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.
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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