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BLOCKED — A judge has temporarily blocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) order restricting transportation of migrants, pending a ruling on whether the order is constitutional, reports Reese Oxner of The Texas Tribune. The order would permit Texas troopers to turn back or seize civilian vehicles "if police suspect the driver is transporting migrants who are infected with the virus" and raised racial profiling concerns, in addition to U.S. attorneys’ argument that it would hinder government contractors’ ability to transport migrants between facilities. Cardone’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13, the day the temporary restraining order expires, reports Valerie Gonzalez of The Monitor. FORT BLISS — An independent watchdog from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching an investigation of the largest facility housing unaccompanied migrant children, in Fort Bliss, Texas, reports Priscilla Alvarez of CNN. Following a whistleblower complaint from late July, "[t]his review will analyze interviews and on-site observations regarding case management challenges at Fort Bliss that may have impeded the safe and timely release of children to sponsors," said the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). "If, during this review, we obtain information about conduct that appears to fall outside of the law or HHS policies and regulations, we will forward those details to our Office of Investigations for appropriate action," OIG spokeswoman Tesia Williams said via a statement. As of late July, Fort Bliss is one of five emergency intake sites that remains open. A report from the investigation is expected this year, reports Nathaniel Weixel of The Hill.
CLIMATE CHANGE — Several refugee and climate organizations are calling on the Biden administration to help address displacement in the Northern Triangle caused by climate change, reports Rebecca Morin of USA TODAY. This push comes as the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) released a new report detailing actions the administration can take without congressional approval, including issuing clear grounds for refugee status, issuing policy guidance for climate-related claims and adopting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for countries affected by climate change, among other recommendations. "Climate displacement is a huge global challenge," said Ama Francis, climate displacement project strategist at IRAP. "There are concrete things that the U.S. government can do and there are existing laws that the U.S. can build upon to make sure that all climate displaced people have a safe place to live." BORDERS — A new report from FWD.us in partnership with the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) highlights how "offshoring and externalization" across three continents have blocked vulnerable people from seeking asylum — a legal right under national and international law. Two international treaties, the 1952 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Refugee Protocol, are meant to protect asylees worldwide. But most nations in recent history, including the U.S., "have chipped away at the principle, claiming compliance with legal obligations while in practice rendering safety elusive for refugees fleeing harm," the report reads. I just finished a new project (more on that this fall) that looked at how the externalization of borders and political weaponization of migration has led to where we are today. This is such an important issue. LIFE AND DEATH — "Each day longer we have to wait, we are more at risk of being attacked and killed. The administration must act immediately to prevent the murder of the thousands of people like me who face death because of our aid to U.S. forces," write "Khan," an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicant, and Julie Kornfeld, Senior Staff Attorney at IRAP, in an op-ed for Just Security. This past year alone, Khan has lost four of his closest family members, including his brother-in-law, at the hands of the Taliban. Although Khan completed his SIV interview last week — after waiting more than three years — the Taliban continues to advance and threaten him and his family. "What pains me the most is that my life does not have to be this consistent calculation of life and death situations. There were, and still are, many things the U.S. government could do to protect Afghan allies as they withdraw troops," Khan writes. Thanks for reading, Ali |
