Wednesday, October 13
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NOORANI'S NOTES

 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced updates
 to
worksite immigration enforcement on Tuesday, reports Eileen
Sullivan of The New York Times
. 

Replacing large immigration enforcement operations at worksites, known
as work-site raids, enforcement efforts will now focus on
"unscrupulous employers who exploit unauthorized workers, conduct
illegal activities or impose unsafe working conditions," said DHS
Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.  

This new policy comes as we experience a critical labor shortage in the
U.S., "precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic, and offers
reassurances that undocumented workers are not at risk of being
deported en masse." 

To move away from large-scale worksite raids and focus on
targeting exploitative employers is a step in the right direction. For
more on the Forum's take on the new policy, read our statement
here
. 

Want to hear more from Secretary Mayorkas on the administration's
approach to immigration? Sign up for Leading The Way, our annual
convening!  The
free and virtual event is on Oct. 25 and 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. EST.  

Welcome to Wednesday's  edition of Noorani's Notes. If you have
a story to share from your own community, please send it to me
at [email protected]
. 

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TRAVEL AND TRADE

** **- After a 19-month freeze due to the pandemic, the U.S. will
reopen its land borders between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico to
nonessential travel in November for foreign nationals who are fully
vaccinated, reports Zeke Miller of the Associated Press
. Those
entering the country legally will be asked for proof of
vaccination. Those who enter illegally may still be subject to
expulsions by the pandemic-era use of the Title 42 policy
, Miller notes.  

IN GUATEMALA

** **- The BBC
 reports that
police in Guatemala recently rescued 126 migrants from an
abandoned shipping container. "We heard cries and knocks coming from
inside the container," said a police spokesperson. "We opened the doors
and found inside 126 undocumented people." Authorities believe they
were left by smugglers. Alejandra Mena, a spokeswoman for
Guatemala's migration authority, said the migrants were traveling
from Honduras in an effort to enter the United States. According to
the Panamanian prosecutor's office, since 2021 began, more than 50
migrants have died while trying to cross through the jungle of the
Darien Gap in Panama to get to the U.S. For additional context,
check out Miriam Berger's piece at The Washington Post
. And,
over on Instagram
, Getty's John Moore
was with Haitian migrants as they navigated the Darien Gap. Amazing
photos.  

'ANOTHER WOUND' - Among those affected by Congress' inaction
on major policy changes are Dreamers who still live with
uncertainty, report Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Jim
Tankersley in The New York Times
. Ecuador-born Edison Suasnavas is
one of them - who is banking on Biden to establish a pathway to
citizenship that would "allow him to keep doing molecular tests for
cancer patients in Utah without fear of deportation." He's lived in
the country since he was 13, and if deported, he would have to leave his
6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son behind. "We've been having the
hopes that politicians in Washington - Democrats and Republicans -
will see not only the economic impact we can bring to the country but
also we're still people with families," Suasnavas said. "Our hearts
have been broken so many times that it feels like another wound in your
skin." 

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MENTAL HEALTH - A mental health evaluation could help asylum
seekers make their case to stay in the U.S., reports Esmy Jimenez
of The Seattle Times
. It's one
of the most important pieces in an immigration proceeding because it
offers more context to judges, especially for migrants who cannot
offer documented evidence of harm, explains Jimenez. A 2008 study
 from the Journal of
Immigrant and Minority Health found that asylum cases with evaluations
were 89% successful. Meanwhile, the national average of cases without
evaluations were only 37.5% successful. The Evaluation Network
offers evaluations for no cost for those living in the Pacific
Northwest - although they face the same hurdles many employers and
mental health clinics do, facing short staffing due to the
pandemic. Despite the challenges, clients still see the benefit in
talking about their experiences. "Mental health is life itself," said
Maria Candelaria, a U visa
 applicant,
who shared her experience about her own evaluation. "Without it,
there's little else." 

AFGHAN AID - The Biden administration tapped veteran senior State
Department official Elizabeth Jones on Tuesday to spearhead Afghan
relocation efforts, reports a team at Politico
. Meanwhile,
President Biden met with other leaders of the Group of 20 nations to
discuss ways to support Afghan allies, families, women and girls left
behind under Taliban rule. At the virtual summit, the European Union
 also announced
"that it would provide one billion euros in aid
 -
about $1.15 billion - for Afghanistan and neighboring countries
helping Afghans
 fleeing
the new Taliban government," reports Steven Erlanger of The New York
Times
. 

People in communities across the country are also helping
Afghans relocate:  

* Kathryn Mueller and Hilda Carey, two members of a small Mennonite
congregation in Chicago, have led the efforts in restoring a
clergy house for a new Afghan family of up to
ten people. (Ben Schamisso, Newsy
) 

* Michigan recently launched a new site
 to
gather volunteers (in-person or remote) and donations to help incoming
Afghan arrivals resettle in the state. (Alyssa Burr, MLive
) 

* The International Rescue Committee in Tallahassee, Florida, is
helping Afghan families resettle and get their children
immunizations and enrolled in school while also helping parents find
jobs. (Micah Cho, ABC 27
) 

Thanks for reading, 

Ali 

 

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