#397 Maryland Reps at 6/1 Meeting; 6/3 Webinar; ICE Sprayed Andy Kim; CBS Radio Shut Down +

In This Issue #397

·      Maryland House Speaker and Delegates to Speak at APA Justice Monthly Meeting on June 1

·      June 3 Joint Webinar: Geopolitics, Identity, and the Fight for Civil Rights

·      Senator Andy Kim Sprayed by ICE

·      “Good Night, and Good Luck”: CBS Radio Shuts Down

·      News and Activities for the Communities

Maryland House Speaker and Delegates to Speak at APA Justice Monthly Meeting on June 1

A racist video titled "ChiCom of the Year Award," featuring Maryland Delegates Mark Fisher and Brian Chisholm, was published in early May 2026.  It drew widespread bipartisan condemnation from elected officials and community leaders.

Watch the WBAL-TV report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd7ZXlGo7wA (2:45).

Speaker Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk and Delegate Chao Wu will speak at the APA Justice monthly meeting on June 1, 2026. Maryland Delegate Lily Qi, Chair of the Maryland Legislative Asian American & Pacific Islander Caucus, will also give brief remarks.

In addition to the regular speakers:

·       Judith Teruya, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)

·       Joanna YangQing Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC

·       Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF)

We are also honored to welcome these distinguished invited speakers:

·       Cindy Tsai, Executive Vice President & General Counsel; Committee of 100  

·       Justin Sadowsky, Legal Director, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance 华美维权同盟 (CALDA)

·       Haipei Shue 薛海培, President, United Chinese Americans

Cindy Tsai will provide an update on Committee of 100’s comprehensive database and interactive map tracking alien land bills at both the state and federal levels. Justin Sadowsky will discuss ongoing litigation challenging alien land laws in Texas, Florida, and other states where CALDA is involved. Haipei Shue will report on United Chinese Americans’ grassroots organizing efforts opposing alien land legislation nationwide.

Hope Atuel, CEO and Executive Director for Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), will lead off the Q&A and discussion session.

The monthly meetings are by invitation only and closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Vincent Wang 王文奎 and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org.  

June 3 Webinar: Geopolitics, Identity, and the Fight for Civil Rights

WHAT: Geopolitics, Identity, and the Fight for Civil RightsWHEN: June 3, 2026, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ETWHERE: Webinar

HOSTS: Committee of 100, US-China Education Trust, APA JusticeModerator: Joanna Derman, Director, Asian American Advancing Justice | AAJC

Speakers:

·       Edgar Chen, Senior Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

·       Frank Wu, President, Queens College

DESCRIPTION: The third webinar in this series, co-hosted by the Committee of 100, US-China Education Trust, and APA Justice, examines the downstream effects of U.S. foreign policy through both a historical and contemporary lens. Drawing parallels across time, the conversation will explore how periods of international strain have influenced domestic policies and legal interpretations—from immigration restrictions to citizenship rights—and how these dynamics continue to evolve today.

The session will explore how narratives of rivalry and suspicion can translate into real-world consequences for communities with heritage ties to countries at the center of geopolitical tension. We will discuss the tradeoffs policymakers face and provide a nuanced understanding of how national priorities intersect with civil liberties.

REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3PxYwQt or scan QR code

Senator Andy Kim Sprayed by ICE

According to 6ABC Philadelphia, CNN, The Guardian, and The Hill, on Monday, May 25, 2026, Senator Andy Kim visited the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, following a hunger and labor strike initiated by detainees. Detainees and their families were protesting conditions within the facility, citing poor food, lack of due process, and limited medical care.

After going inside to inspect the conditions and speak with detainees, Senator Kim emerged to find a highly volatile standoff between demonstrators and armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. When ICE officials prepared an armored vehicle and a convoy to move through the crowd of civilians, Kim stepped between the two groups to negotiate a peaceful resolution. During the clash, federal agents fired pepper balls and chemical spray into the crowd. Senator Kim was caught in the spray, resulting in a burning throat and eyes, and required first aid on the scene.

Following the incident, Kim publicly condemned the escalation and the conditions at the facility, stating he would continue to push for accountability.

Rep. Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, issued a statement regarding conditions at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility and the pepper spraying of U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) by ICE agents:

“Members of Congress have a constitutional right and a duty to conduct oversight of federal detention facilities, particularly when lives are at stake. Over the past several days, members of the New Jersey congressional delegation visited the Delaney Hall detention facility and heard disturbing accounts from detained individuals and their families, including reports of inedible food, denial of medical care, and barriers to due process.

“During one of these visits, ICE deployed an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents who tackled civilians and fired pepper balls and pepper spray into the crowd—including at CAPAC Executive Member Senator Andy Kim. It is a disgrace and an abuse of power that should alarm every American. If this is how ICE responds to elected officials, it raises grave concerns about how detainees are being treated behind closed doors.

“These inspections are more important than ever amid mounting reports of abuse and civil rights violations in federal detention centers. CAPAC members will not be intimidated, and will continue exercising our oversight authority to demand accountability from this lawless agency.”

Read the CAPAC statement: https://bit.ly/4dOxYSS

“Good Night, and Good Luck”: CBS Radio Shuts Down

CBS News Radio permanently signed off on May 22, 2026, ending a legendary 99-year broadcast run. Parent company Paramount Skydance shuttered the network amid deep budget cuts, leaving its remaining 26 staffers unemployed and roughly 700 affiliate stations scrambling for alternative news feeds.

Founded in the late 1920s by William S. Paley, CBS Radio revolutionized modern journalism. Its airwaves brought Americans some of history’s most critical moments, from Edward R. Murrow’s gripping World War II field reports to the immediate coverage of the JFK assassination and 9/11. The network closed its final broadcast with Murrow’s iconic sign-off: "Good night, and good luck."

In a report on May 24, 2026, The Spokesman-Review traces the rise and closure of CBS News Radio — the historic network shaped by legendary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, a graduate of Washington State University (WSU).

The report emphasizes Murrow’s enduring legacy in broadcast journalism. Murrow became famous for his courageous World War II reporting from London during the Nazi Blitz and later for exposing the horrors of the Buchenwald concentration camp. But the article especially highlights his role in confronting McCarthyism during the 1950s Red Scare.

Murrow used his CBS broadcasts to challenge the fear-driven tactics and accusations of Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose anti-Communist crusade damaged careers, intimidated institutions, and threatened democratic freedoms. Through careful reporting and direct examination of McCarthy’s own words and methods, Murrow helped expose the abuses of McCarthyism and contributed to turning public opinion against the Red Scare.

WSU journalism dean Bruce Pinkleton described Murrow’s work as an example of how journalism protects democracy by holding power accountable. Former CBS correspondent Lawrence Pintak similarly argued that Murrow established the ethical standard for broadcast journalism.

The article also connects Murrow’s anti-McCarthy legacy to present-day concerns about media consolidation, political pressure on news organizations, shrinking local journalism, and threats to press independence. Several interviewees warned that the loss of independent journalism and concentration of media ownership could weaken democratic accountability in ways reminiscent of past periods of political intimidation and conformity.

Ultimately, the article portrays the closure of CBS News Radio not simply as the end of a broadcasting institution, but as a symbolic moment in the broader struggle over journalism’s role in defending democratic values, public accountability, and freedom from political fear campaigns such as McCarthyism.

Read The Spokesman-Review Report: https://bit.ly/4fedINa

News and Activities for the Communities

1. APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:

2026/06/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

2026/06/02 Third Annual “State of The Science” Address

2026/06/03 Webinar: Geopolitics, Identity, and the Fight for Civil Rights

2026/06/10 Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes - Calvin Tsao

2026/06/27-28 From Crisis to Coalition: Lessons from the Front Lines in Minneapolis/St. Paul

2026/06/28-07/01 UCA: 2026 Chinese American ConventionVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details.

2. Appeals Court Ruling on Yanping Chen v. Federal Bureau of Investigation, et al.

On May 22, 2026, the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia denied the petition by former Fox reporter Catherine Herridge asking the court to reconsider its previous decision, meaning the original decision stands.

Previously, the court dismissed Herridge's motion to unseal certain records as 'moot' (no longer relevant). Now, the court has vacated (undone) that dismissal and sent the motion back to the district court for consideration under a specific local rule.

The Freedom of the Press Foundation wanted to join the case to argue for unsealing records. The court dismissed this motion as no longer necessary, but said the Foundation can file a new motion in the district court if it wants.

Read the Appeals Court ruling: https://bit.ly/4dKUrln.  Read the Yanping Chen case story: https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/impacted-persons/yanping-chen

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APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community.  For more information, please refer to the APA Justice website at www.apajusticetaskforce.org. We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org.