Migrants flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last year in a stunt organized by Florida officials are now speaking out. And Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar remains firm in his recommendation of felony and misdemeanor charges against two suspects in what he called "a covert criminal operation," Sharyn Alfonsi reports in a segment for CBS News’ "60 Minutes."

"They preyed upon people to get them onto those — that plane," Salazar said. "They exploited them, took advantage of the situation that they were in, a very desperate situation, and then took 'em there under false pretenses."

Months after the incident, some of the migrants applied for U visas, which may be granted to victims of a crime, and some applied for asylum. The wait could be years for either.

"It's Congress's failure to act that has caused this to become such a major broken issue in this nation," said Rachel Self, a criminal defense and immigration lawyer who worked with the group. She notes that long waits for work authorization result in "this vacuum for labor abuses to thrive, housing abuses to thrive, human trafficking to thrive."

In The Texas Tribune, Uriel J. García takes an extensive look at just how difficult it is to immigrate legally to the United States.

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 Jillian Clark, Clara Villatoro and Katie Lutz. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

DANGEROUS ROUTES — U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 60 migrant deaths due to heat in the El Paso sector over the 12 months ending Sept. 30, Jose Luis Gonzalez and Daina Beth Solomon report in Reuters. Advocates say increased fencing and checkpoints only force migrants to choose the more dangerous routes. The total number of migrant deaths in the sector doubled from the previous year, to 148.

ABUSES — A survivor of the March fire at a Mexican migrant center shares with James Fredrick of NPR his memories of the fire itself and abuses that preceded it. Fredrick also reports on Mexico’s unusual treatment of survivors. The fire in Ciudad Juárez claimed 40 lives and injured another 27 people. The Salvadoran survivor, who asked that his name be withheld for his safety, alleges inhumane treatment by Mexico’s National Migration Institute.

BRIDGES — In contrast to the recent gumming up of commercial transit, bipartisan members of Congress have written a letter to President Biden to encourage signoff on new bridges linking Mexico and Texas, reports Christine Sanchez of Spectrum News. Led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R), the letter’s other signers include Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) and Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (D), Henry Cuellar (D) and Monica De La Cruz (R). The letter suggests that the project would "create jobs, enhance the supply chain, and encourage economic growth," Sanchez notes.

MAZE — About 18,000 migrants have made their way to Chicago over the past year. Once there, migrants must navigate the complexities of the U.S. system, reports Nell Salzman of the Chicago Tribune. For Venezuelan migrant and new mother Yolexi Cubillan, 19, attempting to get her newborn son benefits has meant enduring hours of long lines at government offices only to be told she was at the wrong building or has the wrong documents. Government offices and nonprofit organizations are understaffed and overworked as thousands attempt to get through the inefficient maze of our immigration system, Salzman reports.

Thanks for reading, 

Dan