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].

 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."

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