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RURAL REFUGEES — "There are signs of growing support for refugees in unlikely places: largely rural, conservative states where the former president and his far-right immigration policies were popular," Kirk Siegler writes for NPR. "Idaho, Nebraska and North Dakota often ranked at the top of the nation in per capita refugee resettlement before President Donald Trump dramatically reduced the annual caps," he points out, adding that these states have some of the lowest employment rates in the country and worsening labor shortages. "Without the refugees coming in, it has created a shortage for my company and our ability to provide great care to our clients," said Pete Amador, CEO of A Better Care Home Health in Idaho. "HI PRESIDENT BIDEN, I’M LAURA" — Speaking of refugees, don’t miss our latest two-part episode of Only in America. For Part I, I spoke with Edafe Okporo, a global gay rights activist and refugee shelter director, about his experience with the U.S. asylum system. I also talked to Jenny Yang, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief, about the growing need for refugee resettlement. Part II, released yesterday, opens with a message to President Biden from a woman named Laura — one of many women across the country who participated in a campaign to leave voicemails for the president urging an increased refugee ceiling. The campaign was spearheaded by We Welcome Refugees, and director Tess Clarke joined me to discuss the campaign and the importance of refugee resettlement to women of faith. RELIEF GRANTS — Undocumented and international college students are now eligible for emergency pandemic relief grants, reports Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of The Washington Post. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona lifted a controversial ban imposed by his predecessor, Betsy DeVos, that excluded these students from federal aid. The unclear guidance meant an estimated "7.5 million undergraduate and graduate students did not apply for federal aid, including many who would qualify if they did," notes Douglas-Gabriel. "What this does is really simplify the definition of a student," Cardona said. "It makes it easier for colleges to administer the program and get the money in the hands of students sooner."
TITLE 42 — Monica Campbell of PRI’s The World shares the story of Luis and his disabled nine-year-old daughter, who were turned back to Reynosa, Mexico, via the pandemic-era Title 42 policy. Since last April, more than 700,000 people have been turned away at the U.S.-Mexico border under the policy. Under the rule, U.S. border officials aren’t required to ask questions before turning migrants away. But after being noticed by aid workers in Reynosa, Luis and his daughter, who has spina bifida, were connected to legal aid and granted humanitarian parole. "I think that it’s awful that you have to be lucky enough to run into two Americans," said Felicia Rangel-Samponaro, lead organizer of The Sidewalk School, referring to herself and another humanitarian worker who helped Luis. "What are the odds that you're going to get to run into one of us? It's a long shot." "EVERY DAY IS A NEW ONE" — For Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, "presiding over naturalization ceremonies … is personal." Time’s Brian Bennett and Alana Abramson profile Mayorkas’ journey from Cuban refugee to DHS Secretary, and how his personal and professional experience inform his role helping the president "achieve his goal of managing a broken immigration system through a mix of empathy and law enforcement." Mayorkas says his mother's optimism, despite being a refugee twice over and losing family in the Holocaust, informs his approach to running DHS: "Every day is a new one, something beautiful can happen, something tragic can happen, but every day is a new life, and therefore we have an obligation to be better today than we were yesterday and tomorrow than we are today." Thanks for reading, Ali |
