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PRIVATE INVESTMENTS — Vice President Kamala Harris announced $540 million in private investments in Central America on Monday as part of the administration’s initiative to address root causes of migration, reports Noah Bierman of the Los Angeles Times. The biggest investor is "PepsiCo, which plans to spend $190 million over the next four years on upgrading plants, expanding distribution routes and reducing emissions." Other investors include Cargill, Parkdale Mills and Microsoft. "Administration officials hope investments from big companies will create more transparent business practices — including getting more people access to digital credit — and that will make it harder to hide bribes and other black-market activity," Bierman writes, noting that total private commitments to the region now top $1.2 billion. RESETTLEMENT FUNDS — Legislators in Oregon approved $18.2 million for Afghan refugee resettlement as part of a larger $215 million funding package to help Oregonians with rent, reports Jayati Ramakrishnan of The Oregonian/OregonLive. Led by State Sen. Kayse Jama (D) and Rep. Khanh Pham (D), with support from state Sen. Tim Knopp (R), the aid will help resettle up to 1,200 Afghans in the state next year, adds Alex Baumhardt of the Oregon Capital Chronicle. And for NBC News, Sakshi Venkatraman explains why resettlement aid is personal for Sen. Jama and Rep. Pham, who both come from refugee backgrounds themselves. On the local welcome front:
‘HELICOPTERS AND HIGH-SPEED CHASES’ — Under Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) border security initiative, hundreds of migrants accused of trespassing into the U.S. now "languish in Texas prisons" — and a county judge’s recent decision may prolong detentions further, reports Jolie McCullough of The Texas Tribune. Last week, "Kinney County Judge Tully Shahan canceled hearings for 20 men and dismissed the three retired judges — two Republicans and a Democrat — who had been hearing the majority of trespassing cases in his county, according to a letter obtained by The Texas Tribune." Unlike the dismissed judges, McCullough notes, Shahan has not allowed migrants to be released on bond after pleading not guilty. "This is clearly retaliation against the judges who have been releasing hundreds of people and dismissing deficient cases under Operation Lone Star and is a threat to the rule of law," said Amanda Woog of the Texas Fair Defense Project. Over the weekend, The New York Times’ J. David Goodman zeroed in on the "helicopters and high-speed chases" that make up Abbott’s (R) border operation, with striking photos by Kirsten Luce. JERRY’S FAMILY — For the Boston Globe, Jazmine Ulloa recounts the story of Jerry, a 33-year-old Haitian, and his family’s journey to the U.S. seeking refuge and stability. "We want to improve the quality of our lives — go to school, find employment, be able to care for ourselves and our families," Jerry said. Around 600 Haitian families have arrived in Massachusetts since March after fleeing ongoing humanitarian, political and economic crises in their home country. "In a U.S. immigration system that tends to string people along with precarious lifelines, [advocates] say, newly arrived Haitians are among the most vulnerable, as families have minimal chances of pleading their cases and are often pushed out of the country, through deportation, or leave out of desperation," Ulloa writes. Thanks for reading, Ali |
