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RACE AND ETHNICITY — The racial and ethnic composition of the U.S., in spite of Tucker Carlson’s best efforts, grows more and more nuanced every year. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang dives deep into the nation’s second largest racial group from the 2020 Census, "some other race," to find most were Latino. "What was once the country’s third-largest racial category in 2000 and 2010 outpaced ‘Black’ last year to become the second-largest after ‘White’ — and a major data problem that could hinder progress towards racial equity over the next 10 years," explains Wang. "It’s important to be able to click a box that says who we are, instead of what we’re not," said author and advocate Julissa Arce. Well worth the read. HUMANITARIAN CRISIS — Panama is expecting nearly 27,000 migrants, mainly Haitian, to cross through the Darién Gap this month on their way to the U.S., per government estimates — more than in all of 2019, Axios’ Stef W. Kight reports. "The reality is that people from around the world are coming to the U.S.-Mexico border because they are driven by political instability, corruption, natural disasters and economic need in increasing numbers," Women of Welcome Director Bri Stensrud told Jeff Brumley of Baptist News Global. "It is a crisis, but it is a humanitarian crisis," said Matthew Soerens, U.S. director of church mobilization for World Relief. "There are [a] lot of families who have come out of desperate circumstances. That’s why they are trying to seek opportunity and hope, and in some cases protection, in the United States." ‘A REALISTIC CHANCE’ — In an op-ed for The xxxxxx, Forum Senior Fellow Linda Chavez traces the origins of the Haitian migrant crisis, and proposes a potential solution: "If we were to adopt a more humane policy in our treatment of Haitians and others fleeing instability and poverty in their own country, we could not only benefit those who want to come here but also boost the U.S. economy," she writes. "Those seeking a better life in America shouldn’t have to trek hundreds or thousands of dangerous miles over water or land to the U.S. border to claim asylum. They should have a realistic chance of gaining admission through a sensible and economically helpful immigration policy that admits workers we desperately need if we are to grow."
LEGAL REPRESENTATION — A new Biden administration initiative will provide legal representation to certain unaccompanied immigrant children in deportation proceedings, Hamed Aleaziz reports for BuzzFeed News. The Counsel for Children Initiative "comes months after the Biden White House dealt with an increase in children arriving at the southern border, leading to overcrowded detention facilities and a scramble to find appropriate locations to hold them." The initial rollout is planned across eight U.S. cities. "By providing noncitizens and their representatives with more resources, we can better ensure that respondents understand immigration court proceedings, that legal representation before the [Executive Office for Immigration Review] will increase, and that the public will grow more confident in the due process our Immigration Judges provide," said David Neal, the new head of EOIR. AFGHAN SUPPORT — Sara Aridi of The New York Times tells the story of Batol Khan, who received a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) after working in Afghanistan with U.S. and international agencies. Khan was then connected with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York to help her resettle. Now, her mother and sister, who recently escaped Afghanistan, will be joining her in Brooklyn with support from Catholic Charities as well. "When you’re patient and kind with someone who has left everything behind, the whole experience will be different," Khan said. "You know that you are in safe hands." Here’s this morning’s sampling of local stories of welcome:
Thanks for reading, Ali |
