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‘A MIRACLE’ — Back in April of 2019, according to his lawyers, Claudio Rojas was deported in retaliation for starring in the documentary "The Infiltrators." The film was directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, who went on to win prestigious MacArthur "Genius Grants." (Look for an Only in America episode with them in the coming weeks!) Rojas was allowed to return to the U.S. in August, reports NPR’s Joel Rose, who spoke to Rojas in his first public interview since returning. "[I]t was a miracle to be able to come back," said Rojas. "Bringing people home who’ve been deported for their activism is a really important first step in correcting what has been a really outrageous assault on our democratic values," added one of his lawyers, Alina Das. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS — Trump-era immigration restrictions coupled with the pandemic "have caused lasting damage to almost every part of the refugee admissions process — resulting in strained capacity, backlogs and processing delays all along the pipeline, and historically low resettlement numbers," writes Danilo Zak, the Forum’s policy and advocacy manager, in an op-ed for Baptist News Global. So how do we rebuild? Danilo points to multiple critical steps, from rebuilding domestic resettlement infrastructure to expanding U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) capacity to developing new legal pathways to earn citizenship. Most importantly, he adds, we need "sustained commitment" to a program that for years saw strong bipartisan support. AFGHAN REFUGEES — The AfghanEvac Coalition, which represents 120 organizations, met with senior advisers from the National Security Council on Tuesday to discuss evacuating next steps for additional evacuations, Sophia Cai reports for Axios. In an open letter, the coalition called on President Biden and other leaders to appoint an "evacuation czar" to spearhead interagency evacuation efforts. Moreover, the coalition expressed the need to increase capacity and resettlement for Afghans under "P1/P2" refugee status who do not qualify for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). In local news:
MPP RETURNS — International aid organizations like the Red Cross and the UN Refugee Agency, along with federal shelters in Mexico, are caring for the 80-plus migrant men who were returned to Mexico last week under the re-implemented Migrant Protection Protocols, a.k.a. "Remain in Mexico" policy, reports Julian Resendiz of Border Report. "They are in good health, they have received COVID shots (in the United States), and they are administered a COVID test before coming over," said Santiago Gonzalez Reyes, head of Juarez’s Human Rights Office, which oversees the Kiki Romero migrant shelter. The shelter "is supplied food by local government shelters and gets in-kind donations from the Juarez Rotarians and
various foreign-run plants known as maquiladoras," notes Resendiz. Meanwhile, for The Texas Tribune, Uriel J. García underscores the potential dangers of rebooting MPP, centering around a Cuban woman’s traumatic experience during the first iteration of the policy.
‘DESTINATION USA’ — For the Arizona Republic, Rafael Carranza chronicles his work with photojournalist Nick Oza documenting the journeys of three asylum seekers — all women with children — in search of safety and opportunity in the U.S. for the Republic’s ‘Destination: USA’ series. Traveling to Nogales, Sonora, Carranza and Oza shed light on the women’s experiences, with some fleeing drug cartels in Mexico only to face bureaucratic challenges and immigration court realities on their journey to safety. Carranza’s behind-the-scenes look — not to mention the entire series — are must-reads. Our condolences to the loved ones of Nick Oza, who died in September. His work was critical to telling these powerful stories in a memorable and humanizing way. Thanks for reading, Ali |
