MCALLEN, Texas - Tania Chavez is president of La Unión del Pueblo Entero. The Rio Grande Guardian recently met up with Chavez to discuss politics, the upcoming Get Out the Vote efforts of LUPE Votes, federal funding cuts to Medicaid, and the impact of ICE raids in South Texas.
Chavez also heads LUPE Votes. The community leader also spoke about Latinas for Gina, a statewide coalition launched in August 2026 in San Antonio and powered by the Latino Victory Fund. The goal is to elect State Representative Gina Hinojosa as the first Latina Governor of Texas.
Chavez spoke at the launch. On the ICE raids, Chavez said: “The ICE raids are impacting food security, they're impacting attendance in schools, they're impacting the benefits that children can receive, their SNAPS benefits. They're impacting their ability to renew their healthcare insurance because their parents are no longer there to be able to do it for them.”
The interview was secured following a roundtable discussion Chavez participated in that was hosted by UnidosUS.
