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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."
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:
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