Is the US still a home for immigrants?
Read and share the stories of Issue #224 today, June 17, 2026.
Today’s stories begin with most AAPI adults believing America’s promise to immigrants has faded, a sentiment the rest of this issue does little to contradict. In Texas, a mayoral race just decided who gets to lead a fast-changing suburb amid months of organized hostility, while the Trump administration’s denaturalization campaign presses on nationwide. Minnesota, meanwhile, marks a judicial first. At the World Cup, a Chinese referee is drawing an unlikely national spotlight; a racist gesture went viral and cost someone their job, while a separate discrimination ruling has FIFA and anti-racism monitors reading from very different scripts.
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Most AAPI adults say America has lost its standing as a place for immigrants
A new AAPI Data/AP-NORC poll finds that 64% of AAPI adults believe the U.S. used to be a great place for immigrants but no longer is, largely tracking with the broader American public. The findings arrive as the country prepares to mark its 250th anniversary.
Interestingly, the numbers point to something more than opinion. More than half of respondents said they or someone they know had altered daily life in the past year because of immigration concerns, from carrying citizenship documents to changing travel plans.
What else we’re tracking
Frisco voters elect unity mayor amid months of anti-Indian, anti-Muslim hostility
Mark Hill won Frisco’s mayoral runoff with 58% of the vote, turning back a rival whose campaign had once called South Asian immigrants “rats” and Islam a “terrorist ideology.” The race unfolded in a city whose Asian population has doubled over the past decade and whose council chambers became a flashpoint for organized hostility.
Asian immigrants among targets as Trump expands denaturalization campaign
The Justice Department’s latest round of denaturalization actions — 17 cases officials described as the largest single effort in U.S. history — includes three Asian-born naturalized Americans. Legal experts warn the mass approach carries risks for high-naturalization communities where documentation gaps can be difficult to distinguish from intentional fraud.
Minnesota Supreme Court gets its 1st Asian American justice
Gov. Tim Walz appointed Judge Reynaldo “Reggie” Aligada Jr. to the Minnesota Supreme Court, making him the first Asian Pacific American in the court’s history. Aligada, a Filipino American judge who has served on the Ramsey County bench since 2019, will assume the associate justice seat on Oct. 1.
At a World Cup without China, attention turns to a fan-favorite Chinese referee
China’s men’s team hasn’t played in a World Cup since 2002, but a Chinese referee is drawing an unlikely national following at this year’s tournament. Ma Ning, known as the “Card Master,” reportedly gained more than 200,000 social media followers in two weeks as Chinese fans track his every move.
Mexican trade group president loses job after slant-eye gesture at World Cup
A Mexican engineering association president stepped down after a video showing him making a racist gesture behind a South Korean content creator at a World Cup match spread across social media. FIFA later invited the content creator to attend South Korea’s next match against Mexico.
FIFA rejects calls to remove World Cup official over alleged white supremacist hand gesture
A FIFA disciplinary panel cleared Australian official Shaun Evans after footage appeared to show him making a gesture linked to white supremacist groups during a live broadcast. Evans called the movement an involuntary twitch. Anti-racism monitors disagreed with the ruling and called for stronger action.
Why read Issue #224?
These stories land at a time when Asian American belonging is being tested, from the top of government to the stands of a World Cup stadium. Polling, deportation policy, a local election and a historic judicial appointment each trace the same underlying questions of who gets to stay and on what terms. As you can see, the World Cup stories reframe that question on a global stage, where visibility cuts both ways and the line between celebration and hostility remains as unstable as ever.
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The Rebel Yellow is supported in part by funding from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF). Funders do not influence story selection, reporting, or editorial decisions. All editorial content is independently produced by The Rebel Yellow team.