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Texas is installing new razor-wire fencing along its border — with New Mexico, reports John C. Moritz of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. "Migrants are entering New Mexico illegally then crossing into Texas," Gov. Greg Abbott said on X, formerly Twitter. "We are stopping it." Moritz notes that state lawmakers have directed about $10 billion to Abbott’s Operation Lone Star since its 2021 launch. That figure could rise: The Texas Senate approved a bill yesterday that would consider entering the U.S. without authorization a state offense and would give the police and state troopers the power to arrest undocumented immigrants, reports Philip Jankowski of The Dallas Morning News. The state Senate approved the bill twice before, but it didn’t succeed in the Texas House. This time, Abbott’s endorsement could make a difference, Jankowski notes. Separately, the Biden administration plans to reopen a facility in Carrizo Springs, Texas, to shelter unaccompanied migrant children in federal custody, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News. This will be the second time in less than two months that the federal government has opened a facility for unaccompanied minors. 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, Jillian Clark and Katie Lutz. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. SUPPLY CHAIN — Migration-related measures such as added inspections for trucks at Texas ports of entry and the suspension of cargo trains in Mexico are affecting the supply chain and commerce around the world, writes Jerry Pacheco, president of The Border Industrial Association, in an op-ed for KRWG Public Media. Commerce firms are dealing with shortages and late shipments. "This is another example of the fact that our immigration system is broken, and politicians are not playing a part in the solution," Pacheco writes. WINNERS … OR NOT — Diversity visas were cut off this year with more than 4,000 applicants still being processed after winning the visa lottery, reports Daniella Jiménez of Mother Jones. Some applicants received written word that they would be able to immigrate to the U.S., only to be told later that all slots were full. "The State Department needs to keep a better track on the number of visas issued so that hopeful applicants are not strung along ...," said immigration attorney Abadir Barre. SUCCESS — A new study from the National Foundation for American Policy shows that refugees improve their life conditions in their first decade in the U.S. Most experience rapid earnings growth after investing in their English skills and education, writes Stuart Anderson for Forbes. "Refugees succeed in America because they add value to the U.S. economy and benefit Americans," said Mark Regets, author of the study. HARSH CONDITIONS — Food insecurity, crop damage and heavy debts are leading many in Guatemalan Mayan communities to try to migrate, reports a team at Reuters. (Don’t miss the visuals.) The past decade, Central American countries in the so-called Dry Corridor have experienced longer droughts as well as hurricanes, causing widespread crop damage. Some local organizations are providing training on alternative agricultural production and commerce among indigenous groups to offer an option to thrive, AFP reports. SOLUTIONS STILL NEEDED — Mujtaba Karimi’s work and dreams were dashed when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021. Now he writes compellingly in the Omaha World-Herald about how his new community welcomed him — but also of his ongoing uncertainty without the Afghan Adjustment Act. And in a recent op-ed in Ms., policy expert Mary Giovagnoli argues for women’s need for the bill. In local welcome:
Thanks for reading, Dan
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