The conspiracy theorists "are the latest in what over the years has developed into a cottage industry of dozens of armed civilians who have packed camouflage gear, tents and binoculars and deployed along the southern border." Some have also been targeting humanitarian workers, whom they falsely believe are part of a trafficking ring.  

This is extremely dangerous misinformation. "We haven’t heard about migrant children brought in to be sex workers or slaves," said Stacey Sutherland, an official with the Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network. "At the border, it’s overwhelmingly people who paid to be smuggled."  

Meanwhile, ICYMI, USA Today’s Will Carless reports that Brandon Judd, president of a major Border Patrol union, is linking immigration to the racist "great replacement" theory. When asked in a Fox News interview what he thought of U.S. immigration policy, Judd replied, "I believe that they’re trying to change the demographics of the electorate, that’s what I believe they’re doing." 

All of this has an impact on voters: A new AP-NORC poll found that one in three American adults fear immigrant influence in U.S. elections, per the Associated Press’ Anita Snow. 

In other border news, Laura Daniella Sepulveda of the Arizona Republic reports that "Border Patrol Critical Incident Teams, which have been accused of covering up official wrongdoing, will no longer be used in the processing of critical incidents involving CBP agents starting in October." For a recap on the issue, see Jasmine Aguilera’s piece for TIME Magazine. 

Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. 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. 

TACTICS — Highly organized smugglers in Brazil are working with Mexican cartels to create phony families so migrants are able to enter the U.S., report The Wall Street Journal’s Luciana Magalhaes, Samantha Pearson, and Michelle Hackman with photos by Maria Magdalena Arrellaga. Such is the case for Bruno Silva, who paid a portion of Shyrley Oliveira’s smuggling fee to pose as the father of her 11-month-old daughter in order to get across the border. Under U.S. immigration law, trying to enter as a single adult would have afforded Silva a slim chance of entry. "I just need a bit more time," said Oliveira, who plans to return to Brazil when she’s saved more money. "I want to build a house, open a store, and get enough money together for my kids to study at university so they can make something of their lives."  

‘END TITLE 42’ — Title 42 is not the solution to addressing our challenges at the southern border, writes Sheriff David Hathaway of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, in an op-ed for the Arizona Republic. Title 42 "never did fit the American constitutional ideal of due process or speedy court proceedings. Instead, it has become a crazy distraction from the real issue — our immigration system is broken." Among the sheriff’s recommendations are bolstered border infrastructure and more immigration judges. "End Title 42. Don’t build a replacement for it. Instead, address the true crisis at hand. … Action cannot wait for another national election cycle to pass us by," concludes Hathaway, a member of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. For more on what happens when (or if) Title 42 is lifted, Graciela Moreno of ABC-30 Action News has the breakdown.  

REFORMS — For The Hill, Jordain Carney reports that a small group of senators recently met to discuss immigration reforms — starting with the border. "That seems to be all we do is meet," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). "I’m happy to try." Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) is also pushing for immigration reforms with bills like the House-passed Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would address inflation and labor shortages, reports Suzanne Monyak of Roll Call. He recently asked grassroots organizations to call their senators "to build urgency around this issue, to pass much, much needed immigration reform." For the Associated Press, Nicholas Riccardi speaks to employers in Texas who are feeling the brunt of the missing immigrant workforce. 

REFUGEE SUPPORT — On Monday, Congressional Democratic leaders struck a deal on nearly $40 billion in Ukraine aid, per Sarah Ferris and Burgess Everett of Politico. (The bill does not include Covid aid because Republicans, and some Democrats, are seeking an amendment vote compelling the administration to keep Title 42 in place at the border.) As Fiona Harrigan of Reason reports, both the U.S. and Europe are extending much-needed welcome to Ukrainian refugees. Harrigan recommends that the Biden administration implement a "special student relief designation [that] would relax academic requirements for Ukrainian students in the U.S. and allow them to work while attending school," and "[m]ore efficient visa application processing." In the meantime, Congress should also pass an Afghan Adjustment Act for Afghan allies already in the U.S.  

More on local welcome: 

• "Anything is possible here," said Inamullah Niazai, referring to St. Louis’ Afghan Resettlement Initiative, which has welcomed 6oo arrivals and expects another 750 later this year. "We are so lucky that my family can be here, together." (Jim Salter, Associated Press) 
• "I’m hoping to continue working with some of the refugee families," said Lindsay Olsen of Broomfield, Colorado, who has helped design and refurbish furniture for Afghan refugees and migrant families. "It’s been nice helping to welcome these families into Broomfield and help them get set up in their new homes." (Sydney McDonald, Broomfield Enterprise) 

Thanks for reading, 

Ali 

P.S. An estimated 80% of doughnut shops in southern California are owned by Cambodian refugee families. CBS News’ Sharaf Mowjood documents some of their great, bittersweet stories.