Thursday, January 6
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NOORANI'S NOTES

 

I want to begin today with a note of thanks and support to the police
officers, Capitol Police, members of Congress and their staff,
journalists and others at the Capitol and in Washington, D.C., who are
marking a somber anniversary today.  

A year after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, let us rededicate ourselves
to strengthening our democracy, bridging our divides, working toward
unity and healing our nation.  

With those who experienced the attack in mind, we turn to today's
immigration news. 

For the first time since last March, the number of unaccompanied migrant
children in federal custody has dropped below 10,000
,
reports Vandana Ravikumar of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
. 

As of Sunday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had
custody of 9,980 children, down from a high of more than 22,500 in late
April, per government data. 

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Counsel suggests that
the winter holiday season

may have helped lower the number of unaccompanied children trying to
enter the U.S., allowing the Office of Refugee Resettlement to catch up
on case processing. 

Welcome to Thursday's edition of Noorani's Notes. I'm Dan
Gordon, the Forum's strategic communications VP, filling in for Ali
today. If you have a story to share from your own community, please
send it to me at [email protected]
.  

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MPP HEARINGS - In El Paso, Texas, court hearings have resumed this
week for migrants placed in the "Migrant Protection Protocols," also
known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy, René Kladzyk reports for El
Paso Matters
.
Of the 82 migrants, only five had legal representation, notes Yael
Schacher of Refugees International: "And what that means is that ...
most people will be filling out their own asylum applications, or with
minimal help, representing themself pro se." Improved access to legal
representation was to be part of the equation when the Biden
administration restarted the Trump-era program under a court order last
month. The Biden administration continues to seek to end the program. 

EXTERNALIZING BORDERS - Around the world, wealthy countries are
addressing migration not by improving policy but by externalizing their
borders. But the only way to truly "solve" irregular migration is for
such countries to make legal immigration more accessible, writes Kelsey
P. Norman, fellow for the Middle East at Rice University's Baker
Institute for Public Policy, in a piece for Foreign Affairs
.
Two examples: Make visas more available and increase refugee
resettlement. "Ultimately, governments must also narrow the global
mobility divide. ... Only legal mobility will finally stop people from
seeking extralegal routes," Norman writes.  

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AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT - After spending three and a half months at a U.S.
military base, an Afghan family of six has recently resettled in the
Chicago area, reports Leah Hope of ABC 7
.
Volunteers from Am Yisrael Conservative Congregation helped welcome the
family with food and shelter on their move-in day, with most furniture
provided by the Chicago Furniture Bank. "It's the story of our
community having once been immigrants and refugees to this country[,]
and we see it as our obligation to extend welcome to those who are
looking for services and support today," said Jessica Schaffer, Jewish
Child & Family Services Chicago Director of HIAS Immigration &
Citizenship.  

On the local welcome front: 

* In partnership with Refugee Services of Texas, Ann Finch voluntarily
rallied a network of small local churches in Western Travis County to
help furnish apartments for newly arriving Afghan refugees. (Sarah Asch
and Sidney Josephs, Austin American-Statesman
) 

* By the end of February, Oklahoma is expected to receive a total of
1,000 refugees, with dozens of Afghan refugees arriving to the state
over the next week. For months, nonprofit CAIR Oklahoma has provided new
arrivals with welcome kits and baskets, food, and other services. (Evan
Onstot, KOCO 5 News
) 

* Communities in Westchester, New York, including religious
organizations, have launched the new nonprofit Ossining for Refugees,
which will soon help resettle its first Afghan evacuee. (Martin Wilbur,
The Examiner News
) 

'WAR FOR TALENT' - The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a renewed
global "war for talent over researchers, entrepreneurs and students,"
write David Matthews and Richard L. Hudson for Science Business
.
"There is increasing competition for talented individuals, and there's
no doubt it's going to be with us for the foreseeable future," said
Ian Walmsley, provost of Imperial College London. ... "If you want to be
in the game, smart people are the primary driver, generating new ideas
and new opportunities." Matthews and Hudson point out that if U.S.
Congress continues to be "deadlocked by its own political infighting,"
our immigration policies will not change, nor will our ability to garner
new immigrant talent to stay ahead of the game. 

**MAINE'S INSPIRATION** - A new book features stories of immigrants
to Maine from 18 different countries, reports Rob Caldwell of News
Center Maine
.
The book, "Dear Maine: The Trials and Triumphs of Maine's 21st Century
Immigrants ,"
is by Reza Jalali, executive director of the Greater Portland Immigrant
Welcome Center, and Morgan Rielly, a state representative, with photos
by Lilit Danielyan. "Today, [immigrants] are small business owners,
artists, activists, public servants, and students," the book authors
write, as quoted in the story. "These Mainers help make our state and
our country exceptional, give us hope, and provide ongoing examples of
the promise of both Maine and America." For more on their book, watch
the great accompanying interview. 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan 

 

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