Refugee resettlement in the United States hit a 30-year high as the Biden administration focused heavily on rebuilding the system, but concerns are rising about the future of the program under the Trump’s second term, writes Fiona Harrigan of Reason.
The current administration has taken steps to reinforce an orderly, well-vetted system —to our nation’s benefit, she writes.
Conservative Christians are among those concerned about the program’s future, Matthew Soerens writes in a Washington Examiner op-ed.
"As Trump takes office, Christian voters who largely support his policies are praying he will uphold a refugee ceiling of at least 50,000 and ensure that the U.S. continues to be a refuge for those forced to flee persecution," he asserts.
Meanwhile, Kimberley Heatherington of OSV News delves into the particular vulnerability of immigrants who have registered with the U.S. government via Temporary Protected Status, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the Keeping Families Together program.
But more and more faith leaders are expressing support for migrants — including Catholic faith leaders in Tennessee and Kentucky, reports Liam Adams of the Nashville Tennessean.
"We pledge that the Catholic Church in Kentucky and Tennessee will continue to accompany and serve migrants with every possible resource," bishops said in a Dec. 29 statement. Bishops in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas have released similar statements.
And Pope Francis has named Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, an outspoken advocate for migrants, as the next archbishop of Washington, D.C., reports Elizabeth Dias of The New York Times. McElroy recently called the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportation "incompatible with Catholic doctrine."
Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Marcela Aguirre, Jillian Clark, Soledad Gassó Parker and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
JUMPING IN — Week 1 of the new Congress looks likely to include votes on a bill that would mandate detention for undocumented immigrants "charged with theft or burglary," reports Daniella Diaz of Politico. A House vote is expected today, and the Senate could vote as soon as Friday. There, the bill is expected to garner some Democratic votes, report Stef W. Kight and Stephen Neukam of Axios. It would need at least eight to pass.
PRIORITIES — Speaking of the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) questioned the breadth of mass deportation plans in a Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker on Sunday. Thune said those who have committed crimes or who have current deportation orders be priority, reports Maureen Groppe of USA Today. That’s in line with Americans’ responses in polling last month.
H-1B'S — Professionals in the U.S. on H-1B visas drive American innovation and business success and "generate economic ripple effects that benefit the broader population," Arun Agarwal writes in a Dallas Morning News op-ed. The U.S. should "streamline and modernize" H-1B's, writes Agarwal, CEO of Nextt and chair of the Texas Economic Development Corporation (among other leadership roles).
ARIZONA — The Arizona agricultural industry continues to lean on H-2B visas for labor despite the program’s unclear future, report Clara Migoya and Laura Gersony of the Arizona Republic. Elsewhere in the Republic, Ray Stern reports that state law enforcement leaders are requesting $100 million more to implement Proposition 314. And in an op-ed, education consultant Rhonda Cagle highlights how state immigration enforcement can hurt local students. "[L]et all of us learn history’s lessons from SB 1070 so we don’t repeat those same mistakes," she concludes.
