In a new documentary, Pope Francis calls the Trump administration’s family separation policy “cruelty of the highest form,” J.D. Long-García writes for America Magazine. “It’s cruelty, and separating kids from parents goes against natural rights,” the pope said. “It’s something a Christian cannot do.” His remarks come on the heels of reporting earlier this week that lawyers were unable to locate the parents of 545 children separated from their parents at the border in 2017.

The candidates were asked about family separation in last night’s final presidential debate, where President Trump denied responsibility for the hundreds of children who remain separated from their parents. But the administration isn’t just responsible for the policy — it acted intentionally, as a recent draft report from the Department of Homeland Security makes clear.  

Welcome to Friday’s edition of Noorani’s Notes. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].

COUNTERPRODUCTIVE – The Trump administration’s latest proposed restrictions on visas for foreign students and others are “not only short-sighted, but also counterproductive,” writes Elizabeth Neumann in an op-ed for the Austin American-Statesman. Neumann, who served as assistant secretary of counterterrorism and threat prevention at the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration, writes that the rule will hamper our economic strength and imperil national security. The restrictions will have a powerful effect in Texas, where as of 2018-2019, 82,000 international students contributed $2.2 billion to the economy and created or supported more than 25,000 jobs. The changes also abandon American values: “Once again, the administration is turning its back on the global communities that the U.S. has built its humanitarian mission around assisting.”  

MORE REPORTS OF ABUSE – At least 19 women at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia have alleged that they were either subject to or pressured to undergo “overly aggressive” or “medically unnecessary” gynecological surgeries, reports Molly O’Toole for the Los Angeles Times. “Many alleged victims, the vast majority of whom are Black and Latino, from the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America, are coming forward for the first time to report their allegations of mistreatment since a nurse at the facility filed the 27-page whistleblower complaint last month,” O’Toole writes.

SWAY – The allegations of abuse at Irwin “hit especially close to home for Latinos in Georgia,” a group that may help sway the traditionally red swing state in November, Audrey Wilson writes for Foreign Policy. Although some advocates are concerned that a potential Biden administration will not address issues important to them, many in Cobb and Gwinnett counties in the Atlanta suburbs plan to vote in opposition to President Trump’s immigration policies. In Gwinnett County, the Trump administration has detained more immigrants than any other county not on the U.S.-Mexico border.

VISUALIZED DATA – In a piece for BBC News, Ed Lowther offers seven charts summarizing the effects of President Trump’s policies on the U.S. immigration system. Among the findings: The number of Mexican-born immigrants living in the U.S. has fallen steadily as “net migration — the number of people moving to the U.S. minus those moving out of the U.S. — has fallen to its lowest level for a decade.” Driving factors behind the trend include harsher visa restrictions — while more people are getting temporary visas, fewer are obtaining permanent ones — and refugee admissions dropping to record lows. Meanwhile, detentions at the border are rising significantly.

RE-APPREHENDED – Peruvian immigrant Julio Colcas, initially released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because he is considered high-risk for COVID-19, was re-apprehended even as the number of cases continues to rise nationwide, reports Matt Katz for WNYC. Colcas, a green card holder who has lived in the U.S. for 40 years and lives in New Jersey with his family, got a job after his release from ICE custody in mid-April. He also sought treatment for mental illness, spent time with his family, and checked in monthly with ICE officers — until he was put back in handcuffs at his most recent meeting. “If I leave here, I leave here in a body bag,” Colcas said. “I’m not going back …. My whole life is here, ya know? All I know is here.”

‘DEADLY DISCRIMINATION’ – A “model minority” myth that has brushed over the challenges many Asian Americans face, a health care system lacking cultural sensitivity, and a recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes have combined to disproportionately harm Asian Americans in San Francisco during the pandemic, Marco della Cava reports as part of USA Today’s six-part “Deadly Discrimination” series. Asian Americans make up just over a third of the city’s population but have borne the brunt of COVID-19, accounting for 38% of the city’s deaths related to the virus. “In many cases, Asian Americans in this city have received imprecise or no information in their native language about testing, safety tips, housing and other critical care services during the pandemic,” della Cava writes.  

Thanks for reading,

Ali