The administration’s approach, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, is one of "shared responsibility where everyone in the hemisphere who is affected by irregular migration in particular, migration more generally, that is countries of origin, transit countries, countries of destination, come together to take shared responsibility for managing this in a safe, humane and orderly way," per CNN’s Devan Cole and Priscilla Alvarez. 

The U.S. and other countries are slated to sign a new migration plan, known as the Los Angeles Declaration, this week. 

The strategy also aims to address root causes of migration, as Vice President Kamala Harris noted, per Adam Shaw of Fox News. "And this strategy is aligned with the importance that many of the leaders here know and live — the importance of paying attention to a good return on investment, consistency and predictability, a skilled workforce, and a reliable infrastructure," she said. 

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].  

FAMILY SEPARATIONS — More details have emerged about the national shame that was the Trump administration’s family-separation policy. Government documents released this year show that Trump administration officials worked to slow the reunification of families separated under the "zero tolerance" policy, reports Maria Sacchetti of The Washington Post. Lawyers for migrants say the released emails show that officials "knew … that migrant families were being reunited quickly and worked to prevent that from happening." As we noted yesterday, the reunification process continues, and there’s more Congress can do to support reunited families. 

RURAL REVIVAL — I can’t say it better than Iowa journalist Robert Leonard does in TIME Magazine: "The contemporary math of immigration is that we have jobs, and refugees and asylum seekers want to fill them. Our labor crisis can be solved by helping those caught up in political and environmental crises around the world. … Every rural manufacturing leader I have spoken with, regardless of party affiliation, wants immigration reform. They know immigrants can help solve their labor problems." That’s especially true in a rural place like Iowa, where job openings and unemployment rates continue to rise, and where populations "have always been immigrants," he writes. 

‘A PERFECT MATCH’ — Mayors are bringing Leonard’s sentiments to town: The United States Conference of Mayors recently adopted a resolution spearheaded by Akron, Ohio, Mayor Dan Horrigan and others that pushes for a "Heartland Visa" program that would help attract and retain talent, reports Abbey Marshall of The Akron Beacon Journal. "Attracting talented immigrants to Akron would mean further boosting our housing market, municipal finances, entrepreneurial ecosystem, and our labor market," Horrigan said. "Skilled immigrants are highly entrepreneurial, and Akron is well-positioned as an entrepreneurial hub, so it makes a perfect match."  

AFGHAN REFUGEES — Without U.S. troops or diplomats in Afghanistan, the Biden administration continues to pay Ariana Afghan Airlines, controlled by the Taliban, to help Afghans flee, report Dan De Luce and Courtney Kube of NBC News. "The United States remains committed to supporting American citizens, lawful permanent residents and our Afghan allies and their families who are eligible to relocate to the United States," a State Department spokesperson said. "This is an enduring effort, and the State Department continues to support travel for these individuals out of Afghanistan at this time." 

Meanwhile, on the local front: 

• "When I retire, I want to work with refugee children," said retired teacher Sissy Hoffman, 80, who has spent nine months helping an Afghan family resettle via the Inspirits First Families Mentorship program in Savannah, Georgia. "This is really the crowning glory." (Bianca Moorman, Savannah Morning News) 
• Sullivan High School in Chicago has welcomed about 70 Afghan students, and teachers and staff such as social worker Josh Zepeda are supporting them as they integrate into American culture and learn the ropes at school. (FOX 32 Chicago) 

TITLE 42 — With a lift of Title 42 on hold, faith-based shelters along the southern border, including El Paso Baptist Association, continue to step up and support migrants in need, reports Heather Sells of CBN News. "We want to make sure that when they stop here with us, especially on this border town in El Paso, Texas in the United States, they see the love of God," said Pastor Kelly Knott, who manages the ministry supported by 84 churches in the association. 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan