanger communities reliant on internet access for emergency services and raise costs for low-income Californians who receive internet subsidies. Through 2040, accepting the terms could cost Californians up to $16 billion, according to an estimate from open internet advocacy group Public Knowledge.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said it is both taking the federal money and maintaining its access rules. In a written statement shared with CalMatters, Anthony Martinez, a spokesperson for the governor, said that “Connecting these communities is the goal, and so is protecting them. California's laws, including our net neutrality protections, still stand."
The president of the California Public Utilities Commission, the agency chosen by Newsom to administer the program, provided the federal agency that administers the program with both a signed notice that California will accept the funding and a letter that calls the terms vague and outside of the commission’s legal authority. The letter sent Monday also acknowledges that the state will not distribute program funding to companies like Comcast, Pacific Bell, SpaceX, and Verizon until disagreements about the terms are resolved.
“The CPUC cannot be bound by any terms or conditions that are unconstitutional or not authorized by law and it expressly does not waive or concede any arguments or challenges concerning the legality, interpretation, or applicability of any term or condition,” wrote CPUC president John Reynolds in the letter.
Stephen Yusko, a spokesperson for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration within the Department of Commerce, responded to the letter today by saying that the terms and conditions of the award constitute the entire agreement between his agency and the utilities commission.
“No part of the letter outlining CPUC’s concerns is incorporated into or made part of the award,” he said in a statement provided to CalMatters.
Last month, a group of law professors who work on issues related to internet freedom and access urged the utilities commission and governor’s office not to accept the money without challenging the terms in court. Stanford University professor Barbara van Schewick told CalMatters that “only a court, or NTIA agreeing in writing, can take [the access terms] out of California’s award, and neither has happened.”
But she said she’s happy to see the letter makes clear that the state will not sign agreements with companies getting the federal broadband funding until the utilities commission and federal government resolve their disagreement over the terms. It also preserves a strong legal argument that the utilities commission lacks the authority to prevent other state entities from enforcing the law.
“The real test comes the first time a BEAD provider blocks a competitor’s app, throttles firefighters, or walks away from a price commitment,” she told CalMatters. “If the state enforces its laws when that happens, the letter will have protected Californians.”
She added: “If the state looks the other way, [the terms] will have worked exactly as the providers intended, without a single court ever ruling on it.”
Phil Grosse is a member of the California Democratic Party Rural Caucus. In recent weeks, Grosse and dozens of community leaders along the Russian River in Sonoma County urged the governor to challenge the broadband funding terms in court before accepting the money. He believes the terms would end phone service guarantees and backup battery power for cellular towers, endangering the lives of rural Californians.
“We can’t accept the money without all kinds of poisoned pills attached to it, and I’m glad the CPUC acknowledged that, and that they are bound to follow state laws and regulations,” he said, adding that he anticipates the whole ordeal will end up in court. “I’m hopeful the Trump administration will see the wisdom in the CPUC’s letter but I’m rather doubtful.”
The SS-25 well where the 2015 gas leak occurred is covered at the Southern California Gas Company’s Aliso Canyon storage facility in Porter Ranch, Jan. 12, 2017.
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Jae C. Hong
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AP Photo, File
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Topline:
Millions of dollars of settlement money from the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak, the largest known methane leak in the United States, are now available to affected residents to replace gas-powered appliances with electric ones.
Who qualifies for the settlement: Anyone in the affected area with a single-family home will be eligible for the incentives, and certain income-qualifying residents will be eligible for extra funding. Access for multi-property owners will come later. The announcement makes available the first $20 million in incentive funding from the Aliso Canyon settlement to help home and building owners impacted by the blowout. In total, the program will make $40 million available to help people install heat pumps that cool and heat homes, electric stoves, water heaters and other appliances.
The backstory: The Aliso Canyon gas leak took nearly four months to control, sickened thousands of families and forced them from their homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds. The natural gas storage well failed and uncontrollably released nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances into the atmosphere for more than 100 days.
Millions of dollars of settlement money from the largest known methane leak in the United States are now available to affected residents to replace gas-powered appliances with electric ones. Organizations involved in distributing the money say it will help create safer and cleaner homes.
The announcement makes available the first $20 million in incentive funding from the Aliso Canyon settlement to help home and building owners impacted by the 2015 Los Angeles-area blowout. In total, the program will make $40 million available to help people install heat pumps that cool and heat homes, electric stoves, water heaters and other appliances.
Evan Kamei is the director of TECH Clean California, a state program helping distribute the settlement money. He said the incentives “will help create healthier homes, lower energy costs, deliver cooling, and create local jobs by replacing aging gas appliances with efficient electric appliances.”
Anyone in the affected area with a single-family home will be eligible for the incentives, and certain income-qualifying residents will be eligible for extra funding. Access for multi-property owners will come later.
The Aliso Canyon gas leak took nearly four months to control, sickened thousands of families and forced them from their homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds.
The natural gas storage well failed and uncontrollably released nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances into the atmosphere for more than 100 days. Methane is a potent, heat-trapping gas that contributes to extreme weather events worldwide through climate change. The natural gas facility involved in the blowout temporarily closed and later reopened at reduced capacity after being deemed safe to operate.
In 2021, thousands of families reached a settlement of up to $1.8 billion with the Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company, Sempra Energy. Some 35,000 plaintiffs were compensated after complaining of personal injury and property damage to their homes. SoCalGas spent more than $1 billion on the blowout, with most of the money going to temporarily relocate 8,000 families.
Weldon Kennedy is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Copper, a California startup that sells electric induction stoves and ovens. He said his company got involved with the program to distribute settlement money after the group Energy Solutions highlighted how hard it would be to get people to switch their cooking appliances from gas to electric.
“People have a cultural attachment to gas when it comes to cooking,” Kennedy said. The kind of appliances Copper sells may help mitigate that attachment because they can be plugged into a regular outlet without the expense of rewiring that is usually associated with switching from gas-powered appliances to electric ones.
Cooking with electricity comes with health benefits. Gas stoves, which 47 million Americans use, release pollutants like nitrogen dioxide that’s been linked to asthma and cancer-causing benzene.
Products like electric appliances are one way to address the significant amount of pollution driving climate change that comes from cooking, heating and cooling living spaces and providing hot water in buildings.
Income-qualified residents affected by the Aliso leak are eligible for up to $31,800 worth of incentives to cover the cost of electric installations in their homes.
Switching from gas to electricity can save energy and lower bills.
Carol Kamei, Evan Kamei’s 72-year-old mother, has lived for 46 years near the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Facility and was one of the plaintiffs in the case against SoCal Gas. She remembers smelling gas and getting nose bleeds. When she read in the news that the leak was also spewing cancer-causing benzene, she knew it was time to go.
Carol Kamei said her nose bleeds went away after moving in with her sister in Hollywood for three months. She recently participated in a health study by the University of California, Los Angeles and found out she has diminished lung capacity, one of the health impacts researchers look for, she said.
“I do know some people that have died from blood-borne illnesses, cancer since then,” Carol Kamei said.
Kamei hopes to use the incentive funding to replace her oven with an electric one. “I’d rather not use gas,” she said.
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Alanis Morissette will play four nights at YouTube Theater.
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Jean Catuffe
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In this edition:
Heaux Church, Alanis rocks the YouTube, L.A Zine Fest and more of the best things to do this weekend and beyond.
Highlights:
The '90s are back! If you ever doubted it, head to the 13th annual L.A. Zine Fest, a free all-ages event celebrating the best of the very much alive and well D.I.Y. publishing community. More than 350 vendors will be there.
You oughta know that Canadian rock icon Alanis Morissette will bring her Butterfly with a Machete residency to the YouTube Theater for four nights starting Thursday.
Following a run off-Broadway, Brandon Kyle Goodman’s Heaux Church is “part sermon, part confession, part dance party.” Celebration Theatre and The Elysian, in association with Lena Waithe, produced the L.A. stint, which features former pastor’s kid Goodman giving “the sex talk you never got, but always deserved.” Each performance features a free talkback after the show.
The days are getting shorter, so it’s important to keep your spirits up, whether that’s by already starting to decorate for Christmas (too soon, if you ask me! I was just in London and all the department stores were decked out even before Halloween!) or just putting some fun things on the calendar for the weeks ahead. Like some of the events listed here!
Saturday, Nov. 8, 5 p.m. 2100 Ocean Front Walk and 200 N. Venice Blvd., Venice Beach COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Luminex has lit up downtown with immersive projection work from a variety of artists, and now the innovative collective is heading to Venice, just in time to make the most of our shorter days.
Blading Cup USA
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7 Yost Parking Lot 307 Spurgeon St., Santa Ana COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Watch expert skaters show off their tricks, or register to compete yourself as the Blading Cup USA returns to downtown Santa Ana. Now an official World Skate Challenger competition — World Skate is the international governing body for roller sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee — the Blading Cup is a full weekend of ollies, flip tricks and more.
SKY: Jacob Jonas
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7, 8 p.m. Occidental Studios 2821 Council St., Echo Park COST: $57.55; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Jacob Jonas
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Dance troupe Jacob Jonas the Company will be at Occidental Studios in Echo Park for a two-night-only run of their latest show, SKY. The performance is free-form, and attendees are encouraged to move around the sound stage space like an art gallery. Jacob Jonas is always trying something new!
LA Loft Movie Club: Foragisms
Sunday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Philosophical Research Society 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz COST: $12.51; MORE INFO
This quirky one-minute film festival got its start back in 2021 and is a chance to see new work, plus test your own (entries are curated around a theme at each event). This one is the last of the year for the LA Loft crew, so don’t miss it. The cozy fall theme is "Foragisms," co-curated with animator and Loose Frames curator Kat Ball — more on the inspiration behind "Foragisms" here.
Adrianne Calvo: Maximum Flavor at Home
Friday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Last Bookstore 453 S. Spring St., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $11:49; MORE INFO
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Award-winning chef and restaurateur Adrianne Calvo is bringing her latest cookbook — and some tasty treats — to one of my favorite places, the Last Bookstore. The new recipes are from Maximum Flavor at Home, which came out Nov. 3. Chef Adrianne will demonstrate some of her favorite crostini recipes.
L.A. Zine Fest
Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Angel City Derby Warehouse 785 E. 15th Place, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The '90s are back, and if you ever doubted it, head to the 13th annual L.A. Zine Fest, a free all-ages event celebrating the best of the very much alive and well D.I.Y. publishing community. More than 350 vendors will be there, including a wide range of artists, small presses, independent booksellers and community organizers from across Southern California and zine creators from all over the country.
Piano Department Recital
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. Pepperdine's Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Pepperdine
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What a treat to head up to Malibu for a free piano recital at Pepperdine, led by director Barry Tan. The student piano performance showcases talent on a regular basis, but what they will be playing remains a surprise.
Alanis Morissette: Butterfly with a Machete
Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5-6; Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10-11 YouTube Theater 1011 S. Stadium Drive, Inglewood COST: FROM $49.50; MORE INFO
Alanis Morissette will play four nights at YouTube Theater.
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Jean Catuffe
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Getty Images
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You oughta know that Canadian rock icon Alanis Morissette will bring her Butterfly with a Machete residency to the YouTube Theater for four nights starting Thursday. I’ll be there, basking in teenage nostalgia.
Nat Geo Live: Discovering the Galapagos
Thursday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m. Broad Stage 1310 11th St., Santa Monica COST: FROM $75; MORE INFO
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The always-popular Nat Geo Live series returns to the Broad Stage in Santa Monica with a trip to the Galapagos. I was just there with my family a couple of years ago, and while the real thing is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime trip, the Nat Geo immersive version and live discussion with disease ecologist Sarah Knute about the islands that fascinated Charles Darwin won’t disappoint, either.
Heaux Church
Thursday to Sunday, Nov. 5-8, 7:30 p.m. Elysian Theater 1944 Riverside Drive, Silver Lake COST: FROM $42.53; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Elysian
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Following a run off-Broadway, Brandon Kyle Goodman’s Heaux Church is "part sermon, part confession, part dance party." Celebration Theatre and The Elysian, in association with Lena Waithe, produced the L.A. stint, which features former pastor’s kid Goodman giving "the sex talk you never got, but always deserved." Each performance features a free talkback after the show.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won the U.S. Senate election in Michigan, according to a race call by the Associated Press, a crucial victory in his party's quest to win back the Senate majority. One of the most closely watched elections in the U.S., the race in Michigan tested how an antiestablishment candidate on the left would fare in a perennial Midwest battleground.
Why now: Harnessing anger over the cost of living and corruption, El-Sayed galvanized young and infrequent voters by focusing on passing single-payer healthcare and curbing the influence of corporate money in politics. He is not a democratic socialist, unlike several candidates whose insurgent campaigns gained traction in primaries this cycle, though his campaign was backed by some of the biggest stars on the political left.
The backstory: El-Sayed, a Michigan native who ran the health departments in Wayne County and the city of Detroit, first arrived on the political stage in 2018 with an unsuccessful bid for governor.
What's next: Now as Democrats wrestle with their party's identity, El-Sayed has signaled that he intends to be a prominent voice, especially given Michigan's prime position in the presidential nominating process in 2028.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won the U.S. Senate election in Michigan, according to a race call by the Associated Press, a crucial victory in his party's quest to win back the Senate majority.
One of the most closely watched elections in the U.S., the race in Michigan tested how an antiestablishment candidate on the left would fare in a perennial Midwest battleground.
El-Sayed will be the first Muslim American to serve in the Senate.
The 42-year-old former public health official defeated former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers. Rogers lost his first bid for the Senate in 2024.
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Harnessing anger over the cost of living and corruption, El-Sayed galvanized young and infrequent voters by focusing on passing single-payer healthcare and curbing the influence of corporate money in politics.
He is not a democratic socialist, unlike several candidates whose insurgent campaigns gained traction in primaries this cycle, though his campaign was backed by some of the biggest stars on the political left.
His positions on Israel alienated some Jewish voters, including comments after a truck-ramming attack at a synagogue preschool in metro Detroit — for which he later offered an apology — and campaigning during the primary with controversial left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.
Those were among the dynamics during a heated primary contest that turned into a stand-in for many of the broader debates fueling the direction of the Democratic Party after two years in the political wilderness.
In the primary, El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens by about 1 percentage point, despite Michigan heavyweights like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and retiring Sen. Gary Peters backing his opponent.
Mike Rogers speaks to supporters during a campaign event at Hoffman Farms Winery on Oct. 9 in Highland Township, Mich.
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Getty Images
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In the general election's closing days, Stevens reversed course and announced she was endorsing Rogers, after initially saying she would support the Democratic ticket, underscoring the rocky path to uniting the Democratic coalition in Michigan. After the primary, polls showed a tight race with Rogers, despite Democrats having held the Senate seat since 1979.
During the campaign, El-Sayed criticized his opponent and other Republicans, including President Trump, for targeting him with Islamophobic rhetoric.
Trump early on endorsed Rogers, who has embraced some of the president's false claims about widespread election fraud, despite previously condemning them, including after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. As November neared, Rogers tried to distance himself from some of the president's policies, including the war in Iran.
El-Sayed, a Michigan native who ran the health departments in Wayne County and the city of Detroit, first arrived on the political stage in 2018 with an unsuccessful bid for governor.
