The Forum Daily | Tuesday, May 6, 2025https://immigrationforum.org/

**THE FORUM DAILY**A federal judge ordered Monday that the United States admit refugees who were approved and set to enter the country before the president’s executive order halting admissions, reports Monique Merrill of Courthouse News Service [link removed].

The judge also ruled that the number of people who must be admitted is close to 12,000 — as opposed to the government-submitted estimate of 160.

Separately, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will give financial and travel assistance to any unauthorized immigrant in the United States who chooses to self-deport, reports Kevin Bohn of NewsNation [link removed].

The statement released Monday says the government will pay out $1,000 apiece after individuals who self-deport are back in their home country.

The government is framing self-deportation as the "dignified" choice for undocumented immigrants, Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News [link removed] reports, but DHS also spoke about saving the costs of detention and deportation.

From our perspective, the long-term costs to Americans of large-scale removals far outweigh any short-term savings.

Welcome to Tuesday’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, 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]. 

**NASHVILLE** — Nashville officials are looking for answers after a large immigration raid by federal and state law enforcement, reports Stephen Elliott of the Nashville Banner [link removed]. Officers made about 150 traffic stops in Hispanic neighborhoods early Sunday, leading to immigration detentions. "What’s clear today is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm," Mayor Freddie O’Connell said at a press conference. Law enforcement leaders such as retired Dayton, Ohio, Police Chief Richard Biehl have written [link removed] about the harm to community trust that such actions can cause. 

**OK, NOT OK **— Father and community member Hector Sanchez is just one of many people for whom legal immigration pathways are being blocked, reports Alexia Aston of The Oklahoman [link removed]. After losing his temporary protections, Sanchez received an email saying he has two options — leave now or risk deportation. Also in Oklahoma, the Department of Homeland Security is responding to criticism after officers burst into a family’s home at which the suspects listed on the search warrant no longer resided, reports Spencer Humphrey of KFOR [link removed]. 

**CHILDREN'S JOURNEYS** — Children escaping violence and danger in their home countries face many vulnerabilities and hurdles in their journey seeking refuge, reports Diego Oré of Reuters [link removed]. "Migrant children are not finding safety when they cross the border into Mexico; they're finding more fear, more waiting, and more lost time," said Reena Ghelani, chief executive of Plan International, which collaborated with Save the Children on a study about the issue. 

**THIRD COUNTRIES** — The federal government is discussing the possibility of deals with yet more countries, including Angola and Equatorial Guinea, to accept U.S. deportees from third countries, Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News [link removed] reports. The White House’s diplomatic campaign comprises "as many nations as possible — including those with controversial human rights records," Montoya-Galvez reports. Under existing agreements, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador have received third-country deportees. 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan 

**P.S.** This month marks the 50th anniversary of Hmong people’s escape from the communist takeover of Laos in 1975. Many settled in Minnesota, and MPR News [link removed] staff including Lisa Ryan and Kyra Miles are highlighting their contributions as part of the outlet’s ChangeMakers [link removed] series. 

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