NOORANI'S NOTES

 

 

With the first COVID-19 vaccines making their way across the country,
America is one step closer to stopping the spread of the pandemic. But
if the 10.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S are too afraid to
get the vaccine because of their immigration status, the health of the
country will continue to be at risk, writes James Witte, director of the
Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University, in an
op-ed for NBC News
.
To reach herd immunity and create a "new normal," Witte writes, "will
take an extra effort to reach out to the most vulnerable and essential
members of our communities and persuade them to help both themselves and
the rest of us."

This is especially true considering the nation's reliance on immigrant
populations in food production and other essential jobs during the
pandemic. About 70% of the U.S. farming labor force

is made up of undocumented farmworkers, and 17% of  health care workers

- including 24% of direct health care positions like home health care
workers - are immigrants.

Welcome to Wednesday'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]
.

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**BIRTH ON THE RIO GRANDE** - The story of Honduran migrant Merín,
who went into labor and gave birth right after crossing the Rio Grande,
highlights the risks migrants face in order to seek better lives in the
U.S, reports Nomaan Merchant for the Associated Press
.
"Increasing numbers of parents and children are crossing the border
driven by violence and poverty in Central America and growing
desperation in migrant camps in Mexico," Merchant writes. Most put their
lives in the hands of smugglers who control the crossings and threaten
violence if they are not obeyed, with one telling Merín that "we will
cut your head off" if she tried to cross the border without paying them.
Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the
Rio Grande Valley, said migrants should be able to enter the U.S. before
pursuing immigration cases so they don't put their lives at risk with
smugglers: "There needs to be a process for that, and it doesn't exist
at this point."

**"MARRIED THE WOMAN WHO I LOVE"**- The CARES Act excluded
undocumented immigrants and their families from receiving federal
assistance in the wake of the pandemic, leaving about 5.1 million U.S.
citizens or permanent resident immigrants without the $1,200 per tax
payer and $500 for each dependent child that other families received,
writes Julia Preston for The Marshall Project
.
Roy Wright of Baltimore is one citizen who was denied funds because of
his wife's immigration status - leaving him struggling to support a
family of six children, including a son with mental disabilities, while
his car wash business is on the brink of closure. Wright says the
government is punishing him and his family: "I'm an American. I
don't understand why I can't get my stimulus because I married the
woman who I love."

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**PROTECT OUR COURTS**-

****New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo yesterday signed the Protect Our Courts
Act, which prevents U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
officials from making arrests at courthouses without a signed warrant,
per Denis Slattery for the New York Daily News
.
ICE arrests at courthouses increased exponentially under the Trump
administration, jumping by 1,700% from 2016 to 2019, according to the
Immigration Defense Project. The New York law enshrines a federal
judge's order banning ICE from the practice. "This new law is a
powerful rebuke to the outgoing Trump administration and their
immigration policies that have undermined our judicial system," said
state Sen. Brad Hoylman, who sponsored the bill. "After today, New
York's courts will no longer be hunting grounds for federal agents
attempting to round up and initiate deportation proceedings against
immigrants."

**OH, CANADA** - Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said yesterday
that the incoming Biden administration will make it harder on Canada to
compete in attracting talented immigrants to their country, writes Andy
Blatchford for Politico Pro

[paywall]. Thanks to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown,
Canada had a leg up on attracting immigrant students and workers over
the past four years, generating a crucial economic bump for the country.
Macklem stressed the benefits of having a diverse and skilled workforce
and the importance of attracting foreign investment: "Being a welcoming
country remains an important advantage and immigration creates economic
capacity." Yup, we are making America better than Canada again. (No
offense Canada; you are wonderful.)

Thanks for reading,

Ali

 

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