From the newsroom

It's been a long few days for me. Yesterday and last Thursday, I left Bellingham at 5 a.m. to make it to the Northwest Detention Facility in Tacoma, where Alfredo "Lelo" Juarez Zeferino is being held.

The well-known farm worker labor organizer has been at the facility since Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested him on March 25.

Last Thursday, he had a bond hearing where an immigration judge ruled later in the evening she did not have the jurisdiction to issue bond to Juarez Zeferino. Because of that decision, he is now a member of a class action lawsuit filed by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

The lawsuit itself is complex. It examines whether immigration judges have the jurisdiction to issue a bond. The Tacoma Immigration Court grants about 3% of bond requests, one of the lowest in the country.

By joining the federal lawsuit, Juarez Zeferino and his lawyer have another pathway to fight for bond. You can read more in my story from yesterday.

Today's news

Whatcom County council member Todd Donovan listens during an April county council meeting. Donovan and other council members are interested in seeking outside legal counsel amid a string of actions that have led some council members to lose trust in the county prosecutor's office. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

County council members, fed up with Prosecutor's Office, want independent counsel

Dairy farmers brace for 'tough' year as Darigold cuts milk payments

Safe parking and camping, more tiny homes recommended to address homelessness

Birch Bay Waterslides announces projected opening date of June 14

Guest writer: Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship heads to the Supreme Court

Letters to the editor: Sanctuary city, missed papacy opportunity, and wisdom over political differences

From pubs crawls to kitchens, Bellingham poets share art in unconventional locations

Blaine High School's new tennis coach is a pickleball pro

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Bellingham Public Schools will eliminate about 25 full-time positions as part of an expansive strategy to address a projected $15 million budget shortfall. Administrators will all see pay freezes next year, with many taking furlough days to save a combined $1 million. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Bellingham Public Schools to cut staff, freeze pay to address projected $15M deficit

PeaceHealth hospital workers start strike, demand 'fair contracts'

New state rent cap prompted a stark, sudden rent increase for some

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