The Forum Daily | Wednesday, May 1, 2024 ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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**THE FORUM DAILY**Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has signed an immigration bill that will allow state law enforcement to arrest individuals in the United States without authorization, reports M. Scott Carter of The Oklahoman .??

At the same time, he attempted to address concerns about the bill. "I love Oklahoma's Hispanic community and I want to ensure that every law-abiding citizen has the opportunity to pursue the American Dream," Stitt said. "Let me be clear - there is no tolerance for racism or discrimination against any community in our state."??

Stitt also issued an executive order to create a task force focused on how the state could process work visas and permits, "to find ways to bolster our workforce and create opportunities for those who are here contributing to our communities and economy."??

Advocates remain concerned about the law's negative effects, however, including potential impact on people who have lived in Oklahoma for decades.??

The North Carolina state Senate is considering a similar bill that would make local law enforcement assist federal immigration officers in detaining undocumented immigrants, reports Ben Thompson for WCNC .??Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said the bill would place added burden on law enforcement and that his office opposes it.??

And in Houston, advocates are asking the mayor and police department for formal policies to protect the city's immigrant population against SB 4, report Anna-Catherine Brigida and Matt Sledge of Houston Landing .????

The Texas bill, currently blocked in court, would allow local law enforcement to arrest people suspected of being in the United States without authorization and has helped inspire other states.????

Happy May and welcome to Wednesday'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, Darika Verdugo and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected] .??

**POSITIVE EFFECTS** - A new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that U.S. workers are benefiting from increased immigration, Anna Giaritelli of the Washington Examiner reports. In Forbes , Stuart Anderson looks at what the researchers call the "positive and significant effect ... on wages of less educated native workers" and how the findings reinforce earlier research. Meanwhile, the Migration Policy Institute reports that the size of the U.S. workforce ages 25 to 54 would have shrunk "by millions of workers" so far this century if not for immigrants and their children, reports Matthew Casey of KJZZ .??

**QUICK-MOVING** - President Biden and Mexican President Andr??s Manuel L??pez Obrador are moving quickly with their plans to increase border enforcement, reports Seung Min Kim of the Associated Press . White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the two countries would "increase enforcement measures that would prevent major modes of transportation from being used to facilitate illegal migration to the border, as well as the number of repatriation flights that would return migrants to their home countries."??

**DANGER** - Human rights groups in Panama and the United States are raising concerns over the increase in sexual assault against migrants crossing the Dari??n Gap, Deepa Fernandes reports on NPR and WBUR's Here and Now . Fernandes speaks with Julie Turkewitz of the New York Times, who recently visited and spoke with migrants who have crossed the dangerous region.????

**CUBAN MIGRATION** - Several factors are part of a notable increase in migration from Cuba, reports Lizbeth Gutierrez of Spectrum Bay News 9 . More than 400,000 encounters with Cuban nationals have taken place at U.S. ports of entry since 2022, according to Customs and Border Protection . "People are going to risk their life: one, it's a better life, two, they're escaping a dictatorship that doesn't change. It's been the same for 65 years," said Rafael Pizano, an advocate for Cuban immigrants.??

Thanks for reading,??

Dan??

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