Restoring and bolstering the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program under the incoming Biden administration is not just a moral imperative, but a national security one too — that’s the focus of a new report from Elizabeth Neumann, a senior advisor to the Forum who served as assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention at the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration.

"The United States has a storied history as a global leader and beacon of hope in providing refuge to individuals fleeing persecution. Our moral and humanitarian leadership in welcoming refugees sets an example and encourages other countries to do so as well. It is time to reaffirm the long-standing principle that admitting refugees to the United States is in our national interest. Admitting refugees has not only a foreign policy benefit but an economic one as well. Together these benefits strengthen our national security," the report reads.

However, Sandra Sanchez at Border Report points out that given the dismantling of the system under the Trump administration, restoring a robust refugee resettlement program will require significant funding from Congress and re-engagement with global allies, as well as investments to speed up vetting and processing.

On a virtual panel hosted by the Forum yesterday, Neumann cautioned lawmakers: "Congress is going to have to work quickly to provide the budget and necessary funds to process 125,000 people. Don’t play into the nativist’s hands and give them the excuse to shut everything down in four years. Make sure you stay committed to security."

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].

CONSENSUS – From raising the refugee admissions cap to reuniting separated migrant families to granting Dreamers permanent legal status, the incoming Biden administration will face a slew of challenges and competing priorities when it comes to immigration policy. Common-sense policy reforms will be critical, and as I told Liz Robbins for The Appeal,  a "smart use of law enforcement resources" would be a return to the priority enforcement policies during the latter part of the Obama administration, in which only undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes were targeted for removal. And while we can and should push for sensible reforms, "[t]his is a deeply divided country and those of us outside government have a responsibility to find points of consensus."

$2.6 BILLION – The Trump administration is rushing to build out more of its border wall before Inauguration Day — and construction is causing "environmental damage, preventing animals from moving freely and scarring unique mountain and desert landscapes that conservationists fear could be irreversible." The administration has cited national security interests in order to bypass environmental laws and make good on the president’s signature promise on immigration, Anita Snow of the Associated Press reports. As Josh Dawsey and Nick Miroff write in The Washington Post,  should President-elect Biden follow through on his promise to not build "another foot" of the wall and halt construction on his first day in office, the U.S. government would save about $2.6 billion, per U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates. 

300 DAYS – A draft report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, obtained by BuzzFeed News, reveals that "[n]early a dozen immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement were kept in solitary confinement for more than two months, including two people who were isolated for more than 300 days." Per BuzzFeed’s Hamed Aleaziz, the report found that officials at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California, used solitary confinement "as a long term ‘solution’ for immigrants in ‘protective custody,’ or those who need special supervision or housing due to risks to their safety." Inspectors also found that detainees received inadequate medical checks and that "food at the facility had expired and gone moldy."

REFUGEE REPRESENTATION – Sesame Street has two new neighbors: Twin six-year-old Rohingya refugees named Noor and Aziz will be featured on the Sesame Workshop’s humanitarian program, Play to Learn, a project in partnership with the International Rescue Committee and BRAC "that brings play-based learning to children displaced by conflict," Adele Peters writes for Fast Company. The program began airing in Jordan and Lebanon earlier this year, as well as in refugee camps in Bangladesh, to help refugee children cope with trauma and anxiety and connect with adults about their fears. Sherrie Westin, president of social impact at Sesame Workshop, told Fast Company: "We’re at a stage now where we feel like we can have something that really resonates, that they’ve never experienced before. … Most of these children will have never seen characters like themselves in media or content."

PAYING IT FORWARD – In an opinion piece for the Staten Island Advance, George Tarr, deputy director at the nonprofit African Refuge, writes about the urge he felt to help his neighbors as the COVID-19 pandemic devastated his community — much the same way strangers helped him when he first arrived in America as a seven-year-old refugee after he lost his father and grandfather in Liberia’s 14-year civil war. He’s seen the same desire to help in the thousands of other refugees who have helped keep the country running by serving as essential workers: "I just want to pay forward the kindness I’ve received. So many Americans are doing the same, no matter where they come from. I only hope the next administration will be as welcoming and generous as the people of this great country."

Thanks for reading,

Ali