On Thursday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the process by which Afghan nationals can renew their parole in the U.S.

"Through this new streamlined and fee-exempt process, eligible Afghan nationals will be able to continue living and working here as they pursue a permanent status," said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.

However, as Jeff Brumley of Baptist News Global reports in his coverage of our Facebook Live yesterday, the process falls short of a long-term solution.

"We’re glad the Biden administration is renewing [parole], but Congress needs to — as they have in the past — recognize that this is a moment for them to make an additional consideration and say, ‘We need to go ahead and pass [the Afghan Adjustment Act],’ " said Jennie Murray, our president and CEO, during a conversation with Joseph Azam of the Afghan-American Foundation and Naheed Sarabi of The Brookings Institution.

Meanwhile, a community group in Dayton, Ohio, has stepped up to the plate, offering a helping hand to Afghan and other refugees, reports Casey Weldon of Spectrum News 1. Welcome Dayton is hosting a World Refugee Day event to introduce refugees to their new neighbors and connect them with local resources.

"We see the refugees as cultural and economic assets," said Laura Roesch, CEO of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley. "They come to our communities, they start small businesses, they buy homes, they become our neighbors."

This past week in local Afghan welcome:

Meet Barbara Cummings, who embodies welcome. The 76-year-old San Diego resident has filled her home with donated items to support Afghan arrivals. (Kate Morrissey, The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Salt Lake County Mayor's Office in Utah hosted an Emergency Kit Distribution and Resource Fair, providing resettled Afghans with essential supplies and resources to support their integration and success in the community. (Jenny Carpenter, KSL.com)
Berkeley Law students are helping Afghan evacuees in the Bay Area navigate the asylum process to seek permission to stay in the United States long-term. (Gwyneth K. Shaw, Berkeley Law)

Welcome to Friday’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, Keylla Ortega, Ashling Lee and Katie Lutz. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].

BUOYS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced that the state will employ specially designed buoys to block illegal crossings through the Rio Grande, Zach Despart and Patrick Svitek of The Texas Tribune report. To paraphrase Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council — I wonder what Mexico will think.

ALSO ALONG THE BORDER — Migrants trying to do the right thing by waiting for appointments via the CBP One app are starting to lose patience, reports John Salazar of Spectrum News. Meanwhile, volunteers near the border have noticed a drop in numbers and a change in demographics, reports Salvador Rivera of Border Report.

CHILD LABOR — Meatpacking and produce firms in at least 11 states are now part of a federal investigation into the employment of Guatemalan children, report Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler of NBC News. "I’m heartened by the fact that we’re now seeing multiple agencies work together and really take this issue seriously," said Wendy Young, President of Kids in Need of Defense.

DRIVER’S CARDS — The city council in Bloomington, Indiana, has joined others in urging the state legislature to pass a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to drive legally, reports Lucas Gonzalez of Indiana Public Media. As Gonzalez notes, "Prerequisites to obtain a card [would] include proper training, certification and insurance."

Thanks for reading,

Dan