Yesterday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s sweeping actions to restrict asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, report Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein of Politico.
In the ruling, a D.C. District Court Judge said the president’s January 20 proclamation declaring an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border cannot be used to shut down asylum access. He ordered the administration to allow individuals at the border to apply for protection before removing them. The White House said the administration will appeal.
Meanwhile, Trump toured a new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” remarking that he hopes to see similar facilities emerge elsewhere, report Adriana Gomez Licon and Will Weissert of the Associated Press.
Also in Florida, David Fischer and Freida Frisaro of the Associated Press report on how communities fear that neighbors will disappear into county jail systems as legislation requiring local law enforcement to support federal immigration enforcement takes effect.
Additionally, local law enforcement officers across the country are increasingly reluctant to assist with immigration enforcement as their jails and prisons are used to detain people without warrants, reports Brittany Gibson of Axios.
Finally, Republican resistance to the reconciliation bill appeared to be easing last night, reports a team at Roll Call. As of this morning, the House appears on the verge of passing the multibillion-dollar bill, reports The Hill. See the Forum’s analysis of the immigration provisions of the legislation.
A reminder that we’ll be back in your inboxes Monday. We hope you have a restful and fun Fourth of July!
Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Clara Villatoro, the Forum’s assistant VP of strategic communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Callie Jacobson, Broc Murphy and Marcela Aguirre. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
NO PATHWAYS — As the United States wraps up the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) program, advocates and experts are warning how the U.S. is closing all safe and legal pathways for Afghan evacuees, reports Beth Bailey of Reason. The State Department is also disassembling the camp in Qatar that was considered a processing center for those seeking entry through either the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) or the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), leaving those still waiting with limited options.
For more on Afghan refugees:
UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN — In an op-ed for the Texas Observer, Trudy Taylor Smith of the Children’s Defense Fund-Texas criticizes state representatives for their support of policies that strip unaccompanied immigrant children of protections, including access to legal representation. Smith urges Texans to stand together to oppose these policies that “trample children’s rights and make a mockery of due process and the rule of law.”
FAITH COMMUNITIES — Churches in Southern California have been the location of multiple Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests, causing fear throughout the faith community, reports Deborah Brennan of CalMatters. Meanwhile, Melissa Gomez of the Los Angeles Times highlights that clergy and faith leaders are lending support to asylum seekers at immigration courts, in hopes of deterring ICE agents from detaining individuals after their hearings. Emily Belz of Christianity Today notes the barriers these faith leaders are facing as they visit their congregants in detention.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS - In a piece for the Miami Herald, doctors Andrea Soto-López and Zaid Alrashid call attention to the essential and high-quality care that immigrant health care workers provide. They urge Secretary of State Marc Rubio to lift the travel ban for physicians and highlight the severity of the doctor shortage. “The reality is that we can’t afford to lose a single one,” they write. Meanwhile, Kimberly Bonvissuto of McKnights Senior Living reports that the senior living industry is encouraging the administration to develop legal immigration pathways for essential workers as they face persistent staffing shortages.
P.S. To celebrate Independence Day, many cities across the country are holding naturalization ceremonies. Check out some news from North Carolina, Illinois and Louisiana.
