Nevada
What can state lawmakers do to protect immigrants in Nevada?
President-elect Donald Trump has promised mass deportations on the first day of his administration. What can state lawmakers do to protect immigrants living in Nevada? The state’s attorney general and the incoming head of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus have weighed in.
The issue is personal for Assemblywoman Cecilia González of Las Vegas. She’s Thai-Mexican American and part of a mixed-status family.
As the newly chosen chair of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus, she has promised to protect immigrant community members. One in five Nevada residents is an immigrant, according to the American Immigration Council. González highlighted steps the state legislature has taken in the past.
“Our caucus has done groundbreaking legislation over the last couple of years to help our undocumented community,” González said. “For example, bills that make sure the DMV is not sharing data with the federal government, getting rid of barriers to get their occupational licenses; funding programs like the UNLV immigration clinic.”
González also wants to see the return of the Hope Act, introduced by the former Latino caucus chair. At first, it was intended to allow people, regardless of immigration status, to access Medicaid. However, it was narrowed to cover children and people who are pregnant and ineligible for Medicaid due to immigration restrictions. It was vetoed by the governor.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford released “Know Your Rights” documents designed to help immigrants and their employers understand their legal rights. This announcement followed Ford’s remarks about protecting vulnerable communities in Nevada.
These resources, available in English and Spanish, provide information for immigrants and their employers about legal protections in the state.
The documents were released only days after Ford made public statements expressing concern over Trump’s plans for mass deportations. The attorney general emphasized that his office would stand against any unconstitutional mandates or attacks on marginalized communities.
“I will fight every step of the way, in any way that I can, to ensure our state remains a place where anyone is welcome and where our rights are protected,” Ford said in a statement posted on the attorney general’s official X account.
For more information or to access the “Know Your Rights” documents, visit the Nevada Attorney General’s website.
The attorney general’s office did not respond to KUNR’s interview request.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A North Las Vegas man awaiting trial for allegedly killing his girlfriend during a fight is dead, according to Nevada prison officials.
Markeem Benson, 30, died at High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs on Monday, Dec. 22, the Nevada Department of Corrections said in a statement.
An autopsy has been requested, according to the department.
Benson was serving time for an attempted robbery conviction from 2024, for which he was originally sentenced to probation with a suspended prison sentence.
He was also charged with the murder of 33-year-old Renise “Nene” Wolfe.
Renise Wolfe is pictured in this undated photo. Police allege Markeem Benson shot and killed Wolfe in a North Las Vegas apartment. (Photo provided)
North Las Vegas Police arrested him in December last year. According to an arrest report, Benson’s father called 911 saying Benson wanted to turn himself in for murder.
The father told detectives that Benson called him saying, “I killed her; I think I killed her” and “told him something to the effect of ‘she’ came at him with a gun, there was some kind of ‘tussle,’ and then the gun went off,” the report states.
An grand jury indicted him for murder and possession of a gun by a prohibited person. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the indictment, his probation was revoked in March, and he was incarcerated at High Desert State Prison to serve a term of two to five years.
A jury trial was scheduled to begin in April next year for Wolfe’s murder. Instead, prosecutors have asked for a hearing on Dec. 30 in light of Benson’s death, per court records.
A man serving time at the Southern Desert Correctional Center for felony reckless driving died last month, the Nevada Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
Shiloh Walker, 28, died at the Indian Springs facility on Nov. 24, a news release said. Cause of death was not listed.
Walker was serving a sentence of up to six years after a plea agreement was reached in 2022 following a DUI crash that happened May 31, 2021 in Las Vegas, according to online court records.
An autopsy was requested following Walker’s death, though results were not available as of Monday evening. Attempts to reach Walker’s family members have been unsuccessful, according to the department.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.
After widespread condemnation last year, the U.S. Postal Service backed away from plans to move its Reno mail-processing operations to Sacramento — but did it stay true to what it told the public?
The question arose recently after letters sent from one Carson City address to another in Carson City were both postmarked in Sacramento.
Northern Nevadans did not want first class mail sent from one Northern Nevada address to another going first to California. They sent a unified message to the USPS all the way up to the postmaster general.
Critics of the USPS plan were especially worried about delays from mail having to go back and forth over the Sierra during winter.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s office filed a lawsuit over the plan, the Washoe County Commission voted to oppose the plan, public comment was universally opposed, and Democratic and Republican elected officials from across the state joined to stop it.
Could it possibly have happened anyway? The answer is yes, temporarily, for a brief time.
How letters sent in Carson City came to be processed at Sacramento USPS facility
A reader told the Reno Gazette Journal they’d twice had letters internal to Carson City postmarked in Sacramento, so we asked USPS if the policy had changed.
“Mail processing for First Class mail that originates in Northern Nevada and is destined to Northern Nevada has not changed,” USPS spokesperson Sherry Patterson responded by email.
“However,” she added, “without the specific mail piece and class of mail, we cannot determined if there is an issue.”
The reader then supplied a photo of the two envelopes postmarked Nov. 5 in Sacramento, and this was shared with USPS.
“Our processing machine in Reno was temporarily out of service while we awaited a replacement part,” Patterson said after viewing the postmarks to nail down the specific date the letters went through Sacramento.
“To ensure that mail was not delayed during this time, we implemented a contingency plan that involved routing certain mail to our Sacramento facility for cancellation and processing. This measure allows us to maintain service continuity and minimize disruptions for our customers. We understand that this may cause some confusion, and we are committed to ensuring that all mail is processed efficiently and accurately.”
Bottom line: Regarding first class mail that’s being sent to and from Northern Nevada addresses, it’s still USPS policy to process that in Reno at its Vassar Street facility, she said.
The path these particular letters took, Patterson added, “is indeed an unusual occurrence.”
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
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