The Texas National Guard and state troopers continue efforts to roll out razor wire and prevent federal Border Patrol officers from entering a local park, despite this week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling enabling federal access, report Uriel J. García of The Texas Tribune and Davis Winkie of the Military Times. 

The Supreme Court’s ruling vacated a lower-court decision that had prevented Border Patrol agents from cutting the wire along the Rio Grande. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office demanding that officers be allowed access to the park.  

The Texas Military Department said in an unsigned statement the same day that the agency "continues to hold the line in Shelby Park to deter and prevent unlawful entry into the State of Texas." Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott defended his actions, García and Winkie note. 

The mounting feud also includes challenges to Texas’ Senate Bill 4, a law set to go into effect in March, reports Hogan Gore of the Austin American-Statesman. The law, which creates new state penalties for people crossing the border without authorization, could be delayed by a federal court order. 

A quick point: The federal government is in charge of immigration enforcement for some very good reasons — not least that it deals with foreign governments and can make a single, coherent policy rather than having 50 different enforcement policies in 50 states.  

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

ON THE HILL — In a private meeting with GOP colleagues, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said that time and momentum for a bipartisan border deal will run out soon if they haven’t already, report Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan of Punchbowl News. Donald Trump’s opposition appears to be a big reason for the shift. 

OPEN LETTER — Prominent Cuban Americans in Florida have written an open letter in support of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and to speak out against efforts to remove him, reports Alyssa Johnson of the Miami Herald. The group, including a former state Republican party chair, urges Republican leaders in Congress "to put aside political stunts" and work on border solutions. (Sounds familiar.) 

IMPLICATIONS — Artem Marchuk and his family, who escaped the war in Ukraine, are among many who have resettled in America under humanitarian parole, as Zolan Kanno-Youngs of The New York Times reports. The program, allowing temporary residence without visas, has been a contentious part of the negotiations in Congress. 

WORK AUTHORIZATION — In Chicago, about 1,000 migrants — and possibly more — have received work permits in the past four months, Monica Eng of Axios Chicago reports. The move toward more migrants being self-sufficient comes as the city has issued 60-day eviction notices to migrants in shelters and has ceased creating new shelter spaces. State officials in November identified more than 4,600 people in shelters who likely qualify for work permits or Temporary Protected Status.  

WELCOME INITIATIVE — Organizations are coming together in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to improve immigrant inclusion, reports Taylor King of WANE. The "Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan" draws on data and community input to welcome immigrants and refugees, demonstrate their importance to the economic and cultural growth of the community and align immigrant interests with civic leadership. Amani Family Services, Downtown Fort Wayne, and Greater Fort Wayne Inc. launched the plan Tuesday. 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan