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INDEFINITE DETENTION — The Supreme Court will hear two cases this morning on whether immigrants can continue to be detained indefinitely, Jasmine Aguilera and Madeleine Carlisle of TIME report. The plaintiffs argue that immigrants held longer than six months should have bond hearings, but the Justice Department is arguing that a 1996 statute allows for extended detention. "A citizen cannot be held without bail for any length of time. But here we are saying that a noncitizen who has not committed any crime can be held forever," said Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. FEARED EXTORTION — Under the belief that the U.S. provided them a big payout, some migrants who were
separated at the border are receiving demands by cartels to pay up money they don’t have, a team at the Associated Press reports. One woman has already received a demand for $5,000 a month. "Apparently, I am a millionaire now," she said under the condition of anonymity for her and her family’s safety. "I don’t have the money to pay for something like that and I don’t know what to do. I am desperate, really." Widespread extortion in Central America is one of many reasons migrants seek asylum in the U.S., the team notes. But some advocates and attorneys "fear prospects of large payments will fuel many more threats." In related news about cartels profiting from our broken immigration system, the El Paso Times’ Daniel Borunda reports on the FBI’s
rescue of migrants being held for ransom by human traffickers. ‘LIFELONG FRIENDS’ — For Savannah Morning News, Drew Favakeh tells the story of how Mahdi (who worked for the Afghanistan military), his cousin Shukria, and her children escaped the country after "endless red tape" and resettled in Savannah, Georgia, just last month. Inspiritus, formerly known as Atlanta-based resettlement agency Lutheran Services of Georgia, connected them with the Sprunger family, who are caretakers of the Wesley Gardens Retreat Center. They hosted Mahdi and his relatives for two weeks while the agency secured their permanent home. "Together, the American and Afghan families enjoyed long cups of tea, cooked and ate large batches of Biryani, a Middle-Eastern mixed rice dish, and went on hour-long walks across the quaint Moon River, across from the retreat center’s 60 acres" writes Favakeh. "At first, we thought it was just a transitional commitment, but now it’s very obvious that we’ll be lifelong friends," said Abbie Sprunger. On local welcome:
REVITALIZATION — A team at the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle takes an in-depth look at how refugees have revitalized Rust Belt communities in Upstate New York and in Pennsylvania. In smaller cities, refugees have given economies — and sheer population numbers — a boost. "Affordable rent and fallow infrastructure in these smaller Rust Belt cites have made them attractive places to settle new Americans, allowing diverse populations to bring new culture, new food, innovative ideas and higher rates of entrepreneurship to Main Street," the team reports. Buffalo, Syracuse and Utica, New York, as well as Lancaster, Pennsylvania, "embody these changes." RESILIENCE — Ten years after the Syrian refugee crisis began, the lives Syrian refugees have built in the United States are studies in resilience, Hannan Adely reports in USA Today. Adely reports that life has been particularly difficult for refugees who did not speak English or have family connections in the U.S. when they arrived, but that many community organizations have helped provide support. The stories Adely shares are compelling — in the words of Feras Sasila, a former asylum seeker: "We have to appreciate this country. I swear to God, if anybody is complaining about this country, they have to take an airplane there [to Syria] for two days. They’re going to come back and kiss the ground." Thanks for reading, Ali |
