The move, reminiscent of a previous Trump administration policy, would attempt to speed up processing at the U.S. border by requiring some migrants to remain in CBP custody to make their case for asylum. The Biden administration says the policy differs from Trump-era practices because migrants will have access to legal services, Alvarez tweeted.  

The new approach would start as a trial with a small number of migrants being screened, report Rebecca Santana and Elliot Spagat of the Associated Press.  

But some experts are doubtful that these measures can provide due process in spaces designed solely for short-term detention.   

Even if the Biden administration provides more legal access than its predecessor, it "won't change the underlying problem—the process isn't fair when people are locked in Border Patrol cells," tweeted Immigration Council’s Aaron Rechlin-Melnick. 

Others, however, are optimistic that the policy could ease the backlog of asylum cases and speed up processing for asylum-seekers, Quinn Owen reports for ABC News.  

Welcome to Monday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Clara Villatoro, the Forum’s strategic communications manager, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Joanna Taylor and Katie Lutz. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].  

FALSE LENIENCY RUMORS — Nearly 4,500 migrants were in CBP custody on both Wednesday and Thursday in El Paso, reports Julian Resendiz of Border Report — an increase resembling the October 2022 peak driven by Venezuela asylum-seekers. This time, authorities said that the increase of migrants at the border is related to false rumors in Mexico of U.S. leniency toward asylum-seekers, following March’s fatal fire at an immigration facility. The U.S. Border Patrol has launched a bilingual public information campaign to clarify the rumors.  

MEANWHILE IN FLORIDA — Back in February, Florida lawmakers passed a bill that would make it easier for the state to transport migrants elsewhere in the U.S. as part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) efforts to relocate migrants to Democratic-led cities and states across the U.S. The state’s Division of Emergency Management is now seeking contractors for DeSantis’ relocation program, Douglas Soule reports for the Tallahassee Democrat. The selected companies will be announced on April 14.  

‘TOUGHEST CRACKDOWN’ — Speaking of Florida, a broad range of communities continue to voice concerns over lawmakers’ anti-immigrant legislative proposals, report Skyler Swisher and Desiree Stennett of the Orlando Sentinel.  "It makes no sense from a business perspective or an economic perspective … I think we’re going to drive away talent, and we’re going to make ourselves less competitive as a state," said entrepreneur and eMerge Americas CEO Felice Gorordo. The New York Times’s Miriam Jordan offers a good analysis of the DeSantis-led proposals, which if approved would be the "toughest crackdown on undocumented immigration by any state in more than a decade." 

CHILD POVERTY — Regardless of their family’s immigration status, children of immigrants — the "fastest-growing group of American youths" — are more than twice as likely to experience poverty compared to other children, Jason DeParle writes for The New York Times. Households with at least one undocumented immigrant are barred from receiving many forms of government aid, and even those who are eligible face bureaucratic and language obstacles.  

Thanks for reading, 

Clara 

P.S. "... An Easter Sunday miracle" is how outreach minister Joseph Sarjoo described this weekend’s reunion of the Roberts family, who had been separated for nearly two years due to immigration status, per Valerie Russ of The Philadelphia Inquirer.