Stretching Border Patrol resources is a strategy among smugglers, retired sector chief Chris Clem said. 

State officials in the U.S. and Mexico and Tohono O'odham tribal officials are concerned about the economic impacts of the Lukeville entry point’s closure, which is now entering its second week. Jack Healy and Miriam Jordan of The New York Times, with photos by Rebecca Noble, have more on Arizona officials’ — and locals' — responses.  

And advocates say the closure is adding to a humanitarian crisis, as Camilo Montoya-Galvez expands on for CBS News. 

Meanwhile, it's a crucial week in senators’ attempt to find common ground on border and asylum reforms to pair with foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Aruna Viswanatha and Michelle Hackman report in The Wall Street Journal.  

The effect of some proposals could run counter to their intent, as Stuart Anderson writes in Forbes: "[H]istory shows harsh enforcement policies have failed to reduce illegal immigration. … [O]nly expanded legal pathways and refugee processing will likely reduce illegal entry."  

The Council on National Security and Immigration and 16 members of the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus are among those urging senators to reach balanced solutions — not limit a deal to asylum restrictions and deterrence. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, meanwhile, are concerned about how much President Biden might be willing to accept, a team at NBC News reports. 

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

INDUSTRY — As central Ohio prepares to become a technology center for the Midwest, more leaders are pointing toward the need for highly skilled foreign workers, reports Peter Gill of The Columbus Dispatch. "If central Ohio is to undergo such a transformation (into a technology hub), immigrants necessarily would have to play an important role," Mark Partridge, a professor and urban economist at Ohio State University, said. In a related piece, Gill reports that for many foreign-born legal workers, "a green card is an illusory dream." 

BALANCING — Speaking of employment-based green cards, more skilled workers should receive them, Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute posts. Research shows that 45% of employment-based green cards went to workers themselves in 2022, with the rest going to their family members. Nowrasteh examines solutions that could increase the number of highly skilled workers receiving green cards without reducing important family-based immigration. "Congress should either exempt family members from the [green card] cap or create a new category for them," he writes. 

BRIDGES — Lawmakers from Texas are hoping to hasten the permitting process to expand or build international bridges between southern Texas and Mexico, reports Sandra Sanchez of Border Report. An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act from Sen. Ted Cruz would give the State Department and the White House 60 days each to rule on requests. Leaders are looking to build and expand four international bridges. 

ACCEPTANCE — In Rochester, N.Y., organizations including Catholic Charities and various ministries are increasing their efforts to support newly arriving refugees, Mike Latona reports in the Catholic Courier. These groups offer crucial assistance while also promoting a culture of compassion among the public. Katona also offers insight into refugees’ experiences. "You had everything and, in the blink of an eye, you have nothing," former Somalian refugee Isnino Mohamed said. " …Here, I feel it’s my home." 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan