The Forum Daily | Monday, April 22, 2024
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**THE FORUM DAILY**Immigration experts advise that the reasons behind
Texas' decrease in migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border are
more complex than what the state claims, reports Alejandro Serrano of
The Texas Tribune
.??

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) emphasized??in an interview
last month that the
numbers decline is a sign of Operation Lone Star's effectiveness,
Serrano notes. The program has been a point of contention in Texas and
cost taxpayers around $11 billion. ??

While more border encounters are being reported outside of Texas, the
reasons for such a change are due to many factors, experts say. Texas'
actions are just part of it. "We've always treated the border as a
simple line on a map, but it's more than that - it's an
ecosystem," said retired Tuscon Sector chief Victor M. Manjarrez Jr. ??

According to experts, that "ecosystem" mentioned by Manjarrez is
impacted by factors such as global migration trends, foreign policies,
federal policies, and even the weather conditions, Serrano highlights.
??

Separately, Kelsey Norman and Ana Mart??n Gil of Rice University's
Baker Institute for Public Policy offer a deeper dive into the
intricacies of migration and how border communities are handling the
impact, take a look at their new report
.??

Meanwhile,??on immigration foreign policy, Cuba's Deputy Foreign
Minister Carlos Fern??ndez de Coss??o said his country is willing to
take more deportation flights from the United States, reports Camilo
Montoya-Galvez of CBS News
.
??

Welcome to Monday'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 Darika
Verdugo. If you have a story to share from your own community, please
send it to me at [email protected].??

**INCIDENT** - Texas is investigating a border-related shooting
incident that took place recently, reports Todd??South of the Army Times
.
In a statement by the Texas Military Department, it was detailed that on
April 14, "A National Guard service member assigned to Operation Lone
Star discharged a weapon in a border-related incident."????NewsNation
'
Ali Bradley??reported first??that an Indiana National Guard discharged
their weapon after seeing a violent struggle between two individuals.??

**COMMUNITY** - Despite becoming a national talking point against
immigration, residents in Whitewater, Wisconsin, are coming together to
welcome and support newcomers, reports Samuel Benson of Deseret News
.
The small town has unwillingly become a political symbol of how
migration is affecting communities far north of the border. Despite the
rhetoric, community members have created the "Immigration Support Group"
to welcome people.??"We told the city that respect is one of the most
important elements," said manager??of the town's adult ESL program,
Jorge Islas Martinez. Respect will help us build trust, and trust will
help us build unity."??

**HONEST CONVERSATION** - American susceptibility around immigration
is connected to broader cultural and economic unease, write Chris Murphy
and Ian Marcus Corbin for their piece in The xxxxxx
.
"What is needed is an honest conversation about why so many Americans
feel so scared and alone that they view a relatively nonthreatening
crowd." The answer for the authors is that "people here feel abandoned."
They propose focusing on values like solidarity "to rebuild a culture
that prioritizes the common good." ??

**'WORK IS LIFE'**- Migrants arriving in Massachusetts are finding
independence through a state program that helps them with the process to
get work authorization, reports Sam Drysdale for The Berkshire Eagle
.
The program allows migrants to meet with lawyers at the same centers
where they would pick up food and other essential items. Junior
Alexandre, who came from French Guiana, was able to get his work
authorization through this assistance. "Work is life, work is freedom, I
want to be able to work and take care of the needs of my family," said
Alexandre.??

Thanks for reading, ??

Clara??

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