Chico man works toward asylum during five long months of detention

Nationwide, immigrant detention swells to record high
by Leslie Layton | Posted December 29, 2025
Paradise resident Virginia Hauer works relentlessly for Ozan’s release. Photo by Leslie Layton.

Chico criminal defense attorney Kevin Sears remembers that day in late July in Butte County Superior Court when he heard what he describes as “awful screaming” outside the courtroom.

The bailiff told him that agents from Immigration, Customs & Enforcement (ICE) were outside. “I just about fainted,” Sears said. “I just had no clue they were there. It was the first time they had come.”

Sears acts as public defender for Butte County DUI cases, so on any given day he may have up to 50 clients in court. When he learned what was happening outside the courtroom, he thought immediately of one client in particular who had been anxious about ICE courthouse arrests around the state. read more

Legal immigrants face threats, live with fear

As immigrants lose legal status, college officials promise to maintain programs that serve these students
by Natalie Hanson | Posted December 29, 2025
Hiroshi Motomura, co-director, UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy. Photo courtesy of American Community Media.

For students like Andrea who identify as Dreamers – young people who came to this country as children — the increasing pressure to self-deport has created an uncertain future. And like Andrea, hundreds of thousands of people now face uncertainty as the Trump administration takes steps that threaten their ability to remain in the country.

Andrea did not give her last name when she addressed a Dec. 5 panel convened by American Community Media (ACoM), but she said that she has lived in the United States since she was 5 years old. read more

Should Mental Health Diversion expand?

Fewer than a third of defendants seeking Mental Health Diversion were admitted
by Yucheng Tang | Posted December 27, 2025
Deputy District Attorney Mark Murphy represents the DA’s office in the monthly Mental Health Diversion hearings. Photo by Yucheng Tang.

This story is second in a series on the Mental Health Diversion program and is supported by a USC fellowship.

Seven years ago, a 48-year-old Paradise area man was charged with misdemeanor assault with a vehicle. A medical report issued a few days after the incident stated that he was diagnosed with “bipolar disorder, mixed episode, with psychotic features.”

In 2019, his attorney told him about the newly launched Mental Health Diversion program (MHD), which allows some mentally ill defendants to receive court-ordered mental health treatment instead of serving jail time. Successful completion of the program can lead to dismissal of charges. The man, who identified only as “John” in order to protect his privacy, applied. read more

Chico journalist sues DA over public records

Lawsuit claims law enforcement agencies withhold public documents
by Leslie Layton | Posted December 22, 2025
The lawsuit was filed Dec. 22, 2025.

ChicoSol contributor Dave Waddell today sued Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey — as well as the Chico Police Department, the City of Chico and the sheriff — over withheld public records related to officer-involved shootings.

The lawsuit filed in Butte County Superior Court states that it “arises from the repeated and ongoing failure of the leadership of the law enforcement community” to comply with the California Public Records Act. read more

Nineteen lives lost are honored

Homeless Persons' Memorial Day event in Chico honors those who died
by Yucheng Tang | Posted December 21, 2025
Grace Aita misses her friend Elijah, who passed away June 9 at the Genesis pallet shelter. Photo by Karen Laslo.

Some 19 people who died on Chico streets or in shelters in 2025 were honored Dec. 21 at the city’s fifth Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day event.

On a rainy, windy, winter solstice afternoon, about 20 people gathered at the Our Hands sculpture to honor the Chico-area residents who have died – often in public spaces — and appear to have all been unhoused.

The event was organized by Chico CA Shelter for All and the North State Shelter Team. read more