With some Democrats in Congress raising flags as well, Rebecca Beitsch and Rafael Bernal of The Hill offer that "[t]he friendly fire is in many ways a result of the Biden administration’s failure to define the Trump-era policy for itself, at once decrying it as a bad immigration tool and defending it as a public health necessity." 

In a recent letter to DHS, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) wrote, "Title 42 is an emergency order and should not stay in effect indefinitely, especially as we continue making headway in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. But we should not end this policy without ample preparation." 

Immigration advocates working closely with migrants at the southern border, such as Al Otro Lado, agree, having expressed their concerns to the administration about the lack of information surrounding the pending Title 42 lift, reports Anabel Muñoz of ABC7 in Los Angeles. 

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) performative border response "might help him win reelection, but it won’t do anything to help at the border," as I wrote in an op-ed for The Daily Beast. 

As the brilliant Laura Collins, Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative of George W. Bush Institute, writes, "Ending Title 42 at the border is the right thing to do, but it is not enough. Congress must seriously consider nimble legislative solutions to improve border security and the legal immigration system." 

Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Forum Daily, formerly Noorani’s Notes. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. And if you know others who’d like to receive this newsletter, please spread the word. They can subscribe here.  

H-4 VISAS — On Thursday, U.S. Reps. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Georgia) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) introduced legislation that would help address labor shortages and help immigrant families, per Lalit K Jha of the Press Trust of India. The proposed bill, known as the H-4 Work Authorization Act, would grant the spouses of immigrants with H-1B visas the opportunity to work as soon as they received their H-4 visa. "This bill removes these needless barriers to ensure families can contribute and prosper together," Bourdeaux said. "If we are going to continue to be competitive and attract the greatest minds and talent around the world, we must ensure that the family members of high-value immigrants are able to build a life and a career in the United States, just like everyone else." 

NETWORK OF HELP — First, a weekend must-read from one of my favorite writers: For Politico, Amanda Ripley writes about the Afghan women who fought the Taliban — and are now resettling in the U.S. Then, more good: A family vacation in Los Angeles turned into a grassroots community effort to help Afghan refugees temporarily housed at a hotel, reports Danny Schwartz of The Detroit Jewish News. After meeting Shafi, a former interpreter for the U.S. military who was staying at the hotel with his wife, mother, and two small children, Metro Detroiter Karen Farber got to work, and her efforts blossomed into a heartwarming network of help. "I think this is a forever friendship. We now have an Afghan family," Farber says. 

Elsewhere in local welcome: 

• Atlanta’s Frazer Center has recently hired seven Afghan refugees as new teachers, helping to combat a labor shortage: "It’s a four-month pilot program in which the refugees, who are paid interns, become certified as childcare instructors and will qualify for full-time jobs. As they teach, they also learn English three days a week." (Mark Strassman, CBS News) 
• In collaboration with communities in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, M+M Two Wheelers, Lower Merion Township Police, and HIAS Pennsylvania are donating bikes to Afghan refugees. (Beccah Hendrickson, WPVI) 

UKRAINE WELCOME — Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city, is trying to accommodate the more than 150,000 Ukrainian refugees who have increased its population by 20%, reports Joanna Kakissis of NPR News. To assist refugee students with language barriers and cultural adjustments, for example, the country has hired some Ukrainian refugees as teacher’s aides. "We want to offer the students security, not just an education," said Bozena Miko, a local Krakow elementary school principal. Meanwhile, in California, some Ukrainian refugees are finding comfort thanks to volunteers at Calvary Christian in Chula Vista, reports Joe Little of NBC San Diego. Also worth noting: The Biden administration released data on arrivals via the refugee resettlement program in March — including, well, not many Ukrainians. 

WELCOMING ALL — Refugees from Africa deserve as much attention and care as those from Ukraine, Sylvia Agaba, originally from Uganda and a graduate student at Wheaton College, writes in the Daily Herald. Noting that we do not choose our parentage, birthplace, race, or skin color, she draws a parallel with Jesus’ birth, his family’s flight, welcome in Egypt. "America must not forget that just as the Ukrainians did not ask for the invasion, civilians in the Sahel did not invite this aggression," she writes. "They find themselves victims of circumstances and, like the Ukrainians, desire safety, security, and the response to basic needs. … [L]et our actions demonstrate our impartial solidarity with those suffering from war and injustice worldwide." 

Thanks for reading, 

Ali