With so many demands on the country’s attention these days, we wanted to make sure you saw some of the big developments and stories that may have flown under your radar. On November 12, we were in Washington, D.C., at the steps of the Supreme Court, as the justices heard oral arguments around the termination of DACA. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, Governor Stitt worked with partners to move forward with the largest single-day number of commutations in U.S. history. Check out these and other stories below.

“DACA has been an opportunity to liberate our passions, unleash our dreams, and use them for the good of our community and the country we all call home.”

On November 12, the nation saw thousands converge on the Supreme Court to advocate for DACA recipients and their families who are now at risk because of the Administration’s unlawful termination of the DACA program. We expect a decision in the spring, but any DACA recipients whose DACA expires soon should consult a lawyer and consider renewing as soon as possible.

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This past November, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to recommend the commutation of sentences for hundreds of Oklahomans. Governor Kevin Stitt promptly signed the docket, resulting in the release of 462 Oklahomans (and a total of 1,931 years commuted) to be reunited with their families and communities in time for the holidays. Oklahoma remains one of the highest incarcerating states in the country, but this hard-won outcome shows that meaningful reform is both possible and, in the case of Oklahoma, popular with voters.

See what reuniting with their families meant to Lynnkisha, Patrina, Santana, and Tess.

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Did you know over half a million foreign-born veterans, many of whom are citizens, live in the United States today, and that about 40,000 immigrants are currently serving? Over the past century military service has provided a pathway to citizenship for more than 760,000 individuals, and immigrants have served honorably since the founding of our country. But in 2019, the naturalization rates for immigrants serving in our military fell precipitously.

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Last June, we visited Philadelphia, Dallas, Boulder, and Nashville and joined with the local communities to celebrate immigrants for Immigrant Heritage Month — and we had just the best time. This will be our seventh straight year celebrating IHM, and we’re looking to set up shop in a bunch of new cities. Think your city should become a stop on the #CelebrateImmigrants 2020 tour? Tell us why!

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In recent weeks, the nation has watched with horror the rising death count in Mississippi’s prisons. At FWD.us we know the state’s dangerously high prison population makes all Mississippians in and out of prison less safe. We recently released new data in a report called We All Pay: Mississippi’s Harmful Habitual Laws. Mississippi’s habitual penalties add years, decades, and even life terms onto sentences for people who have prior convictions and these laws are driving the state’s sky high incarceration rate and costing families, communities, and taxpayers. We very much recommend you read the report in full, but to get yourself up to speed on the basics, we put together this handy animated explainer video.

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For evidence of how these habitual laws impact real families, you need look no further than the Hollins family. In Mississippi, long prison sentences have become the norm. People can receive life and virtual life sentences if they have previous convictions. Because of these laws, a man named Gregory Hollins was sentenced to 60 years — without the possibility of parole — for a drug conviction. His family is one of too many paying too high a price for these harmful laws.

Mississippi won’t be able to solve its incarceration crisis until it ends habitual penalties for people like Gregory.

MEET THE HOLLINS FAMILY