Migrants who turned down the offer are confirming this version. People were approached outside the Sacred Heart Church in downtown El Paso and described the offer as "vague and suspicious", notes Herrera.  

"She [the contractor] told us not to be afraid — that she didn’t want to steal our hearts or our organs or anything," said María a migrant who declined the offer. 

Some were concerned the contractors were actually drug traffickers, taking notice of the private plane mentioned and their lack of identity. Contractors would have offered even to change court dates to persuade migrants. 

The 36 migrants who did board the flights were driven about two hours into New Mexico, then taken to an airport the next day and flown to Sacramento, California.  

The Diocese of Sacramento and other community organizations in the city are still working together to coordinate the support these migrants need and helping the group feel safe and welcome, reports OSV News.   

"Most migrants seek refuge in the U.S. to escape the human travesties in their own countries. Moving them from one side of the country to the other and, in some cases, away from the places they need to be to continue their immigration proceedings, is akin to trafficking. America is better than that," said Kathleen Domingo, executive director of the California Catholic Conference. 

NEW CHIEF — On Friday, the Biden administration named Jason Owen the new U.S. Border Patrol Chief, reports Eileen Sullivan for The New York Times. Owen will succeed Raul Ortiz who is retiring at the end of the month. The new Chief has served more than 20 years in the agency, and currently leads the Del Rio Division in Texas. 

MISINFORMATION— Advocates are fighting a new wave of misinformation as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program remains in uncertainty, reports Nicole Acevedo of NBC News. The future of DACA depends on the ruling of a federal judge in Texas, which could happen any time soon. But the peak of news can lead to some online platforms becoming vehicles of "harmful narratives," according to Antonio Muñoz of United We Dream. In Houston, Uriel J. García of The Texas Tribune zooms in on the anguish of some Texas recipients while waiting for the ruling. 

‘SURVIVAL MODE’ — More migrants are considering leaving Florida as the new strict immigration law in the state is closer to taking effect on July 1, reports Juan Carlos Chavez of the Tampa Bay Times "We don’t want to leave, but we feel safer somewhere else," said Miguel Perez who arrived undocumented in the U.S. 20 years ago. And with similar concerns Elda Chafoya summarizes the situation on this: "It’s a survival mode." 

OUTDATED VISA POLICIES — Despite the record number of unskilled foreign workers sponsored by U.S. companies last year, experts say outdated visa policies and backlogs drive people to immigrate illegally, writes Kristian Hernandez for the Center for Public Integrity. For nearly 20 years, demand for EB3 visas has surpassed the supply while the limits have not changed since 1990. "When people can’t use legal means, they use illegal means," said William Kandel, an immigration policy analyst for the Congressional Research Service.    

Clara