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THE FORUM DAILY
The federal government is pausing assistance for immigrants who arrived legally under three Biden-era programs, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News.
The measure affects Uniting for Ukraine and two initiatives for certain Latin American countries, under which hundreds of thousands of foreigners legally entered the U.S. under parole, Montoya-Galvez notes.
Separately, the Department of the Interior sent a memo Tuesday instructing lawyers working on cases for unaccompanied migrant children to stop their work, as part of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, reports Paul Flahive of Texas Public Radio.
"This decision flies in the face of decades of work and bipartisan cooperation spent ensuring children who have been trafficked or are at risk of trafficking have child-friendly legal representatives protecting their legal rights and interests," said Shaina Aber, executive director of Acacia Center for Justice.
The Trump administration also is tightening requirements for sponsors of migrant children, report Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz of The New York Times.
Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s VP of strategic communications, 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].
DEPORTATIONS — A team at The New York Times reports on alarming conditions in Panama for deportees from around the world, including children, that the country has accepted from the United States. No matter your faith, don’t miss the last quote. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is directing its investigations division to focus on deportations rather than illicit drugs, human trafficking and terrorist activities, reports Josh Meyer of USA Today. Seems like a good moment to re-up our immigration principles.
UNSAFE — How the uncertainty around mass deportation affects individuals and communities is the focus of WBUR’s latest "On Point," from Paige Sutherland and Deborah Becker. Listeners also hear from migrants and from local voices in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Pastor Juan Peña shares in The Denver Post the painful experience of witnessing a raid that affected some of his congregation. "This is not the America we aspire to be — this is cruelty, it is inhumane, and it cannot go unchecked," he writes.
More on the human effects:
LOW NUMBERS — The number of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. continues to fall, reaching its lowest level in nearly five years, reports Ted Hesson of Reuters. That gives arriving soldiers less to do, with local officials not sure they’re needed, Arelis R. Hernández of The Washington Post reports. "We’re glad they’re here enjoying our city," said Del Rio, Texas, Mayor Alvaro Arreola. "Even if we haven’t gotten any information about their actual mission." Jack Healy, J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval of The New York Times have more on border realities.
DEPENDENT — Immigrants are the backbone of STEM innovation, the editors of Scientific American write. If the administration decides to crack down on H-1B visa holders, there will be a major shortage of math and science development in America, they write. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that we’ll need a million more STEM workers by 2033, but studies show that only 3 percent of American students are pursuing these professions.
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