THE FORUM DAILY

Today, in honor of Citizenship Week, we’re handing The Forum Daily reins to Andrea Castaneda-Lauver, our Business Engagement and Inclusion Programs Associate. Enjoy, and thank you, Andrea!

Welcome to the Forum Daily! I am excited to share a personal milestone and a key part of our work here at the National Immigration Forum.

Today, I will take the oath to become a U.S. citizen, marking a significant and deeply meaningful step in my journey. Having immigrated from El Salvador with my family when I was just 5 years old and living under Temporary Protected Status throughout my formative years, this moment symbolizes both a personal celebration and a profound sense of responsibility.

My immigrant experience has profoundly shaped my perspective. When I say, "Immigrants make our communities better," I am picturing the faces of my family and friends. I picture their beautiful contributions to their communities and the immense strength they bring to our American workforce. Before embarking on my work at the Forum, I served as a pastor for many years, where I developed a deep understanding of the diverse challenges our communities face. My role as pastor instilled in me a strong commitment to service and justice, values that continue to guide my work today.

At the National Immigration Forum, my focus is on connecting businesses with the resources to help their immigrant employees reach their highest potential in the workforce. Specifically, I get to help businesses in the Houston area utilize our citizenship services program to empower their eligible employees to naturalize. Read more about our Citizenship Assistance work.

Becoming a U.S. citizen is not only a privilege but also a responsibility I take very seriously. It empowers me to advocate more effectively for those who share my aspirations and dreams. I am committed to using my voice and experience to champion the needs and rights of immigrants, ensuring that we fully realize, recognize and support their contributions and potential.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Together, we can build a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

Big thanks to the regular Forum Daily team which includes Jillian Clark, Dan Gordon, Soledad Gassó-Parker, Darika Verdugo and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to Clara at [email protected].

COMMITMENT — Naturalized citizens’ "commitment to our elections and making their voices heard should inspire their fellow Americans who may take that right to vote for granted," writes the editorial board for The Dallas Morning News. As the editorial board points out, this commitment comes after a long wait to become citizens, for many it means a process of a decade or even more. To learn more about the naturalization process and its length, Kurt Snibbe of The Orange County Register takes a closer look at the process.

CELEBRATION — At Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, 616 people became American citizens in a naturalization ceremony last week, reports Nathan Brennan of KCTV5. Naturalization ceremonies are taking place nationwide this Citizenship Week. Here are a few more to check out:

• Twenty-seven new Americans take their new responsibilities as citizens in a naturalization ceremony in Madison, Wisconsin. (Grace Houdek, WKOW)
• Fifty-five people from 19 countries also took the oath in San Antonio, Texas. (KENS5)
• The Miami University Regionals campus in Hamilton, Ohio, also hosted a naturalization ceremony. (Nick Graham, Journal-News)

TEMPORARY — Florida is one of the top destinations for Venezuelans. Now with 178,000 pending immigration court cases in the state, many of them can only wait and see if they will be granted asylum, reports Nancy Guan for WUSF.  While many Venezuelans were able to receive temporary protected status (TPS), families recognize that they need long-term immigration solutions. As Edgar, a Venezuelan grandfather and former university professor said in Spanish, for now their status and the security it provides is "all temporary" until they see long-term solutions. "The [U.S.] government can change, the politics and laws can change," he said.

SMUGGLING — Mexican cartels are increasingly using young Americans to smuggle fentanyl across the border, reports Gustavo Solis and Carlos Castillo of KPBS. Despite some politicians claiming that migrants do most of the smuggling, over 90% of seizures take place at the legal ports of entry, according to data from Customs and Border Protections. In addition, 86% of those charged with fentanyl smuggling are American citizens, according to the United States Sentencing Commission, Solis and Castillo highlight.

Thanks for reading,

Andrea