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COURT CASE BACKLOG — The U.S. immigration court backlog reached nearly 1.6 million cases in 2021, per Syracuse University’s TRAC, reports Priscilla Alvarez of CNN. The backlog increased the most between October and December, when it grew by almost 140,000 cases. "DOJ has prioritized its law enforcement functions over the immigration courts. The result is bad management, under-budgeting, and a gigantic and growing case backlog," Mimi Tsankov, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, said in a statement. Alvarez points out some contributing factors such as court closures due to COVID-19 and the arrival of thousands of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum. GEORGIA — In 2020, Vanessa Pereira hired an immigration attorney to get her undocumented husband out of ICE detention in southern Georgia, reports Lautaro Grinspan of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In addition to $10,000 in legal fees, her husband’s bail was set at $8,000. "I didn’t have that money at all. I mean, can you imagine? … The only thing I could do was pray; pray a lot for a solution to be found," Pereira said. The median bond amount granted by Georgia immigration courts is $8,000 — the highest in the nation, per data from Syracuse’s TRAC. The state "also ranks among the toughest states in the nation to secure asylum, with denial rates significantly higher than the national average." With help from the National Bail Fund Network, Pereira was able to get the funds needed to bail out her husband. They have since relocated to South Florida.
TEXAS — Immigration reform is needed to sustain Texas’ economy and the migrants that keep it running, Marek Brothers Construction CEO Stan Marek writes in an op-ed for Texas Monthly. The drive for migrants to seek a better life in the U.S. "is so strong that no border wall and no deployment of National Guard members can hold back the tide." Instead, lawmakers should focus on immigration solutions like passing the DREAM Act and providing legal status to undocumented workers who already live in the U.S., Marek writes. At minimum, "let’s get everyone ID’d and then work toward a more comprehensive solution." Speaking of the National Guard, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) Operation Lone Star is facing heat, with many guardsmen losing faith in the so-called mission, report Sig Christenson and Jerry Lara for San Antonio Express-News. SHEF — For Cool Hunting, Kelly Pau profiles co-founder Alvin Salehi about his meal-delivery platform, Shef, a "service that empowers immigrants and refugees to become food entrepreneurs." What makes Shef unique? It "uses local, home cooks that are trained and safety certified. Their names and cultures are listed on the site, which is home to over 100 different countries’ cuisines from Nepalese to Haitian, Gujarati and Thai … For cooks, Shef provides a platform where they can share their culture, generate income and work from home at their own schedule." Amid Afghan resettlement efforts, Shef also spearheaded an expedited review process for Afghan chefs wanting to join the platform. To date, Shef continues to donate 100 meals per week to resettlement organizations assisting Afghan refugees. More on local welcome:
Thanks for reading, Ali |
