"We will be arguing to Judge Hanen that neither Texas nor any of the other states challenging DACA have standing to sue, meaning they have not identified any injury that comes to them as a result of DACA recipients living in their states," said Nina Perales of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the organization arguing the case on behalf of DACA recipients. 

Meanwhile, efforts in Congress to protect DACA recipients and other Dreamers are stalled, Suzanne Monyak of Roll Call reports. The immigration bill Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) introduced last week could give Dreamers the chance to earn citizenship, but as of now there's no clear legislative path forward, Monyak notes. 

Salazar and Escobar’s proposal is gaining support outside Congress, though. Evangelical leaders are praising the bipartisan efforts to find immigration solutions, per Jeff Brumley of Baptist News Global.  

Perhaps a court ruling in the near future will inspire Republicans and Democrats in Congress to move forward. 

One more Texas note: A press conference in Socorro this morning on workforce and border solutions will include our President and CEO, Jennie Murray, and board members Glenn Hamer of the Texas Association of Business and Bishop Mark Seitz of the El Paso Diocese. Reporters, please reach out if you’d like to connect. 

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Clara Villatoro, Katie Lutz, Keylla Ortega and Ashling Lee. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

FARMERS ADVOCATE — Yesterday farmers urged Congress to allow more seasonal immigrant workers to address labor shortages, reports Corina Cappabianca of Spectrum News 1. "[W]e need reforms that will allow us to have a stable workforce so that our growers can continue to feed the nation," said Adam Lytch of Florida-based L&M Farms during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Canada is taking a different approach: a new immigration program to fill ‘in-demand’ jobs, including in agriculture, launched yesterday, per Nicholas Keung of the Toronto Star. 

RETIRING CHIEF — U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz will retire at the end of June, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News. Ortiz has served under presidents Trump and Biden administrations and "had to manage significant dissent and frustration among rank-and-file Border Patrol agents," Montoya-Galvez notes. 

VULNERABILITY— More than 100 immigrants were scammed by immigration attorney Kofi Amankwaa, and some were then deported, reports Sam Garcia of The Guardian. Ricardo Velázquez was arrested and deported to Mexico, as Sarah Wallace of NBC 4 New York first reported in April, after which many others came forward. "Sadly, without candid legal representation, undocumented noncitizens are vulnerable," said immigration attorney Brad Glassman. 

WISCONSIN WELCOMES — The Rapid Response Welcome Coalition comprises 27 nonprofits, faith organizations and government entities working together to help the increasing number of asylum seekers arriving directly to Wisconsin, reports Joe Schulz of Wisconsin Public Radio. The coalition is helping with basic needs as well as legal support, translation services, court accompaniment and advocacy. 

Dan 

P.S. We missed this when it was first published, but any time Art Cullen writes about immigration in the Storm Lake Pilot Tribune, it’s worth reading.