The Forum Daily | Tuesday, January 21, 2025
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THE FORUM DAILY

We knew yesterday’s immigration executive orders likely would be tough, but knowing doesn’t make it easier to see them in print. 

Among much else, the actions would diminish birthright citizenship; at least temporarily halt refugee resettlement and more severely restrict asylum; and initiate expansive enforcement actions that pave the way for mass deportations, as Rebecca Santana, Elliot Spagat and Gisela Salomon of the Associated Press report. Stephen Dinan of The Washington Times has more on the orders.  

The birthright citizenship order would apply not only to children of undocumented parents, but also to babies born to some people in the country lawfully and temporarily, such as those on student, visitor and non-immigrant visas, our policy experts point out. It would not apply retroactively. 

The order would take effect in 30 days, as Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News reports. Several parties already have sued to block it, arguing that it violates the 14th Amendment and federal law, reports Josh Gerstein of Politico. The parties also note that the order could leave some children stateless. 

We also heard President Donald Trump speak about broader goals that can overlap with better immigration policies, such as countering inflation and bolstering American manufacturing. Jennie commented on both facets, and at 2:15 ET tomorrow, she’ll speak during a Facebook Live together with Larry from our policy team, Stewart Verdery of the Council on National Security and Immigration, and the Rev. Gabriel Salguero of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. 

Here’s what you can expect from the Forum and our partners today and in the next four years: We’ll never stop promoting safety, order and compassion, in line with American values. We’ll look for areas of potential, where administration goals overlap with opportunities for policies that benefit all of us, no matter where we were born. We’ll hold the administration accountable when it overreaches. 

We’ll also remain a resource. In addition to updated principles and our early take on Trump’s first 100 days regarding immigration, last week we partnered with the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation to release a paper about the heavy-equipment industry’s labor challenges and potential solutions.  

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

DACA RULING — An appeals court ruled Friday that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is unlawful, but the program remains in place pending further appeals, Ariana Figueroa of States Newsroom reports. It should be noted that President Trump did previously state that he wants to find a solution for Dreamers and those a part of the DACA program. However, as Jennie said previously, "Until Congress takes action, the future will remain uncertain — not just for Dreamers but also for their families, their communities, and their employers and employees. ... Americans want our leaders to create pathways that will allow Dreamers to cement their contributions to the U.S."  

ON THE HILL — The Senate gave final approval to a bill that would crack down on immigration enforcement, report Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V of NBC News. It would require law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who commit nonviolent crimes. 

CANCELED — Nearly immediately, the new administration halted the use of the CBP One app, which encouraged legal, orderly asylum processing at the southern border, report Terrian Spurs and Jonathan Mejia of Fox 26 Houston. Meanwhile, under Trump’s order to halt refugee resettlement, the flights of nearly 1,600 Afghans already cleared to resettle are being canceled, reports Jonathan Landay of Reuters. "[U]naccompanied children, (Afghan) partner forces who trained, fought and died or were injured alongside our troops, and families of active-duty U.S. service members are going to be stuck," said Shawn VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac coalition of U.S. veterans and advocacy groups.  

DEPORTATIONS’ SPECTER — Herminia, an undocumented mother to two U.S.-born children, talks about her fears with Michael Barbaro of The New York Times’ "The Daily." She plans to keep the blinds closed, attend church virtually, and stop traveling outside her home. "How am I? Scared, worried, but praying God that nothing happens to us," she says. Meanwhile, Lauren Villagran of USA Today highlights the difficulty of finding immigrants with criminal records — whom Americans want to be the priority for deportations, as Jennie points out in the piece. 

THE HELPERS — We’ll also keep sharing heartening stories of local welcome and support — these local connections are how the immigration conversation eventually will shift. (Please send us examples we might otherwise miss!) Here’s a sample on this first full day of a new administration: 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan