Two recent opinion pieces underscore how other countries are outcompeting the U.S. when it comes to attracting needed foreign-born workers. 

In a new initiative, Canada is offering work permits to 10,000 foreign workers already in the U.S. on H-1B visas, Youyou Zhou writes in The Washington Post. The H-1B visa system, tied to employment, lacks a path to permanent residency, leading many workers to consider migrating to Canada for better long-term prospects.  

Without a change to the immigration system, the damage will "set back U.S. innovation for years to come," Zhou writes.  

For more on Canada’s new program, read Michelle Hackman and Paul Vieira in The Wall Street Journal. 

Meanwhile, Divyansh Kaushik of the Federation of American Scientists writes in The Boston Globe that the U.S. is losing the AI race due to its immigration policies, as green card limitations hinder the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. 

"More than half of PhD students with expertise in artificial intelligence who leave the country after graduating say they do so because of immigration issues," Kaushik writes. " … Congress ought to coalesce in forging legislation enabling US industry to embrace these valuable minds rather than relinquish them into the waiting arms of potential adversaries." 

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

AFGHAN ADJUSTMENT ACT — Republicans and Democrats in both Houses reintroduced the Afghan Adjustment Act late last week. The bill "ensures the pre-eminence of our national security while allowing us to work to provide safety and certainty to deserving Afghan friends and partners who have fled the Taliban," Council on National Security and Immigration leader and Afghanistan veteran Rick "Ozzie" Nelson said. And in the words of our President and CEO, Jennie Murray, "The reintroduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act reflects Americans’ enduring support and welcome for Afghans who risked their lives to support the United States."  

LAW ENFORCEMENT JOBS — New laws in Colorado and California permit noncitizens who are authorized to work in the U.S. to become police officers, writes Janelle Griffith for NBC News. The measures, which make DACA recipients eligible for law enforcement work, come at a time when some police departments are struggling to recruit and retain officers. "We believe that hiring lawful permanent residents and Dreamers who work in law enforcement jobs is a common sense idea," one that will help agencies "better reach communities that they work with," said the Forum’s Policy and Advocacy VP, Laurence Benenson. 

HIGH EXPENSES — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has spent at least $15.2 million in the first half of the year to address what he considers dangerous impacts of immigration, reports Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times. The money comes from an "Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund" that the DeSantis administration had talked about using mainly for storm recovery. The money spent so far has gone toward responding to migrants arriving in Florida by boat and to sending Florida National Guard members to Texas. 

REFUGEE COALITION — The Multicultural Refugee Coalition (MRC) in Austin helps refugees integrate into the Central Texas community through fair-wage employment in sewing and farming, reports Sam Stark of KXAN. The MRC also pays for English classes. The need has increased since Texas’ largest refugee resettlement agency, Refugee Services of Texas, announced its closure in May. 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan