|
ARMED CITIZENS — The Wall Street Journal’s Elizabeth Findell reports that Kinney County, Texas, Sheriff Brad Coe "is cooperating with groups of armed private citizens to help patrol the border and arrest migrants for trespassing." For months, Sheriff Coe, a former Border Patrol agent, has stayed in contact with armed groups "donning body armor and rifles while patrolling to look for migrants," particularly following a new Texas law that allows officials to arrest those crossing the border for trespassing. Said Kate Huddleston, a staff attorney with the ACLU: "Kinney County has not just sought to partner with militias, but also war contractors. That indicates a level of militarization that is particularly concerning and alarming in the potential for violence." AHMAD’S FAMILY — In 2015, after serving as a linguist for the U.S. military, Ahmad was able to come to America on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). But his wife, children and extended family remain in hiding in Afghanistan, reports Caroline Simon for Roll Call. Some 30,000 Afghans have applied for humanitarian parole, including some of Ahmad’s family, but protection isn’t guaranteed. "It’s a Catch-22, because by remaining in Afghanistan, they are literally in very real danger," said former Army officer James Lockett. "But by leaving Afghanistan, they risk being denied humanitarian parole, because they’re no longer in threat." ‘A PART OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY’ — Second Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, is serving as a "congregational model for helping with refugee resettlement," Fred Tangeman reports for Presbyterian News Service. When the church found out a member’s brother and his family were making the journey to the U.S. from Afghanistan, they gathered donations of clothes, toys, and funds to assist them, with support from Kentucky Refugee Ministries. "We consider the refugees we assist a part of our church family," said Martha Nichols-Pecceu, a leader of the church’s refugee subcommittee. On the national level, the Biden administration is suggesting six ways to welcome Afghan allies this holiday season, written by Jack Markell, White House Coordinator for Operation Allies Welcome, and Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US. Here’s today’s compilation of local support:
VULNERABLE CHILDREN — Florida’s Department of Children and Families recently issued a rule that effectively revokes the licenses of foster families and nonprofits who want to provide care to unaccompanied minors who have fled violence, gang activity or trafficking in other countries. In an op-ed for the Orlando Sentinel, the Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, pastor of The Gathering Place in Orlando, explains why this attempt to put "Florida children first" is misguided. "The efforts to prevent Florida child-care organizations and foster families from keeping unaccompanied children safe may in fact harm — not help — Florida children," he writes. "Rather than closing off resources and the open arms providing children with care in what could be their darkest hour, I implore the governor to rethink his decision during this Advent season and show that we in Florida love our neighbors as we love one another." WATCH THIS — "Excavating the Future," a new video series from Capital & Main in partnership with KCET "explores what life could and should be like after the pandemic through conversations with leading writers, artists and activists." For the series’ first installment, Rubén Martínez and Marco Amador speak with Cristina Rivera Garza — an immigrant advocate, author, and 2020 MacArthur Fellow — who offers valuable lessons about the U.S.-Mexico border, a place she’s spent her life traversing. Thanks for reading, Ali |
