Monday, August 16
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NOORANI'S NOTES

 

 

To say that the situation in Afghanistan represents a humanitarian
disaster for our Afghan allies is to state the obvious. As Ali wrote
last night in The xxxxxx
, "It
was clear to all observers that once our military packed up, the lives
of the Afghan nationals and their families who helped our troops, and
our civilian efforts, would be at grave risk. ... [now] it's clear
that the focus from the administration was too little, too late."  

Now the administration, and other leaders worldwide, need to do
everything possible to prepare to resettle Afghan refugees. "Having
made the decision to withdraw, the Biden administration must fulfill an
obligation to those abandoned to the Taliban and, together with our
allies and those in the region, offer a place for Afghan refugees to
live their lives in safety," concludes Stuart Anderson in a piece
for Forbes
. 

On some level, words fail. I'm left with a prayer: for our troops
and civilians still in harm's way, for our allies left stranded, for
the Afghan citizens who now face a loss of their rights and
freedoms, and for a nation and a world that remember how to open
their arms, and their hearts. 

Welcome to Monday's edition of Noorani's Notes. I'm Dan
Gordon, the Forum's strategic communications VP, filling in for Ali
today. If you have a story to share from your own community, please
send it to me at [email protected]
.

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CENSUS INSIGHTS - There's lots to unpack, of course, in the latest
Census data
.
A couple of interesting dives to start: As Grant Schulte and David Pitt
of the Associated Press
 report,
rural America lost more population - and where there were population
gains, Hispanic and Latino residents drove them. The overall drop
adds to the farm and labor shortages exacerbated by the pandemic and
increases the need for "a more reasonable, common-sense approach" to
immigration, in the words of John Hansen, president of the Nebraska
Farmers Union. Meanwhile, John McCormick and Paul Overberg of The
Wall Street Journal
 have
a fascinating look at what the data reflect in Columbus, Indiana. "The
more diversity you have in your community, the easier it is to sell
global companies," said Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus Area
Chamber of Commerce.  

**BORDER NUMBERS** - In a visit to the southern border Thursday,
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he intends to roll
out more plans in coming days to address the increase in migrant
encounters, reports Sandra Sanchez of Border Report
. "The
situation at the border is one of the toughest challenges we face. It is
complicated, changing and involves a vulnerable population at a time of
global pandemic," Mayorkas said. "But we know the challenges and we will
have a plan to beat the challenges." July border apprehension numbers
 released Thursday
showed an uptick from June, driven by families and children. While
accounting for a smaller percentage of encounters than in June, repeat
crossers still represent more than a quarter of the total
apprehensions. More on our take here
. 

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TEXAS CAMP - McAllen, Texas, has created a COVID-19 quarantine camp
for migrants, reports Miriam Jordan of The New York Times
.
City leaders and nongovernmental organizations have ramped up testing
and quarantine operations to keep migrants and border communities safe.
By last week, at least 1,000 migrants were housed at the camp, while
1,000 others were quarantined elsewhere in the Rio Grande Valley. "We
can't attribute the rise in COVID numbers to migrants," McAllen Mayor
Javier Villalobos said.  

RELIGOUS LIBERTY - U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone on Friday
extended an injunction that blocks Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) ban
on migrant transportation for another two weeks, report Dianne Solis
and Alfredo Corchado of the Dallas Morning News
. Sister
Norma Pimentel of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley "said the
executive order would actually increase the spread of coronavirus
because it would prevent her organization ... from quarantining
individuals who have tested positive for COVID or allowing migrants who
tested negative to move on to other cities," they report. In an amicus
brief filed by Becket, a religious liberty law firm, Catholic Charities
of the Rio Grande Valley argues that "[m]igrants released into this
country by Border Patrol have real human needs that ought to be met
precisely because they are human beings," reports Catholic News
Service
. 

SAFE HAVEN - Haitian migrants have found refuge in a makeshift
shelter operating in the Walk by Faith International Missionary
Church of El Paso, reports René Kladzyk of El Paso Matters
. "It's
a very dangerous and difficult journey these people have to take, so
that's why when I see them here, I have to treat them with dignity and
respect," said Pastor Jean-Jacob Jeudy, a retired captain in the U.S.
Army who began operating the shelter in May. So far, the church has
hosted 500 Haitian migrants "with cots placed anywhere there is floor
space, even on the altar, and then packed up in the morning to make
space for church service." The church's goal is to find
a permanent shelter space to accommodate more migrants and
services.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

 

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