Throughout her political ascent, Sylvia Garcia has been followed by the word “first.” 

In 1987, she became the first woman and first Hispanic to preside over Houston’s municipal courts. Fifteen years later, after a stint as city controller, she broke those same barriers upon her election to the Harris County Commissioners Court. And yet again, in 2018—following five years in the state Senate—she became one of the first two Latinas ever elected by Texans to the U.S. House.

It’s a path she had to pave herself.  A native of Palito Blanco (a speck of a South Texas farming community somewhat near Alice) and the eighth of 10 children of parents without high school educations, the 74-year-old grew up working the fields. Yet she made her way through both Texas Woman’s University and Texas Southern University’s law school, working as a social worker and legal aid attorney before becoming a Houston city judge.

Her South Texas roots have shown in both her advocacy for outdoor workers—she’s pushed legislation requiring rest breaks nationwide for construction laborers—and in her staunch defense of immigrants. She is a persistent champion of Dreamers, those migrants brought to America as children who’ve been neglected by our Congress for decades now, and she has also resisted the recent rightward shift on immigration among Democrats. 

Garcia criticized a late Biden administration move to end humanitarian parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, and she’s opposed anti-immigrant legislation that some Dems have supported in an apparent attempt to protect their own reelections or cut into Trump’s voter base. Over the same time, she’s built a reputation as a representative deeply in touch with her electorate, earning ringing endorsements from her hometown paper for her work on issues that don’t grab many headlines, such as stalled and slow-moving trains endangering schoolchildren in her district. 

A few days after Trump was sworn into office for the second time, the Texas Observer caught up with Garcia about border propaganda, the fate of the U.S. Constitution, and faith.

TO: The president just signed this raft of executive orders—shutting off asylum, the refugee program, ending birthright citizenship. These are going to be challenged in court, so things can change. But in the big picture, how do you see all of this affecting and changing the country? 

You know, he always said that he was going to be a dictator on day one. These executive orders are just the first step in his quest to be the dictator of the country. He is trying to act like a king, although he is not one, so he’s doing the next best thing. Most of the orders will not be held up in court when challenged because they’re all unconstitutional, and the best example of that, of course, is the bedrock constitutional principle that all people born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States—that’s in the Constitution. He could issue 45,000 executive orders saying otherwise, but it doesn’t matter. 

But it’s going to take a while before they regrettably work their way up through the courts, while the people who will be implementing his orders, because he does control the agencies, will do some damage. And it’s going to hurt no one more than the state of Texas. … So it’s a tragedy, and the losers are the American people because they’re worried about gas, groceries, their jobs. None of this is helping. In fact, it’s going to make it worse because if you cut off all immigration, you don’t have the workers that you need to maintain the industries that help put bread and butter on the table for people.

So, something like ending birthright citizenship, it’s unconstitutional. But he’s surely trying to send a message. I know you’re from South Texas, and there’s this history of people having their Americanness questioned, being excluded from what it can mean to be American. I wonder what you think about the symbolism and the message of the things he’s trying to do, even if they’re not legal.

For me, it’s just real hard to think of this [outside of] him trying to—remember what he said during the campaign, that he wanted to just tear up the Constitution. He can’t go in front of the cameras and get the Constitution and literally tear the piece of paper. But he’s going to puncture and take pieces. This is the first round of executive orders. I expect more. And he’ll take another little piece here, another piece here, so that ultimately, by the end of the four years, we would look at that paper and it’s going to look like our Mexican cut-up paper [papel picado]. Because he would have taken so much—and what he’s taken is the core of the American dream. 

For example, the bill that just got passed, the Laken Riley bill, that’s been talked about by the media and everybody as an immigration bill, but it’s a criminal justice bill. And they’ve punctured the due process in criminal cases. They’re basically saying that as long as [immigrants are] charged … not even that they’ve been convicted or that they’re on trial, [that they’ll be deported]. You know, look at the January 6 people that he pardoned, those people were not just charged but convicted and sentenced by judges, and he’s saying, no, that’s okay for them; we’re going to let them go. But he’s saying, if you happen to be an immigrant, as long as you’re charged, you’re going to get deported. And to me, it’s just his way of wanting to pick and choose who can be an American, who can get the full justice based on whether or not he likes them. 

Sylvia Garcia in February 2024 (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

You did a recent op-ed about mass deportations, and you talked about the economic costs, but you also wrote that those who will be affected “are our neighbors, our friends and our coworkers. They sit next to us at church and restaurants, and their children are friends with yours at school.” How have we gotten to where so many people, especially in Texas, have forgotten that?

I think that [Governor Greg] Abbott and Operation Lone Star for Texas has set the stage. They were in … Eagle Pass, they pretty much set a stage of taking one very small piece of a very long border, and having the troops there, having the buoys there, and having constant daily media attention. It was like a movie set because if you went just a mile down the river, none of it was there. It was a stage that was set, and the media filmed that as a clip and used those clips for every freaking story, so that’s all people see is that one clip of that one piece of the river. Well, then you’re gonna start believing it, if you keep hearing it on national news. So after a while, unless there’s someone else bringing up the other side of the story, and we worked real hard to get out those positive stories, to show Dreamers saving people’s lives working at hospitals, being nurses … during the pandemic, they were giving of themselves, the Dreamers that are teachers and firefighters that work to save people’s lives during storms, but they’re always just little clips. 

You’ve been in the U.S. House six years. Do you have an understanding now of what is wrong over there that somehow the DREAM Act, any version of the DREAM Act, hasn’t passed in more than 20 years? 

Well, that’s another long discussion for another day. I’m the sponsor of the Dream and Promise Act. This last session, I filed it, a bipartisan act, I had four Republicans who actually were original co-sponsors. … We’re going to file it again. And I’m not giving up. 

I’m not giving up because when you poll this country, America loves Dreamers. They support Dreamers. It’s just that it doesn’t work for [MAGA Republicans]—again they don’t look for solutions. They want to keep the problem and create more chaos. Chaos at the border. They focus on sound bites; I focus on solutions. I’ll keep working to get this done till they have to roll me off the floor. 

I know you’re Catholic. There’s right-wing Christian nationalism rising everywhere; how does your faith lead you to different conclusions on immigration, abortion, and LGBTQ+ issues? 

Listen, that one I have not figured out. I mean, especially so many people who are full of cruelty and hate, even against immigrant children, unaccompanied minors, how they balance being a Christian and having those views, I don’t understand. I just know what my faith tells me to do. And I’ll readily admit I’m a social justice Democrat because I truly believe that everyone needs to be treated with dignity and respect. And that’s, to me, the bottom line. You know, we’re all God’s children. I really believe that.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The post ‘Till They Have to Roll Me Off the Floor’ appeared first on The Texas Observer.

By COLLIN BINKLEY, Associated Press Education Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new federal lawsuit in Maryland is challenging a Trump administration memo giving the nation’s schools and universities two weeks to eliminate “race-based” practices of any kind or risk losing their federal money.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the American Federation of Teachers union and the American Sociological Association, says the Education Department’s Feb. 14 memo violates the First and Fifth Amendments. Forcing schools to teach only the views supported by the federal government amounts to a violation of free speech, the organizations say, and the directive is so vague that schools don’t know what practices cross the line.

“This letter radically upends and re-writes otherwise well-established jurisprudence,” the lawsuit said. “No federal law prevents teaching about race and race-related topics, and the Supreme Court has not banned efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in education.”

The memo, formally known as a Dear Colleague Letter, orders schools and universities to stop any practice that treats people differently because of their race, giving a deadline of this Friday. As a justification, it cites a Supreme Court decision banning the use of race in college admissions, saying the ruling applies more broadly to all federally funded education.

President Donald Trump’s administration is aiming to end what the memo described as widespread discrimination in education, often against white and Asian American students.

At stake is a sweeping expansion of the Supreme Court ruling, which focused on college admissions policies that considered race as a factor when admitting students. In the Feb. 14 memo, the Education Department said it interprets the ruling to apply to admissions, hiring, financial aid, graduation ceremonies and “all other aspects of student, academic and campus life.”

The lawsuit says the Education Department is applying the Supreme Court decision too broadly and overstepping the agency’s authority. It takes issue with a line in the memo condemning teaching about “systemic and structural racism.”

“It is not clear how a school could teach a fulsome U.S. History course without teaching about slavery, the Missouri Compromise, the Emancipation Proclamation, the forced relocation of Native American tribes” and other lessons that might run afoul of the letter, the lawsuit said.

The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the memo, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, had said schools’ and colleges diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have been “smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline.

“But under any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal,” Trainor wrote in the memo.

The lawsuit argues the Dear Colleague Letter is so broad that it appears to forbid voluntary student groups based on race or background, including Black student unions or Irish-American heritage groups. The memo also appears to ban college admissions practices that weren’t outlawed in the Supreme Court decision, including recruiting efforts to attract students of all races, the lawsuit said.

It asks the court to stop the department from enforcing the memo and strike it down.

The American Federation of Teachers is one of the nation’s largest teachers unions. The sociological association is a group of about 9,000 college students, scholars and teachers. Both groups say their members teach lessons and supervise student organizations that could jeopardize their schools’ federal money under the memo.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

My favorite recipes to cook at home aren’t the showiest or the most elaborate. They’re the simple ones that have something I think of as a “lightbulb moment” — an idea, technique or ingredient that makes a dish distinctive, maybe even brilliant. You know a recipe has a lightbulb moment when you make it and you can’t get over how good it is, how excellent its ratio of effort to flavor.

Take these roasted chicken thighs with hot honey and lime. You brush the chicken with a mixture of butter and hot sauce while it’s still in the oven, for glossy heat. And this pepper steak with celery stir-fry is perked up with sunny strips of lemon peel and a big squeeze of lemon juice to serve. Those extra touches help these dishes shine.

Those recipes and more are below for your cooking pleasure.

1. Roasted Chicken Thighs With Hot Honey and Lime

Roasted chicken thighs with hot honey and lime. Speedy and simple to make; spectacular to eat. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. (Armando Rafael/The New York Times)

These sweet and spicy chicken thighs pack enormous flavor using only a handful of pantry ingredients. Generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and onion and garlic powders, they’re roasted at a high temperature to maximize the crispiness of the skin. Halfway through cooking, the chicken is brushed with a butter-and-hot-sauce blend. Finally, honey and lime zest are whisked into the remaining hot sauce butter to coat the fully baked chicken thighs. A squirt of tangy lime juice provides balance and the perfect finishing touch. Serve with a simple and refreshing cucumber salad or coleslaw.

By Vallery Lomas

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter (unsalted or salted), melted
2 tablespoons hot sauce (see tip)
1 lime
2 tablespoons mild honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. On a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, season the chicken all over with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Arrange the chicken skin side up then roast until browned, 20 minutes.

2. While the chicken is roasting, combine the melted butter and hot sauce and whisk to combine; transfer half to a separate bowl and set aside for later. After the chicken has roasted for 20 minutes, brush the chicken all over with the remaining butter mixture. Continue roasting until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove the chicken thighs from the oven.

3. Zest the lime, then cut it in half. Add the honey and 1 teaspoon lime zest to the reserved butter-hot sauce mixture and whisk to combine, then brush over the chicken thighs and squeeze the lime juice on top. Serve immediately.

TIP: Different hot sauces have different levels of heat; choose one that suits your heat tolerance. Tabasco will be quite spicy, while a brand like Louisiana will yield a milder result.

2. Blistered Broccoli Pasta With Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint

The trick to creating deeply browned, pan-seared broccoli involves two things: high heat and no touching. Allowing your florets and stems to sear in an even layer, undisturbed, gives them time to blister without cooking all the way through, so they retain some crunch. While many pasta sauces are finished with starchy pasta water, this one isn’t, since the hot water would strip the broccoli of that color and crunch you worked so hard to achieve. Instead, toss the cooked pasta in the skillet with the broccoli, walnuts and cheese. A drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon will provide any additional moisture you need.

By Dawn Perry

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt and black pepper
12 ounces riccioli, fusilli or other short pasta
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
1 bunch broccoli or cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds untrimmed), florets roughly chopped and stalks peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon) then quartered
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves or parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the walnuts and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer walnuts and red-pepper flakes to a small bowl. Season walnuts with a little salt and pepper.

3. Add the broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat in the oil. Shake the skillet so broccoli settles in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Toss and shake to arrange in an even layer again and cook, undisturbed, another 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

4. Drain pasta and add to the skillet along with the lemon zest, cheese, toasted walnuts and half the mint; toss to combine. Divide among plates or bowls and top with remaining mint, more cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges, squeezing juice on top, if desired.

3. Pepper Steak and Celery Stir-Fry With Lemon

Pepper Steak and Celery Stir-Fry With Lemon. Speedy and simple to make; spectacular to eat. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. (Kerri Brewer/The New York Times)

Lemon is the star of this quick weeknight stir-fry. Using both the peel and juice of the lemons gives this dish a wonderful scent and tangy finish. As with any stir-fry, you’ll want to have all your ingredients sliced and measured before you start cooking, since the meal comes together quickly once you start cooking. The celery softens just slightly, so it retains its herbal brightness plus a crisp-tender bite. Although you can opt for a leaner cut of meat like sirloin for the beef, fattier cuts like skirt or hanger will be more tender and boast richer beef flavor.

By Andy Baraghani

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound sirloin, skirt or hanger steak, set in the freezer for 10 minutes until firm
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon light brown or granulated sugar
1 lemon
2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or peanut oil
5 celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced on a bias
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
3 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Using your chef’s knife, slice the chilled beef against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips about 2 inches long; set aside.

2. Place the beef in a medium bowl and season with salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add cornstarch and sugar and toss until the beef is thoroughly coated.

3. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemon in wide strips; set the peels aside then cut the lemon in half.

4. Set a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high. When the pan is very hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Using tongs, add half the beef to the pan in a single layer and cook, without stirring or tossing, until deeply brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. The pieces at the edges of the pan will brown faster than the ones in the center, so flip those first. Flip and cook on the other side until no longer pink, about 20 seconds. Transfer the beef to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces.

5. After transferring the second batch of browned beef to the plate, pour the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into the pan and add the celery, garlic, scallion whites and reserved lemon peels. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring often, until the scallions have slightly softened, about 1 minute.

6. Return the beef and any juices to the pan and add the soy sauce and butter. Cook, tossing until you have a smooth sauce that coats the steak, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon half and toss once more.

7. Transfer stir-fry to a platter and top with scallion greens; serve with remaining lemon half.

4. Baked Cod

Baked Cod. Speedy and simple to make; spectacular to eat. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)

This is a very simple method for baking cod, with an ingredient list both short and mighty. Minced herbs, garlic and scallions give the mild, flaky fish lots of flavor — but you can feel free to substitute whatever fresh or dried herbs you happen to have on hand, since cod takes well to a range of herbs and flavors. As the fish bakes, the lemon juice mixes with the olive oil and seasonings, resulting in a bright and savory sauce. Spoon it over the hot fish and serve directly from the baking dish, with roasted potatoes and a green salad on the side.

By Lidey Heuck

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 (4- to 6-ounce) skinless cod fillets
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or dill (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon minced scallions or chives
1 medium garlic clove, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Pat the cod fillets dry with a paper towel and place them in a baking dish large enough to hold them without crowding. Season all over with salt and a few grinds of pepper.

3. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, parsley, scallions and garlic. Zest the lemon over the bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons) and mix well with a fork.

4. Brush the herb mixture all over the fillets, turning to coat on both sides. Squeeze half the zested lemon over the dish, then cut the remaining lemon half into wedges.

5. Bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 14 to 18 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the fillets. Spoon the juices over the fish and serve hot, with the lemon wedges alongside.

5. Creamy Butternut Squash and Coconut Noodle Soup

Creamy butternut squash and coconut noodle soup. Speedy and simple to make; spectacular to eat. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. (Kerri Brewer/The New York Times)

Sweet, savory, and full of flavor, this easy weeknight noodle soup takes a cue from the warmly comforting northern Thai dish khao soi, with a curry-spiced coconut broth and toppings that offer crunch and contrast. First, the butternut squash is simmered in the fragrant broth until very tender. Then the squash is mashed, becoming one with the coconut milk before stock and sweet and savory seasonings are added (to keep the soup vegetarian, use soy sauce instead of fish sauce). You can use any type of egg noodles here, from wide dried egg noodles to flat fresh egg noodles (sometimes labeled as wonton noodles). Ladle the flavorful squash broth over the noodles and garnish with as much garnish as your heart and stomach desires. Those toppings can be — but are not limited to — a lot of lime juice to cut the richness, cilantro, sliced fresh shallots, crispy shallots, fried noodles, chile oil or pickled mustard greens.

By Christian Reynoso

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 1 1/4 pounds peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt
2 tablespoons red or yellow curry paste
1 (3-inch) piece ginger, grated (about 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 (13-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
2 to 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 teaspoons fish sauce or 1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
8 ounces fresh or dried egg noodles (wide or thin)
Lime wedges, cilantro, thinly sliced shallots and chile oil, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high. Add the squash, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly softened and lightly golden in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the curry paste, ginger and turmeric. Cook, stirring often, until very fragrant, about 1 minute, lowering the heat if necessary to keep from scorching.

2. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender enough to mash, 10 to 12 minutes. Uncover and use a wooden spoon or potato masher to crush the squash into small pieces. Add 2 cups of the stock, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat off. Add more stock for a brothier soup. Season with salt and adjust other seasonings to taste.

3. While the squash simmers, cook the noodles per the package directions.

4. To serve, divide the noodles into bowls, ladle the soup over, very generously squeeze lime over, and top with cilantro, shallots and chile oil.

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Today is Wednesday, Feb. 26, the 57th day of 2025. There are 308 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 26, 1993, a truck bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others. (The bomb failed to topple the North Tower into the South Tower, as the terrorists had hoped; both structures were destroyed in the 9/11 attack eight years later.)

Also on this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the Island of Elba, sailing back to France in a bid to regain power.

Related Articles

Today in History: February 25, Muhammad Ali wins heavyweight title

Clint Hill, Secret Service agent who leaped onto JFK’s car after the president was shot, dies at 93

Today in History: February 24, President Andrew Johnson impeached by US House

Museum offers new home to gun St. Paulites used to fire first American shots of WWII

Today in History: February 23, Marines raise flag on Iwo Jima

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act making the Grand Canyon a national park.

In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb.

In 1987, the Tower Commission, which had probed the Iran-Contra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff.

In 1998, a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey’s talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad cow disease.

In 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot to death in Sanford, Florida, during an altercation with neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who said he acted in self-defense. (Zimmerman was later acquitted of second-degree murder.)

In 2013, a hot air balloon burst into flames during a sunrise flight over the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor and then plummeted 1,000 feet (305 meters) to earth, killing 19 tourists.

In 2017, At the Academy Awards, “Moonlight” won three Oscars, including best picture of 2016; in a startling gaffe, the musical “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as the best picture winner before the error was corrected.

Today’s birthdays:

Singer Mitch Ryder is 80.
Singer Michael Bolton is 72.
Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen is 68.
Actor Greg Germann is 67.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is 67.
Singer Erykah Badu (EHR’-ih-kah bah-DOO’) is 54.
Filmmaker Sean Baker is 54.
Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk is 52.
Olympic swimming gold medalist Jenny Thompson is 52.
Singer Corinne Bailey Rae is 46.
Tennis Hall of Famer Li Na is 43.
Singer Natalia Lafourcade is 41.