Yesterday the Biden administration proposed new rules "that would limit the number of public benefits that can weigh against immigrants applying for permanent U.S. residency, or green cards," reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News.  

With the updated guidance, U.S. immigration caseworkers would only consider immigrants’ participation in income assistance programs like Supplemental Security Income and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families for their green card applications, compared to the 2019 Trump-era regulations, which also counted the use of public benefits like housing vouchers, food stamps and Medicaid against them.  

"The 2019 public charge rule was not consistent with our nation’s values," said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "Under this proposed rule, we will return to the historical understanding of the term ‘public charge’ and individuals will not be penalized for choosing to access the health benefits and other supplemental government services available to them." 

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the chief executive of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, told The New York Times’ Eileen Sullivan: "The forthcoming public charge rule is particularly significant given the enduring chilling effect we have seen among immigrant communities fearful of accessing benefits to which they are entitled." 

Welcome to Friday’s edition of Noorani’s Notes. Monday
is President’s Day and we’ll be back on Tuesday. Enjoy
your long weekend. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at  [email protected].  

ALONG THE BORDER — The number of undocumented immigrants who were processed along the U.S.-Mexico border dropped by 14% in January from the previous month, per government data disclosed Wednesday, reports CBS News’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez. This is a critical decrease "reaching the lowest level since February 2021, which marked the start of an unprecedented spike in migrant arrivals." But according to historical Border Patrol data, the numbers still represent a record high for January. Meanwhile, a recent report by Human Rights Watch — among the first to count this data — shows that over 21,000 children seeking asylum in the U.S. were forced to wait in Mexico amid their immigration court hearings from 2019 to 2021, "putting them in grave danger," per Axios Latino. So far this year, Human Rights Watch said no children have been placed in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, a.k.a. "Remain in Mexico."  

IMMIGRANT PHYSICIANS — The medical community is urging U.S. House lawmakers to expand a visa program that would allow immigrant doctors to secure long-term employment and pass legislation that would create a pathway to permanent status for DACA recipients who’d help fill health-care roles, reports Andrew Kreighbaum of Bloomberg Law. Amid the pandemic and primary doctor shortage, "[f]or many international physicians, the pathway to permanent residency will take decades, spanning one’s career, limiting our career mobility, and jeopardizing the immigrant status of our children," said Raghuveer Kura, a nephrologist and a founder of Physicians for American Healthcare Access. My friend, David Skorton, President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges testified on the issue earlier this week. Immigration lawyer Greg Siskind tweeted that the Senate version of the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act just added 10 new co-sponsors with an even number of GOP and Democratic co-sponsors, calling it "filibuster-proof."  

‘APPETITE FOR REFORM’ — A new NewsNation/ Decision Desk HQ poll shows that almost 70% of American voters support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the U.S., report Aleksandra Bush and Cassie Buchman of NewsNation Now. In fact, 86% of participants said "immigration was somewhat or very important," they note. Immigration advocates and experts say that U.S. lawmakers should take this consensus into account when considering passing a major immigration reform bill — something that hasn’t been done since 1986. "Part of what you’re seeing is an appetite for reform that’s almost four decades in the making," said Cornell University law and history professor Shannon Gleeson. 

AFGHAN RESPONSE — Countries with ties to Afghanistan can still "honor their humanitarian commitments; avoid the apathy, hostility, and division …" by developing a coordinated refugee response, writes Rory Stewart, a former British secretary of state for international development, in an op-ed for Foreign Policy. For the U.S., it would be "an opportunity for Biden to fulfill his electoral commitment to reverse the prior administration’s refugee policies, build on the narrative of the evacuation’s successful aspects, demonstrate moral responsibility and compassion, and address the concerns for Afghans expressed across the political spectrum from refugee advocates to veteran organizations," writes Stewart. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is "considering offering Temporary Protected Status (TPS)" to Afghan arrivals in the U.S., reports Rebecca Beitsch of The Hill. 

On local welcome: 

• On Wednesday, Indiana State Reps. Sue Errington (D-Muncie) and Elizabeth Rowray (R-Yorktown) recognized Muncie-based Bibi Bahrami of the Muncie Afghan Refugee Resettlement Committee (MARRC) and the Afghan Women’s and Kid’s Education and Necessities (AWAKEN) for the organizations’ dedication to serving and resettling Afghan refugees in the state. (Mike Rhodes, The Muncie Journal) 
• Oklahoma has welcomed one thousand Afghan refugees through Catholic Charities-OKC’s resettlement program since mid-September, according to agency on Wednesday. "This milestone is certainly a huge victory, but we must be mindful moving forward that creating an equitable community for them is far from over," said Carly Akard, Catholic Charities’ communications director. (Carla Hinton, The Oklahoman) 
• Colorado has welcomed roughly 2,000 Afghan refugees to the state and community members are "organizing to help support new arrivals" by aiding with "medical services, traditional meals and prayer services" in the state’s transitional housing center. (Thy Vo, The Colorado Sun) 
• The Santa Clarita Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will hold a collection drive tomorrow for Afghan refugees recently resettled in Santa Clarita, California, with a special demand for bikes and kettles. (Grace Halaby, KHTS Radio) 

Thanks for reading, 

Ali 

P.S. Meet Nadia Nadim: A former Afghan refugee who become an international soccer star and recently achieved a life-long dream: becoming a medical doctor.