A bipartisan pair of lawmakers reintroduced legislation yesterday that would provide legal status and access to work authorization to some undocumented workers, reports Ryan Nobles of NBC News.
The Dignity Act, introduced by Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) would allow undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States before 2021 to apply for seven years of protection. Immigrants who enroll would not be able to access federal public benefits or a path to citizenship, Nobles notes.
The bill makes an exception for Dreamers and provides a pathway to citizenship for that group. It also increases border security measures, reports Jeff Abbott of the El Paso Times.
“We are pleased to see a bipartisan effort that provides reasonable solutions to our immigration challenges, and this serves as an example of the cooperation we need,” said Jennie in a statement yesterday. “We are encouraged to see several ongoing discussions focused on building a more effective immigration system.”
The Evangelical Immigration Table also showed support for the initiative. For more details on the legislation, see the Forum’s bill summary.
Separately, a Texas lawmaker has filed legislation to revamp a temporary farmworker program, reports Berenice Garcia of The Texas Tribune.
As lawmakers continue proposing solutions, the administration fired fifteen immigration judges on Friday, reports Ximena Bustillo of NPR. The new round of layoffs adds up to the previous 50 immigration judges who were let go in the last six months.
Welcome to Wednesday’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].
ECONOMIC COSTS — With undocumented immigrants making up over half of the state’s farm workers, Florida is facing challenges due to the administration’s shift on immigration policies, reports Claire Galt of WINK News. The Florida Policy Institute warns of significant economic losses that could drive up grocery store prices.
SUBPOENAS — Immigration authorities are requesting landlords across the country to hand over information on their tenants as a part of the effort to increase deportations, reports R.J. Rico of the Associated Press. Although the landlords received subpoenas signed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) anti-fraud unit, legal experts argue that compliance is optional without a judge’s signature. Anthony Luna, the CEO of Coastline Equity, a property management company, criticized the move: “If they’re going after criminals, why aren’t they going through court documents?”
OUT OF REACH – New fees included in a recent bill passed by Congress made asylum applications out of reach for many immigrants in Houston, reports Julián Aguilar of the Houston Chronicle. These added fees can cost over $900 per asylum application. According to John Dutton, a local immigration attorney, since the fees were recently approved the payment system is confusing or unavailable, yet judges have denied his clients’ request to stay in the country listing the fees as a reason.
TOUGH DECISIONS — Immigrant parents are increasingly filling out caregiver authorization affidavits to ensure their children have a designated adult in case they are deported, reports Jenny Gold of the Los Angeles Times. Last week, Sonia, a mother from Mexico, faced this difficult decision as she filled out the form allowing her sister to watch her three children. According to a recent report, nearly 5.62 million U.S. children live with an undocumented parent and are going through this same situation as immigration raids continue.
For more stories on the impact of immigration policies:
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A mother and her four U.S.-born children were detained in Portland, Oregon, for two weeks, violating federal policy. (Troy Brynelson, KNKX)
