The Forum Daily | Thursday, February 13, 2025https://immigrationforum.org/

**THE FORUM DAILY**Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is drawing a line when it comes to the immigration status of schoolchildren, reports Nuria Martinez-Keel of the Oklahoma Voice [link removed]. 

"Collecting 6-, 7-, 8-year-old kids’ addresses and immigration status in the state of Oklahoma, that’s not a public safety issue," Stitt said in his weekly news conference. " ... [L]et’s not terrorize and make our kids not show up at school." 

Elsewhere around the country, support for immigrant communities is shining through. In Houston last night, advocates gathered to express solidarity with their immigrant neighbors in a rally titled "From Houston with Love," reports Maria Aguilera of KHOU 11 [link removed]. 

Across California, hundreds of high school and college students have protested this week in support of immigrant communities, as Jose Franco of KGET.com [link removed], Erika Towne of The Silicon Valley Voice [link removed] and Jennah Pendleton of The Sacramento Bee [link removed] have reported. 

Several local organizations and universities in Scranton, Pennsylvania, will host a prayer vigil for immigrants and refugees Monday, per Royal News [link removed] at the University of Scranton. And the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) thanked Pope Francis for his support regarding immigration the same day the pontiff posted a letter [link removed] addressing American immigration policies, reports Kate Scanlon of OSV News [link removed]. 

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio wrote, "I ask for your continued prayers so that we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all." 

Amen. 

Welcome to Thursday’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] mailto:[email protected]. 

**LAWSUITS** — Advocates have sued the Trump administration demanding that migrants moved to Guantánamo Bay have access to legal assistance, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News [link removed]. The family of one man transferred there say he is not a criminal, as Julie Turkewitz and Hamed Aleaziz of The New York Times [link removed] report. Meanwhile, yesterday the U.S. Department of Justice sued New York state officials, including the governor, alleging failure to enforce federal immigration law, report Andrew Goudsward and Sarah N. Lynch of Reuters [link removed].  

**BORDER BUDGET** — During a closed-door meeting, White House officials sat down with Republican senators and asked for $175 billion to be set aside in the budget for immigration enforcement, reports Alexander Bolton of The Hill [link removed]. Funding for scaled-up deportation efforts is running out, and how to provide more has divided congressional Republicans, Bolton reports. 

**UNCERTAINTY** — As immigration crackdowns continue, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients’ uncertainty for their future increases, reports Nicole Acevedo of NBC News [link removed]. Advocates are urging recipients to renew as early as possible. Legal challenges to DACA date to Trump’s initial attempt to end it in 2017. "Polls [link removed] and surveys  [link removed] consistently shown that most U.S. adults favor granting permanent legal status [link removed] and a pathway to citizenship [link removed]" to people brought to the U.S. as children [link removed], Acevedo points out. 

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**DEBT OF GRATITUDE’** — A bipartisan bill aims to expedite visas for the children of Filipino World War II veterans, who have spent decades separated from their families because of immigration backlogs, reports Victoria Budiono of the Star Advertiser [link removed]. "We owe these veterans an immense debt of gratitude, and it is our responsibility to honor their sacrifice," said Rep. Jennifer Kiggans (R-Virginia). Separately, veterans group Common Defense is advocating for the release of an Iraq War veteran who was detained a few weeks ago, reports Jimmy Jenkins of the Arizona Republic [link removed].  

**CONSEQUENCES** — The recent executive orders on immigration could affect Ohio’s small businesses, with ripple effects across the country, Robert Ratliff writes in an Akron Beacon Journal [link removed] op-ed. Immigrant-owned businesses are in every sector of the U.S. economy and provide employment and services, Ratliff writes. 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan 

**P.S.** In the Maryville (Missouri) Forum [link removed], Meghann M. Kosman reflects on the "need to humanize ‘others’" and shares her eye-opening experiences during a recent border visit with We Welcome [link removed]. 

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