How ICE raids and federal immigration policies are impacting Puerto Rico
One hundred and sixty-six days ago, the first large-scale immigration raid in Donald Trump’s campaign against illegal immigrants took place in Puerto Rico. On January 26, 47 residents were arrested in San Juan, the capital city, where immigrant communities have been...
Governor Arnold Palacios delivers his first State of the Commonwealth Address
Governor Arnold Palacios presented his First State of the Commonwealth Address on May 28. This was the first joint legislative session of the 24th Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. Governor Palacios began his speech by describing the State of the...
Decolonization, citizenship, and identity: An overview of the relationship between the United States and its territories
The relationship between the United States and its territories is a complex one. The United States has a total of five permanently inhabited territories. These territories are American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the United States...
Weekly Action Checklist: July 11, 2025
Take Action with Americans of Conscience Checklist Action 1: Time-sensitive: Support low-income families hit hardest by Texas floods. Action 2: Support students—demand lawmakers restore school funding now. Action 3: Insist ICE release professional rugby player from...
#TBT: July 10, 2025
Born July 10, 1940, Juan Luis was a Puerto Rican-US Virgin Islander politician who served as the third elected Governor of the US Virgin Islands. The longest-serving governor in the territory, he is widely credited with overhauling and establishing the current USVI...
Politician profile: Jennifer González-Colón
Jennifer González-Colón has been the governor of Puerto Rico since January 2025. She has been in politics her entire life, holding many roles as a representative and advocate, with the ultimate goal of representing all Puerto Ricans. This is an overview of Gonz...
Out of sight, out of coverage
As a Puerto Rican, when I first began to engage with mainland citizens, I wasn’t old enough to understand that although my birth certificate held the same legal weight as theirs, there was still an invisible border between us. Though I was a US citizen, I quickly...
Guam’s political and economic affairs, in context
The current political climate in Guam is ever-changing and unique in its structure. The island first became a United States territory in 1898. At this time, it was placed under the authority of the US Navy. In 1950, the Guam Organic Act granted the people of Guam US...
#TBT: July 3, 2025
Signed into law on July 3, 1950, by President Harry Truman, the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950 enabled the residents of Puerto Rico to organize the insular government of the unincorporated territory under a constitution of its own, comparable to those of...
AARP meets with Congress to advocate for Social Security, Medicaid, and caregiver support
As federal lawmakers continue negotiations on key provisions of the upcoming budget reconciliation package, AARP deployed staff and volunteers from across the United States and its territories to Capitol Hill on June 25, 2025, urging congressional leaders to...
