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NOORANI'S NOTES

 

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At a Wednesday hearing the Biden administration defended the continued
use of Title 42, the policy instituted under the Trump administration
in the guise of a public health order, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of
CBS News
.
The Biden administration continues to use the policy to expel thousands
of migrants without giving them a chance to request asylum.  

"The statute refers to introducing a disease but COVID is unfortunately
quite introduced into the United States by this point in time," noted
U.S. Circuit Judge Robert Wilkins, a Trump appointee and one of three
judges on the appeals-court panel that will determine whether to uphold
a lower court order deeming Title 42 likely illegal. Wilkins noted that
some experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention objected
to the policy. 

Expelling migrants puts them in harm's way: Human Rights First
reports

at least "8,705 attacks, including kidnappings and sexual assaults,
against migrants and asylum-seekers stranded in Mexico" since Biden
assumed office last year. As we have noted
,
Title 42 also inflates numbers of border crossings as people try
repeatedly to enter. 

A couple of other border-related stories to note: 

* Casa del Migrante, the largest nonprofit migrant shelter in Juarez,
Mexico, paused taking migrants in, citing overcrowding and COVID-19
concerns, reports Julian Resendiz of Border Report
.
 

* Some promising news: The administration is considering providing
coronavirus vaccinations to migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border
while they await their court hearings, per Stef W. Kight of Axios
.
However, the policy would not apply to those expelled under Title 42. 

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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ONE YEAR - Today marks one year in office for President Biden. In our
newest episode of Only in America
,
we speak with Kristie De Peña, Vice President for policy and director
of immigration at the Niskanen Center, and Danilo Zak, Policy and
Advocacy Manager at the Forum to assess the first year in immigration
advocacy under the Biden administration. And tomorrow, we're teaming
up with our friends at Refugee Council USA to dig
into the state of our refugee resettlement system, the response to
Afghan evacuees, and our approach to asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico
border. The Facebook Live
begins
at 1 p.m. EST. And don't forget to check out our latest paper
,
a precursor to the discussion.  

'CONTINUED CALAMITY' - Stephania Taladrid of The New Yorker

dives deep into the "continued calamity" at the U.S.-Mexico border
stemming from failed immigration policies. Taladrid centers on
"Dolores" and "Rosalba," a mother and daughter from El Salvador, who
paid seven thousand dollars to traffickers to help them get across the
border in August after gangs began demanding protection money. They
ended up in the dangerous city of Reynosa, Mexico, and struggled to find
safety from local gangs. "With a monthly average of more than a hundred
thousand apprehensions reported by U.S. border agents last year, experts
estimate that yearly earnings [for criminal groups] amount to billions
of dollars," writes Taladrid. There are some great quotes in this piece,
including from former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. (and former Forum
board member) Arturo Sarukhán. 

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A TEACHER'S WELCOME - After fleeing Afghanistan and hopping
around temporary housing, Fayaz Ahmadi and his family finally resettled
in their new home in Tucson, Arizona, in November, reports Carmen
Duarte for the Arizona Daily Star
. On
the last part of the journey, Fayez, who speaks English, befriended a
former elementary teacher and university literacy professor named
Stephanie McAndrews, who has since opened her home to the
family - an especially warm welcome over the holidays. "These are
appreciative, kind and grateful people who will contribute to our
society and help people see that they want positive things for their
families, schooling and education," McAndrews said. "... We should
not close our doors to others, but open our arms to welcome diverse
people as they enrich our lives." 

Today's series of local welcome includes: 

* A new donation center sponsored by real estate developer Krause+
 has opened in Des Moines, Iowa, to help
"facilitate contributions, including large donations like furniture" for
Afghan refugees. (Jason Clayworth, Axios
) 

* Since October, World Relief Quad Cities has helped resettle 140 Afghan
refugees to the area. The resettlement agency aspires to resettle 32
more Afghans by mid-February and
welcomes donations like furniture, appliances, or clothes. (Hernan
Gutierrez, KWQC News
) 

* In Omaha, Nebraska, organizations like Restoring Dignity, The
Furniture Project, and the Refugee Empowerment Center have stepped
up to help with Afghan resettlement efforts. This week alone, the
city will resettle 74 Afghan refugees, out of an estimated 900 by
the end of February. (Mary Nelson, KMTV
)

* In Massachusetts, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 448 raised $10,000 to
help Jewish Family Services of Berkshire County assist with Afghan
relocation efforts. (Brittany Polito, iBerkshires
) 

Thanks for reading,

Dan

 

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