The Biden administration’s Keeping Families Together program was struck down on Thursday, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News. 

The program (see our explainer) would allow undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens already eligible for legal status and eventual citizenship to proceed without risking years of separation, Montoya-Galvez notes. Texas and other states challenged it.  

Meanwhile, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in Texas [and across the nation] fear for their future under the incoming Trump administration, reports Stella M. Chávez of KERA. 

While legal experts say there’s no clear indication as to what, if anything, the Trump administration will do with DACA, it continues to face legal challenges in court.  

"We need to keep making our voices heard, our stories shared. I hope people like me and other DACA recipients can take courage to continue fighting and advocate for ourselves," said Edilsa Lopez, a DACA recipient and advocate who plans to become a lawyer.  

Advocates say current recipients should make sure their protections are up to date, Chávez notes. 

Jean Lantz Reisz, a law professor at the University of Southern California, analyzes potential legal implications for DACA recipients and other immigrants without permanent status under the second Trump administration on her piece for The Conversation. 

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, Soledad Gassó Parker, Camilla Luong, Clara Villatoro and Becka Wall. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

RESETTLEMENT — The United States resettled 7,629 refugees in October. The total includes 1,722 from Afghanistan. Don’t miss the harrowing story of a doctor and two lawyers in Canada who themselves helped more than a thousand Afghans evacuate. That’s on The Globe and Mail’s podcast The Decibel.  

This week in local welcome: 

ECONOMIC RENEWAL — An increase in immigrants is what many say saved the pork plant and ultimately the economy of Beardstown, Illinois, reports Frank Fuhrig of Reason. University of Illinois professor Faranak Miraftab wrote a book on Beardstown following its rejuvenation thanks to new immigrants. "Towns around Beardstown are boarded up and are ghost towns. Beardstown shines thanks to its immigrants," she said. Separately, President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plans could slow Minnesota’s economy, reports Evan Ramstad of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Reuters has more on the potential effects, as does the Forum's recent resource on the costs. 

STATE HELP — Washington state has launched its Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support Project (MASS), reports Sabinna Pierre of KGW8. The program will help meet short-term basic needs for new migrants who are ineligible for federal refugee services. "This collective approach will help us build a more sustainable system of support for migrants and asylum seekers ... empowering them to thrive in our communities in Washington," said Sarah Peterson, director of the state’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance. 

PREPARATIONS — The Biden administration is preparing for a potential increase in border crossings before Donald Trump takes office, report Julia Ainsley and Didi Martinez of NBC News. Smugglers have been urging people in Central and South America to migrate immediately, they report. But for migrants on the journey through Mexico, Trump’s win has caused uncertainty and diverging paths, Daniel Becerril and Lizbeth Diaz of Reuters report. 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan 

P.S. Para nuestra audiencia en español, compartimos el análisis post-electoral de Carleth Moreles de PR Noticias, que incluye algunas reflexiones de Jennie sobre el futuro de algunas políticas migratorias bajo la nueva administración.