The Forum Daily | Friday, September 6, 2024 ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[link removed]

**THE FORUM DAILY**In Arizona, Catholic bishops are concerned about a state ballot measure that would, among other things, make unauthorized entry of foreign-born people a state crime, reports John Lavenburg of Crux [link removed]. ??

The bishops urged federal solutions to border challenges and expressed concern that the measure would make immigrant communities less likely to trust local law enforcement. As a result, "many crime victims and witnesses will be afraid to go to law enforcement and report crimes," they said.??

Law enforcement officials have raised concerns [link removed] about other states' similar efforts.??

Separately, in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [link removed] op-ed, evangelical pastors Barrett Marcantel and Jonathan Misirian urge Christians to consider "the biblical commands to practice hospitality toward immigrants"??together with the need for security. "We urge our representatives to pursue policies that prioritize both compassion and security, not merely one or the other," the pair conclude.??

Emerging efforts in Congress by Reps. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) and Tom Suozzi (D-New York) may offer some hope in this regard, Jennie and Glenn Hamer, Texas Association of Business president and CEO and Forum board member, write in the Houston Chronicle [link removed].??

"Border and immigration policy can both prioritize security and honor the dignity of all people," they write. "But only if Democrats and Republicans come to the table and pass legislation that can finally bring our immigration system into the 21st century."??

Welcome to Friday'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, Ally Villarreal and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected] mailto:[email protected].??

**CHALLENGES, BENEFITS** - In the short term, immigrant arrivals can cause??infrastructure and logistical challenges for states and cities - but they also provide both short- and long-term economic benefits, Marketplace's [link removed] Mitchell Hartman reports in an in-depth piece. "Jobs ultimately come from economic growth," said economist Michael Clemens. "And new people joining the American economy are a cornerstone of economic growth." In New York City, meanwhile, schools Chancellor David C. Banks says new arrivals are a "godsend," Troy Closson of The New York Times [link removed] reports.??

**BOOM** - Speaking of growth: Columbus, Ohio, is experiencing an "economic and cultural boom" as the area welcomes more foreign-born residents, Mayor Andrew Ginther and Don DePerro highlight in a USA Today [link removed] op-ed. "Our??American-born labor force is aging [link removed], and??Ohioans are having fewer children [link removed]," they write. "Welcoming refugees is not just the right thing to do, it also makes economic sense."??

**LONG JOURNEYS** -??Last Friday marked three years since the conclusion of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and several outlets have shared emotional stories of allies who've resettled, those still waiting, and Americans who've worked to help provide welcome. Here are some that caught our eye, and also read Jennie's op-ed in The Hill [link removed] (in case you missed it).??

* We escaped from Afghanistan. We landed in Houston. Where are we now? (Claudia Kolker, The Washington Post [link removed])??

* From Mazar to Manhattan: How a young couple escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan (Monica Haider, CNN [link removed])??

* When the US left Kabul, these Americans tried to help Afghans left behind. It still haunts them (Rebecca Santana??and??Farnoush Amiri, Associated Press [link removed])??

* From Kabul to keel laying: Afghan immigrants find new careers at US shipyards (Valerie Insinna, Breaking Defense [link removed]) ??

**WELCOMING WEEK** - Mark your calendars: Welcoming Week is Sept. 13-22. It got an early start in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Tom??Giffey of Volume One [link removed] magazine reports, with photos by??Andrea??Paulseth. "Showing newcomers Eau Claire is a welcoming community is an important first step towards helping them find a home here," said Chippewa Valley Museum Director Carrie Ronnander. "When new residents feel like this is their place, they are more willing to invest in the community and care for it."??

Thanks for reading, ??

Dan??

**P.S.** Paralympians' triumphs always amaze. Last week, taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi, originally from Afghanistan, won the first medal for the Refugee Paralympic Team, Tom Nouvian of the Associated Press [link removed] reports. Her story is a must-read.??

**??**

[link removed]

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

[link removed]

Unsubscribe from this email list [link removed] or opt out from all Forum emails [link removed]

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