Nevada
Election immigration fight could upend Nevada’s economy from the desert to the Strip
In the remote Nevada desert, the Baker Ranch couldn’t survive without immigrant guest workers who come every year from Mexico.
About 300 miles to the south In Las Vegas — increasingly a vacation playground for Americans from all political and socioeconomic backgrounds — immigrants are just as vital, keeping the 24-hour economy humming all day, every day.
Immigration has become a source of fear and frustration for voters in this presidential election — with possible outcomes that could take the United States down two dramatically different paths. But immigrants who have been in the country for decades say a nuanced issue has been drowned out by seemingly simpler solutions championed by both parties.
Nowhere are the complicated economic and social realities behind the searing-hot political divide on immigration more clear than in Nevada, a toss-up state that could decide an increasingly close election.
Here are highlights from the AP’s report:
How immigration has shaped the presidential race
The influx of illegal border crossings long strained city and state resources even in Democratic strongholds across the country, even as encounters between immigrants and law enforcement officials have declined sharply in recent months. And yet, immigration has fueled job growth in ways that strengthen the economy and improve the federal government’s fiscal health.
Former President Donald Trump is championing hardline proposals that would force mass deportations, while Vice President Kamala Harris is calling for pathways to citizenship for millions of people in the country illegally. But Harris is also calling for increased funding for border security enforcement and strengthening existing Biden administration actions that tightened rules for immigrants to seek asylum in the U.S. when they arrive at the southern border.
“I think that our focus is completely directed into the border and not toward the people who are already here and have been here for many, many years,” said Erika Marquez, immigrant justice organizer for the advocacy group Make the Road Nevada.
Bipartisan support for guest workers — to a point
Both parties have called for expanding guest worker programs in agriculture.
The Trump administration deemed guest farmworkers essential during the coronavirus pandemic, and the program’s participation rose while he was in office. But he also proposed a rule freezing farmworkers’ salaries for two years, loosening requirements for worker housing and restricting the transportation costs they could be reimbursed for.
The Biden administration wiped out those rules. Since then, more than 310,000 H-2A visas were issued in fiscal year 2023, compared to around 213,000 in fiscal year 2020, the last full one under Trump. But the Biden White House also imposed a series of new rules meant to better protect workers that have occasionally frustrated business owners like the Bakers.
“It is a hot potato and each side’s lobbing one at the other. And, in all honesty, both are to blame,” Janille Baker, who runs the ranch’s financial books, said of immigration. “There is going to come a point where it has to get taken care of. You can’t just keep using fearmongering and scaring people, and then being critical of the people who do or don’t want to do whatever jobs.”
A state economy powered by immigrants
In Nevada, nearly 19% of residents are foreign-born and 9% of the total workforce does not have U.S. legal status. If the state lost all of its workers in the country illegally, Labor Department figures suggest the direct job losses would be roughly as large as those from the 2008 financial crisis, which stalled tourism, triggered a wave of housing market foreclosures and cost the state about 9.3% of its jobs during the subsequent Great Recession.
“In our wonderful, 24-hour economy, we know that these hotels and casinos could not, should not, would not be able to open every day without immigrants,” said Peter Guzman, president and CEO of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Nevada.
And even rounding up people in the country illegally might not count those with temporary protected status, or the guest workers on Baker ranch, all of whom are authorized to be in the U.S.
Haydee Zetino, who scrubs lavish hotel suites at Harrah’s Casino on the famed Las Vegas strip, is an immigrant from El Salvador with only temporary protected status in the U.S. The 62-year-old saw Trump try to strip away many such protections during his first term and worries it could happen again if he wins — even as she can’t vote herself as a non-citizen.
“These people don’t have any conscience,” she said of mass deportation supporters. “They believe they can lift up the country, move the economy forward, but they don’t think of those at the bottom.”
A small state that could be a big factor on Election Day
The Pew Research Center estimates that 11 million people in the country illegally live in the U.S. Big states like California, Texas and Florida have larger numbers who potentially could have even more influence on workforces and communities. But all of those states are all solidly red or blue in presidential races — and aren’t likely to sway the election as toss-up Nevada might.
Despite having just six electoral votes, Nevada could go for either Trump or Harris. Clark County, encompassing Las Vegas, is about 75% of the state’s population and includes a sizeable number of hospitality industry workers represented by Nevada’s powerful Culinary Union, which has endorsed Harris.
But Trump was able to turn out infrequent voters there in 2020, and did well in much of the rest of the state, which is rural and more conservative. Washoe County, home to Reno, is a perennial toss-up. Voters can also choose “None” of the presidential candidates, adding to the Nevada electorate’s famously fickle nature.
It’s all left some voters afraid of what the outcome might be.
“There’s a lot of fear,” said Nancy Valenzuela, a 48-year-old maid who works at the Strat casino. “There are people who don’t have papers. They’re like, ‘They want to throw us all out.’”
The Arbor View boys volleyball team has embodied the mindset that it would take the efforts of all 16 players to win the school its first boys volleyball title.
It proved to be the case on Wednesday night against rival Centennial in the Class 5A state championship match, and the Aggies’ efforts all season showed up in the biggest game of the season.
No. 3-seeded Arbor View claimed its first boys volleyball title with a 25-20, 25-27, 25-19, 25-19 victory over top-seeded Centennial at Sunrise Mountain.
“It feels amazing. The boys have worked hard, I don’t even know if I could put it into words,” Arbor View coach Nicole Adarme said. “Our big goal was to stay calm and collected the entire time. I just wanted to reflect that for them.”
Arbor View (28-13-1) let its emotions out after the final point on an Owen Wenger kill. The Aggies huddled and jumped for joy, helped carry injured teammate Gunnar Robinson off the bench, and eventually moved the celebration into the stands with a sea of red from the Arbor View student section.
“It feels absolutely great,” junior middle blocker/outside hitter Risden Miller said. “We trust each other so much. We’re best friends in and out of volleyball, and that really helps us on the court with just competing as a team.”
Even though the two team’s previous meeting on April 14 was a three-set win in league play by Centennial (32-6), Adarme said she knew the fourth meeting of the season for the two northwest rivals wasn’t going to be a sweep on either side.
Arbor View won a back-and-forth first set on a kill from Miller. Then it looked like the Aggies were going to win a close second set, but Centennial got a point for Arbor View being out of rotation, and the Bulldogs won four of the last five points to even the match score to one set apiece.
“That’s the traditional thing (when we play) Centennial (to play long matches), so for us, we just treated it like another set,” Adarme said. “We knew they were going to fight, so how do we respond to that? Our constant conversation was responding to the negative and moving forward in a positive direction.”
Arbor View scored six straight points in the third set to take a 20-15 lead, and the Aggies never let up to get to the fourth set with a chance to win the title. The Aggies took advantage of several Centennial errors to take the lead in the third set on their way to the title.
“We took three deep breaths and reset and recollected ourselves as a team,” Miller said of closing out the final two sets. “That’s just completely huge for rebounding from a lost set.
“For me, personally, just looking at all my best friends on the court, that truly calms me down and I know it calms them down as well.”
Miller recorded 18 kills and Wenger was key at the net with eight kills and eight blocks. The Aggies also got contributions from Graham Blanchard, Kenyon Wickliffe and Robinson before he went down with a lower left leg injury in the fourth set.
Lincoln Larson led Centennial with 19 kills. It’s the first boys volleyball state title for Arbor View and first appearance in the title game after the program reached the state semifinals four previous times.
“We can’t (win) with six, we have to do it with all 16,” Adarme said. “We’ve been training all of them to be ready for big moments and it was an amazing moment for Cooper (Ball, coming in for an injured Robinson) to be able to come in for us.
“We just had to know we couldn’t be outside of ourselves. Where we fell short in the past was trying to be more instead of focusing on what our role is and what our job is.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — An 81-year-old man died after his motorcycle crashed on an eastbound 215 flyover ramp Saturday evening, Nevada State Police say.
The Nevada Highway Patrol responded to the crash at approximately 5:16 p.m. on the eastbound 215 to I-11 northbound flyover on-ramp in Clark County.
According to NHP, a black 2018 Triumph Bonneville T120 motorcycle was traveling eastbound on the flyover ramp in the number one travel lane.
The rider failed to negotiate a curve and traveled right, entering the shoulder and striking a concrete traffic barrier. The motorcycle overturned and the rider was ejected.
William Keith Kolb was transported from the scene to a local area hospital in critical condition and later died that evening from injuries sustained in the crash, police say.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Southern Command has investigated 26 fatal crashes resulting in 29 fatalities so far this year.
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As part of the ongoing America250 commemoration, the Nevada State Museum, Carson City will celebrate the grand opening of its newest exhibition, “RIVETING AMERICA: Bringing Together Fabrication, Fashion, and People,” on Thursday, May 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m., featuring a special guest presentation by Tracey Panek, historian and director of archives for Levi Strauss & Co.
Located in the “Our Nevada Stories” gallery, the new exhibition explores how everyday objects and the people who used them helped shape Nevada and the American West, highlighting the innovation, resilience, and labor that built industries ranging from mining and ranching to farming and manufacturing. Through artifacts and historic objects, the exhibition examines the untold stories behind the tools, technologies, and working hands that contributed to Nevada’s development and America’s industrial growth.
Panek, who oversees the archives at Levi Strauss & Co. headquarters in San Francisco, is widely recognized for her work preserving and interpreting the nearly 175-year history of one of America’s most iconic heritage brands. During the opening event, she will discuss the importance of corporate archives, the cultural evolution of denim, and the enduring influence of Levi Strauss & Co. on American identity and fashion.
As historian for Levi Strauss & Co., Panek manages the company’s archives as a key corporate asset, supporting designers, executives, and brand teams while also acquiring rare vintage Levi’s garments and historical artifacts. She is also a contributor to the company’s “Unzipped” blog and narrator of the “From the Levi’s Archives” video series across YouTube and TikTok.
“RIVETING AMERICA reflects the stories of the workers, makers and innovators who helped build Nevada and shape the American experience,” said Jen Roger (roh-JAY), Director of Nevada State Museum, Carson City. “As we commemorate America250, this exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the ingenuity, resilience, and craftsmanship that helped define both our state and our nation. Having Tracey Panek join us for the exhibit opening brings an exciting and culturally relevant perspective to those conversations, particularly through the lens of a brand like Levi Strauss & Co., which remains deeply connected to American history while continuing to evolve with modern culture.”
The exhibition highlights how objects left behind by past generations provide tangible evidence of Nevada’s history, from Indigenous basket weaving and agriculture to mining, ranching, and industrial labor. Each artifact featured throughout the exhibit reflects themes of creativity, resilience, and hard work that continue to define both Nevada and the broader American story.
The grand opening event is open to the public and is complimentary to attend with museum admission. Additional information about the exhibition is available on the Nevada State Museum, Carson City website.
About Nevada State Museum, Carson City
Located in downtown Carson City inside the historic former U.S. Mint building, the Nevada State Museum brings the story of the Silver State to life through immersive exhibits, historic artifacts, and hands-on experiences. It is located at 600 N. Carson Street in Carson City and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.carsonnvmuseum.org.
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