With COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans top of mind for many state leaders, advocates are urging officials not to tie vaccination access to immigration status — and to make a real effort to build trust in vulnerable communities.

In Nebraska, as reported by Andrew Ozaki at KETV Omaha, Gov. Pete Ricketts said in a Monday briefing that the state will prioritize U.S. citizens and legal residents for the vaccine — despite undocumented workers playing a critical role in pandemic response nationwide, putting them at particular risk for infection. The plan to prioritize residents based on immigration status regardless is "not only inhumane but frustrates the public health effort," said Nebraska Appleseed's Program Service Director James Goddard. "I'm not aware of any other state taking or announcing such an inappropriate public health approach to the vaccine."

Another distribution challenge? Many undocumented immigrants’ reluctance to receive the vaccine over fears of deportation or other legal consequences. The harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies of the Trump administration have deeply eroded community trust, WGBH Boston’s Tori Bedford reports.

"(It's) not because immigrants are trying to be difficult but because the Trump administration has created such tremendous fear and insecurity in immigrant communities that the trust has been broken," said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal of Lawyers for Civil Rights. "It's going to take a significant effort from public health officials and local governments to fill that trust gap so that immigrants can come forth for vaccination."

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].

NEW DACA RECIPIENTS (LONG OVERDUE) — Although courts blocked President Trump’s attempt to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2017, new DACA applications have been on pause — until a judge’s ruling late last year. Since then, more than 170 new applicants have obtained DACA, Larry Neumeister and Nomaan Merchant report for the Associated Press. As we’ve noted, more than 1.3 million people are eligible for DACA; fewer than half currently have it. And the future of the program remains in jeopardy.

IN SHERIFFS WE TRUST — Two new county sheriffs are trying to build trust with immigrant communities right off the bat by canceling 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In South Carolina, Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano followed through on a promise to end the county’s participation in 287(g), reports Chase Laudenslager of WCBD News 2. Graziano said that the agreement has led to "a breakdown of trust between the sheriff’s office and local immigrant communities." To Charleston’s west, new Gwinnett County, Georgia, Sheriff Keybo Taylor has ended his office’s participation as part of an effort to "[retool] the law enforcement culture," writes Tamar Hallerman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We will not keep anybody in jail under an ICE detainer," Taylor said. "If ICE or anybody else brings someone to the Gwinnett County jail and they have a legitimate warrant assigned by a judge, then we will honor that."

FIND A BALANCE — Elsewhere on the law enforcement front, President-elect Biden has the support of law enforcement officials for his Homeland Security secretary pick Alejandro Mayorkas, Shaun Courtney reports in Bloomberg Government. As a deputy secretary under President Obama, Mayorkas won favor for reaching out to local law enforcement such as Fresno County, California, Sheriff Margaret Mims. Should he be confirmed, Mayorkas’ challenge will be to strike a balance between secure borders and compassion for migrants. But as I told Shaun, Mayorkas is uniquely qualified to strive for that balance.

NEW BARRIERS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is touting the construction of 450 miles of barriers along the border with Mexico, Lauren Villagran reports for the El Paso Times. But as she notes, "[m]ost of the new steel-and-concrete fencing has replaced existing barriers" — and taxpayers, not Mexico, footed the bill. Of CBP’s six regions, the El Paso sector saw the most new fencing with 131 miles. Elsewhere along the border, 114 miles of new barriers in the Tucson sector in Arizona include environmentally sensitive ecosystems and sites sacred to native tribes, and "[c]onstruction has also transformed isolated, previously undisturbed mountain ranges that have seen very little illegal traffic in the past."

UNDOCUMENTED MOMHOOD — Laura Rodriguez is many things — fashion designer, activist, mom, eco-friendly business owner — and an undocumented immigrant. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, she’s been in Iowa for more than 10 years and recently started a podcast, "Undocumented Momhood," to share her experiences, Kassidy Arena reports for Iowa Public Radio. Rodriguez told Iowa Public Radio she wants to put a face on immigration, and talking to people about her perspectives may help make Iowa an even more welcoming place. "Talking about immigration is not easy," she said, adding that she "wants to learn for people. That way she will bring up all the questions, and other people just have to listen."

Thanks for reading,

Ali