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PUSH FACTOR — The shift of drug smuggling routes from the Caribbean to Central America has empowered cartels — and fueled the migration crisis. In a feature for Reuters, Laura Gottesdiener writes about Honduran mayor Alexander Ardón, whose "murders, drug-trafficking, and other confessed crimes have implicated the pinnacle of Honduran politics and worsened the migration crisis from Central America." Official drug trade "is a major contributor to the violence, the corruption and the impunity that have polarized the country and caused many Hondurans to become migrants," said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont). HEART TO HEART — "The Haitians who come to our border seeking refuge have suffered beyond the imagination of most Americans," writes Southern Baptist pastor and author Alan Cross in an op-ed for The xxxxxx. "How we see and treat them says a great deal about the state of our own hearts and consciences." The earthquake in 2010, and the political and natural disasters that followed, are just pieces of the larger history behind the Haitian diaspora, he writes. "As we try to keep order and security at our border, let’s make sure that we don’t demonize those who desperately come to us looking for help. They are human beings made in the image of God."
AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT — Organizations across the country are seeking volunteer translators as thousands of Afghan refugees are expected to resettle in the U.S. in the coming weeks, reports Stephanie Bennett for Fox News. Meanwhile, Adebayo Adeleke, a retired U.S. Army major, underscores the need for immigrant recruits with language skills in a column for The Dallas Morning News, calling on lawmakers to "welcome our Afghan allies with open arms and then create opportunities for them — and all immigrants — to serve in our armed forces." Here’s your daily dose of local stories:
MIGRANT TEENS — On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras approved a plan that requires U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "to attempt to place migrant teens who turn 18 in government custody in less-restrictive housing options than adult detention facilities," reports Grace Dixon of Law360. The five-year permanent injunction requires ICE "to identify groups and organizations to sponsor the new adults, revise methods for documenting placement decisions and implement additional training for officers with only minor modifications." ‘HIS NAME IS SANG’ — We’re coming up on the MLB playoffs, so let’s go to the diamond. For The Athletic, Stephen J. Nesbitt tells the story of Seong Han Baek, who spent the evenings of his first week in America searching for baseball fields and practicing one line in English: "Can my son play on your team? His name is Sang. He is a pitcher." This is a story of determination, grit and just awful tragedy. It’s worthy of your time. Thanks for reading, Ali |
