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RECONCILIATION — President Biden is backing Democrats’ plan to advance immigration reform via budget reconciliation, reports Annie Karni of The New York Times. Biden said Thursday that White House staff were "putting out a message right now" suggesting "we include in the reconciliation bill the immigration proposal" to provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. A team of immigration activists, researchers, and congressional aides "is currently exploring the question, digging into the best way to present the case" to the Senate parliamentarian, who will determine whether immigration legislation is permitted to advance under budget reconciliation. For more context, catch up on my Facebook Live conversation with Bill Kristol on what reconciliation could mean for reform. ‘TEXAS HAS NO AUTHORITY’ — Attorney General Merrick Garland threatened to sue Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Thursday over a new state order prohibiting non-law enforcement officers from driving undocumented people anywhere, reports Matt Shuham of Talking Points Memo. "Texas has no authority to interfere with the United States’ ‘broad, undoubted power over the subject of immigration’ by impairing the United States’ release of individuals and the ability of those individuals to comply with federal immigration law," said Garland, who essentially warned that the order "would endanger law enforcement, exacerbate crowding in shelters and interfere with court dates for undocumented people," Shuhan writes. TITLE 42 — The Biden administration will not begin its wind-down of pandemic-related Title 42 restrictions — originally planned by the end of this month — due to an increase in Delta variant coronavirus cases and border apprehensions, report Sabrina Rodriguez and Anita Kumar of Politico. The administration also announced plans on Monday "to speed up deportations for some families who cross the U.S.-Mexico border and cannot be expelled under Title 42," a.k.a. expedited removal. The administration is still in negotiations with the ACLU over a lawsuit regarding its use of Title 42, which the ACLU says it is using to restrict immigration.
MANGO HOUSE — For Kaiser Health News, Markian Hawryluk profiles Dr. P.J. Parmar, who started a clinic in Denver designed "to survive on the Medicaid payments that many doctors across the U.S. reject as too low" in order to serve immigrants and refugees who otherwise could not afford health care. Since opening 10 years ago, Mango House has extended its services to provide food and clothing assistance, after-school programs, English classes and legal help. Parmar even leases part of the space to several refugee business owners who he may turn to for patients in need of an interpreter. "This is what I call a medical home," said Parmar, the son of Indian immigrants. While it’s not part of the formal refugee resettlement program, Hawryluk notes, Mango House "is in many ways emblematic of refugee health care in the U.S. ... [which] often relies on individual physicians willing to eke out a living caring for an underserved and under-resourced population." OLYPMIC SPIRIT — This week on Only in America, we're celebrating both the individual victories and collective unity that come out of the Olympics — and the immigrants and refugees whose stories intertwine with the Games. Our latest episode features former Olympian and refugee Makorobondo "Dee" Salukombo, who discussed his love for running and his work as founder of Project Kirotshe, a program that helps children afford training to run races throughout Eastern Africa. Speaking of the Olympics, 18-year-old gymnast and Minnesota native Sunisa Lee won gold in Thursday’s individual all-around competition. The first Hmong American to make the U.S. Olympic team, NPR’s Jaclyn Diaz and Bill Chappell report on Lee’s unlikely path to the Olympics and the pride she brought to her hometown community. Thanks for reading, Ali P.S. How can immigration affect happiness in a positive way? "Seeing the bright side of immigration is good for everyone, not just the stranger," Arthur C. Brooks writes in The Atlantic. "Immigrants are a model for how all of us can live without accepting our status quo, how the circumstances of our birth do not necessarily confine us. That is worthy not just of grudging acceptance, but of admiration and gratitude."
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