Sources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that removals are proceeding according to the new measure and that the agency hopes to increase efforts to maximize the impact of the order within the coming weeks, reports Andrea Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, migrants at the border near Juárez, Mexico, express their concerns and anxiety as reported by Anna-Catherine Brigida of the Houston Landing.
In Texas, community leaders and advocates are also reacting to Biden’s executive action, reports Adam Powell of the El Paso Times.
"Any decision by the Biden administration to further criminalize parents, children, and individuals seeking safety at our border is a wasteful repetition of past mistakes," said Marisa Limón Garza of El Paso’s Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center.
In Nogales, Mexico, Joanna Williams who runs a shelter for migrants, spoke with CBS News’ Lilia Luciano and Kaia Hubbard and emphasized the need for actions that extend legal channels for people seeking protection.
With the new restrictions and limited appointments through the CBP One app, migrants will find that "their other option is to try to go out into the desert and avoid finding border patrol," Williams said.
Separately, John Lavenburg of Crux reports that Catholic leaders are warning about the "serious human consequences" of the new measure. Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso (also a Forum board member) recognized the need for immigration regulations and border safety, while
also calling on President Biden to "reverse course and recommit his administration to policies that respect the human life and dignity of migrants, both within and beyond our borders."
Welcome to Thursday’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].
FOUR HOURS — As of yesterday, many of the migrants who do make it into the United States will only have four hours to find a lawyer, reports Hamed Aleaziz of The New York Times. This time restraint was presented in an email written by John Lafferty, the head of asylum at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, to those officers assisting with President Biden’s executive action. Prior to this, the window to find legal
assistance was 24 hours or more, Aleaziz notes.
CITZENSHIP FOR ADOPTEES — A bill that would address a gap that has denied citizenship to tens of thousands of now-adult foreign-born adoptees has been introduced in Congress, reports No Kyung-Min of The Korea Herald. Around 49,000 adoptees are at risk of deportation due to a current restriction, and approximately 20,000 of them are Korean. The Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2024 could mean a permanent solution to anxiety around their status in the U.S., No
notes.
GREAT NEED — Within the next few decades, countries that are currently turning away migrants will see a great need for them in the workforce, writes Eduardo Porter in his column for The Washington Post. As workers age out and birth rates decline, many countries will need to find new sources of workers and citizens. "Affluent countries will be forced to reconsider their hostility toward immigrants. Rather than ‘how can we
keep them out?,’ the relevant question will become ‘where can we find some?’" writes Porter.
‘POSITIVE CONTRIBUTORS’ — Economist Zeke Hernandez explains that more immigrant workers in the country lead to "win-win outcomes" in the economy because jobs diversify and the market can increase wages for U.S.-born workers, writes Stuart Anderson for Forbes. "The truth—based on the best evidence available— is that immigrants are neither victims nor villains.
They’re net positive contributors to everything we want in a successful society," Hernandez said.
