ADDRESSING BACKLOGS — On Monday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced changes that the agency hopes will address backlogs, reports Suzanne Monyak of Roll Call. Refugees and people with asylum will be able to renew work permits every two years, as opposed to yearly, a change that also will apply to some domestic abuse survivors who have petitioned for green cards and migrants who have a form of deportation relief called withholding of removal. The change comes "in the interest of reducing the burden on both the agency and the public," per the agency’s policy alert. "Let me be very clear. Our processing times are too long. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it," said USCIS Director Ur Jaddou, who also called for an increase in staffing. ICYMI, yesterday the agency also updated its mission statement.  

SANCTION LIFT — The Biden administration has lifted most Trump-era visa sanctions on Laos, which experts say is a "significant step for thousands of Southeast Asian Americans, many of them refugees, and their families in the immigration process," Kimmy Yam reports for NBC News. More than 30 advocacy groups, and some members of Congress, had signed a letter in September demanding that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lift the sanctions for several countries, including Laos. "Over the last few years, they’ve been unable to sponsor their spouses or kids … because of these arbitrary sanctions that are very ethnically based," said Kham Moua, director of national policy at the nonprofit Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. "For us to see the administration take the steps for lifting was a really great first step to undo some of the harm that’s been done by the Trump administration." 

‘THE KINDNESS IS OVERWHELMING’ — After a harrowing escape from Afghanistan, 19-year-old Pazhwak Stanakzai and his family are a few of the hundreds of Afghan refugees who now call the Tacoma, Washington, area home, reports Matt Driscoll of The News Tribune. Lutheran Community Services Northwest has been instrumental on this front, transforming into a local hub for Afghan refugee resettlement, said President and CEO David Duea. From October through early January alone, the office resettled nearly 300 refugees. Says Stanakzai, who goes by Hamed, "I would never have thought that we would get this much help. The community has accepted us like one of their own. … The kindness is overwhelming. It warms my heart." 

Here’s more on the local welcome front:

• "There’s some rumors going around in these military bases that South Carolina might not be a good place, that [Afghan evacuees] might not be treated friendly here and so we wanted to dispel that. We want to show that we are welcoming state," said Tim Cross of Open Arms Refugee Ministry in Clemson, South Carolina, a faith group supporting newly resettled families to the area. (Renée Wunderlich, WYFF News 4)

• In Everett, Washington, just up the road from Tacoma, Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest hosted a virtual coffee meeting this week to discuss its work resettling Afghans in the area and suggest ways to create a welcoming community. (Larry Vogel, My Edmonds News)

• Forum mobilizer Christy Staats and Building Hope in the City’s Eileen Wilson joined a local news segment to discuss advocacy for Afghans and explain how Northeast Ohioans can assist Afghans being resettled in the area. (Cleveland 19 News via Facebook)

SO LONG, FAREWELL — After more than four years and 200 episodes, we’ve made the bittersweet decision to bring our Only in America podcast to a close. Don’t miss our final episode, where members of the production team and I recall some of our favorite parts of the show over the years. Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared, or joined us as a guest on the show — hearing and sharing these stories has been humbling, informative and inspiring. 

Thanks for reading,
Ali