The Forum Daily | Friday, March 15, 2024
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

[link removed]

**THE FORUM DAILY**

The current challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border keep many people on the
front lines urging for comprehensive immigration reform, as they see it
as the only way to improve a deeply flawed system, reports Jim Avila of
ABC 10News San Diego
. 

Backlogged immigration courts and a lack of resources are two of the big
issues highlighted by experts. Dana Leigh Marks, judge and [former]
president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, recommends
lawmakers improve the system and, among other items, she suggests
allowing asylum seekers "the dignity of a timely court appearance."

"At this point, there is no legal way, and the public has been horribly
misled by the publicity and the political opportunism of using
immigration as a political bargaining chip," said Marks. 

Separately, a team at PBS News Hour

presents the realities of the thousands of unaccompanied minors coming
to the United States. Reporter Amna Nawaz was able to speak with three
sisters who made the 1,500-mile journey from Chiapas in Southern Mexico
to the southern U.S. border to meet up with their mother.  

The sisters' journey was full of risks, from food scarcity to the
possibility of being taken by cartels. The story is no longer unusual.
"Officials tell us they are seeing at the U.S. southern border, more
unaccompanied minors arriving there," said Nawaz. "[A]ll of this just
underscores how incredibly precarious this journey can be, even when the
girls felt they'd reached safety in the United States." 

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

**CROSSINGS DROP** - According to Mexico's National Institute of
Migration (INM), migrant crossings near the Jacumba area east of San
Diego are down 90% from December, reports Salvador Rivera for Border
Report
.
David Pérez Tejada, head of INM in Baja California, pointed to the
increase in paroles on the Mexican side of the border as part of the
reason behind the drop. 

**TSA** - The U.S. government has begun requiring migrants without
passports to submit to facial recognition, reports Valerie Gonzalez for
the Associated Press
.
This change caused confusion when several migrants with flights out of
South Texas were turned away. The Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) said in a statement that if they cannot match peoples' identity
to DHS records, "they will also be denied entry into the secure areas of
the airport and will be denied boarding." The agency said this is a
recent change but does not respond to any threat, Gonzalez notes. 

**UPDATE NEEDED** - Due to the current workforce shortage, the H2-B
requirements should be updated to fit the needs of workers and
employers, writes Erin Caldwell in an op-ed for The Hill
.
"By reforming the H-2B visa or creating a new program to efficiently
process migrants willing to fill key jobs, we can ameliorate the labor
shortage to the benefit of migrants, U.S. businesses, and U.S. consumers
alike," writes Caldwell. "It would be a shame to squander the
opportunity just because of politics or bureaucratic inflexibility." 

**SUPPORT FOR AFGHANS** - Over a dozen Republican and Democratic
senators are calling out for an increase of visas available for Afghans
who helped the United States, report Farnoush Amiri and Rebecca
Santana of the Associated Press
.
In a letter, Senators said that around 20,000 more special immigrant
visas are needed before the end of fiscal year 2024. 

This week in local welcome: 

* In New Hampshire, the minister of 4 Rivers Church reflects on the
positive impact of welcoming Afghan refugees into his church. (Wes
Dillon, NH Journal
) 

* The Episcopal Migration Ministries has a new affiliate in Wisconsin
preparing to welcome a refugee family for the first time. (David
Paulsen, Episcopal News Service
) 

* In Michigan, the Refugee Development Center will strengthen its work
on welcoming after receiving a $1 million grant by the Michigan
Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. (Tianna Jenkins, Fox 47
) 

Thanks for reading,  

Clara 

**P.S.** Check out an uplifting piece from The Bedford Citizen
 on Owen
Brough, a Life Scout in Bedford, Massachusetts, leading a book drive
for migrant children in the area.  

 

[link removed]

[link removed]   
[link removed]   
[link removed]   
[link removed]

[link removed]

Unsubscribe from this email list

or opt out from all Forum emails

National Immigration Forum
10 G St NE
Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20002
United States
www.immigrationforum.org