On this edition of Tiempo, we discuss a monumental recognition for a local community trailblazer and the Queen of Salsa: Celia Cruz.

Cruz was posthumously honored with a Walk of Fame star in New Jersey. The ceremony took place at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, where the multiple Grammy Award winner lived for decades.

The Celia Cruz star kicks off a yearlong celebration coinciding with the 100th anniversary of her birth. Joining us to discuss this honor is Carlos Medina, president of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Ballet Hispanico later this month will premiere its version of the timeless, classic opera, "Carmen," but in a dance form they call "Carmen.maquia."

The Latino dance company is also celebrating its emerald anniversary. We'll talk to them all about the new production and their milestone year.

Also ahead, a celebration we love to highlight each year: the annual Loisaida Festival.

The cultural festival is one of the largest and oldest community pride festivals in New York City. We'll have details on the packed lineup of live music, vendors, artists and crafts at this year's event.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we take a closer look at the mass deportations under the Trump administration.

The federal crackdown has produced fear and confusion across migrant communities, sparked street protests and spurred a historic showdown between the executive and judicial branches over the legality of the deportations.

But do mass deportations work?

Joining us to discuss is immigration attorney Veronica Cardenas, who is a former assistant chief counsel with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Plus, we catch up with Puerto Rican and Manhattan native, actor Ramon Rodriguez from the hit ABC show, "Will Trent."

Rodriguez took us to one of his favorite Puerto Rican restaurants, "Casa Adela" on the Lower East Side, for some good food and even better conversation.

Also ahead, details on FUERZAfest 2025.

The two-week festival starts in a few days and showcases the social impact and contributions of the Latino LGBTQ+ community. We'll talk to event organizers about what people can expect.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we take a look at a new book highlighting Latino communities in the Garden State and the inspiration behind the literature.

The book "Latinas/os in New Jersey: Histories, Communities and Cultures" is a compilation of research writings that explore a wide range of topics about New Jersey's Latinos and Latinas, including their migration to the Garden State.

Joining us to discuss is Aldo A. Lauria-Santiago, one of the book's co-editors and a professor in the Department of Latino and Caribbean Studies at Rutgers University.

Meanwhile, immigration enforcement agents took an 18-year-old Latino man from a Bronx apartment, and now he's in El Salvador's most notorious prison. Tiempo has a special report with the man's anguished father, who is still searching for answers.

Also on our program, a group of New Jersey teens spent their spring break in Honduras on a humanitarian mission. On the trip, the group helped construct a community kitchen and center for Hondurans.

We speak to them about the experience and the nonprofit who helped organized the trip.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we discuss the impacts of recent power outages on Puerto Rico and its people.

Last week, an island-wide blackout plunged Puerto Rico into darkness. LUMA energy, the island's private power company, restored power the next day and said an underground power line may have led to the outage.

The last outage that affected the entire island was on New Year's Eve. Puerto Rico has struggled with chronic outages since Hurricane Maria in 2017 pummeled the island and its already deteriorating power grid.

Congressman Ritchie Torres posted on social media that "access to dependable power - a basic right most Americans take for granted - remains out of reach for millions on the island."

Joining us to discuss is Fernando Rivera, professor and director of the Puerto Rico Research Hub at the University of Central Florida.

Also ahead, the New Jersey Department of Education recently released its 2024 statewide assessment scores for all public K-12 schools.

For the second year in a row, the findings of the report reveal academic excellence for Latino and Black students in New Jersey's public charter schools. We speak with the president and CEO of the NJ Public Charter Schools Association about the achievement.

Plus, the deadline to get your federally-compliant real ID is quickly approaching.

If you don't carry your passport, you will need the new card to get on domestic flights and enter federal buildings. Tiempo breaks down what you need to know and how to get a real ID.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we continue to follow the latest immigration headlines from the White House.

The Trump administration recently created a registry for undocumented immigrants in the United States. Under the new registry, the administration says all undocumented immigrants must register, give fingerprints, and provide an address to the Department of Homeland Security.

Joining us to discuss the new order is Renata Castro, an immigration attorney and founder of the USA4ALL immigration law firm.

Also on our program, a Latino student at Newark's Arts High School achieved a rare academic milestone: acceptance to seven of the nation's eight Ivy League schools. Tiempo has a special report on his academic success.

We also catch up with the Latinas on the Verge of Excellence mentoring program. Their mission is to support and empower Latinas as they pursue their professional and personal goals.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we discuss the new proposed sanctions on immigration lawyers who represent migrants and asylum seekers.

Last month, the White House issued a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to investigate immigration attorneys.

Camille Mackler, the founder and CEO of Immigrant Arc, called the directive a politically-motivated attempt to intimidate legal professionals, who serve some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Mackler joins the program to discuss the directive's impact on her organization and her legal colleagues.

Also ahead, the New Jersey Department of Education released its 2024 statewide assessment scores for all public K-12 schools.

For the second year in a row, the findings of the report reveal academic excellence for Latino and Black students in New Jersey's public charter schools. We'll speak to them about the achievement.

Plus, the deadline to get your federally-compliant real ID is quickly approaching.

People need the new identification card to get on domestic flights and enter federal buildings. Tiempo breaks down what you need to know and where to get your real ID.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we examine the escalating anti-immigrant sentiment across the country.

The New York Civil Liberties Union is making sure New Yorkers know their rights if they are stopped by immigration enforcement agents or caught up in an immigration raid.

Joining us to discuss is Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the NYCLU. Lieberman shares what to know about the organization's updated "Know Your Rights" guide.

Also ahead on our show: discussing teen dating violence in New York City.

The nonprofit "The Healing Center" in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn will host its annual awareness walk in April in an effort to prevent dating violence among the Latino youth.

Plus, Tiempo speaks to a Latino high school senior from New Jersey who just got accepted into MIT and several other Ivy league schools.

The student is the first in his family to attend college. He joins Tiempo to share his educational journey.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we focus on the latest immigration headlines coming out of New York City.

U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan says ICE agents will flood New York if Gov. Kathy Hochul doesn't cooperate with the federal immigration crackdown.

According to his political opponents, Mayor Eric Adams has undermined New York's sanctuary city status through his overt cooperation with the Trump administration's plans to deport not just violent criminals, but also any undocumented man, woman or child.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also ramped up its efforts to convince immigrants without legal status to self deport. The Trump administration placed ads on TV and online, and even created an app to help undocumented immigrants leave the country.

Joining us to discuss this issue is immigration attorney Brad Glassman.

Also ahead on our program, we catch up with the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (CHCF).

The organization, now in its 43rd year, provides essential resources for underserved families in New York City. Some of their services include early care and education, childcare providers, afterschool programs and so much more.

CHCF staff recently set up shop in a shelter in Long Island City to help recently-arrived migrant families. We catch up with the organization about their goals this year.

Plus, we spotlight a small Latino business in the East Village called La Sirena. It may be a tiny store, but La Sirena is packed with Mexican folk art.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we introduce you to a new Broadway show highlighting Grammy Award-winning Cuban musicians.

The "Buena Vista Social Club" follows the musicians and explores their origins in Havana, and the production features a star-studded ensemble.

While the show is currently in previews, it's set to debut later this week and Tiempo gets a sneak peek on what to expect.

But first, it's time for the New York City Latino College Expo and Leadership Summit.

Every year, Tiempo highlights the effort and work of the organizers who recruit and help prepare high school students and their families for college. While the expo has grown, the mission remains the same: to provide assistance through specialized programs and resources that link the students to colleges and universities.

Joining us to discuss is the expo's founder and executive director, Antonio Aponte, and its director of programming, Damaris Mercado.

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On this edition of Tiempo, we discuss help for small business owners in New Jersey.

Many of the business owners are Latino themselves, impacted by President Donald Trump's executive actions and immigration crackdown.

For more than 35 years, the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey has helped, guided and educated Latinos on starting and growing a business in the Garden State.

We speak once again with chamber officials about their goals for 2025.

But first, we focus our attention on Puerto Rico and its new governor.

Jenniffer González-Colón was sworn in back in January. The new governor is pro-statehood, and has pledged to stabilize the island's crumbling power grid by appointing an energy czar to review and perhaps replace the private power company, Luma.

Joining us to discuss is Fernando Rivera, director of the Puerto Rico Research Hub at the University of Central Florida.

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