Your weekly summary from the Council

 LATEST ANALYSIS 

• State Department Denies Substantial Percentage of Employer-Sponsored Immigrant Visas
  
  Surprising data recently revealed that consular officers denied applicants for employer-sponsored immigrant visas at a far higher rate than U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers denied green cards to employer-sponsored applicants. Read More »
   
• Biden Administration Expands Exemptions for Afghan Nationals Otherwise Inadmissible
  
  Obtaining immigration benefits from the U.S. government is always difficult, but it's even harder for people who have ever had any interaction with an organization or government that is deemed to support terrorism. As thousands of Afghans apply for immigration benefits in the U.S., many risk being denied due to interactions with the Taliban. However, the Biden administration is expanding its efforts to avoid those denials. Read More »

 FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW  

• The U.S Supreme Court is slated to decide on the fate of the Migrant Protection Protocols—a policy also known as the “Remain in Mexico” program—that sent thousands of people seeking humanitarian protection to dangerous areas of Mexico to await their asylum hearings. 

  This fact sheet from the American Immigration Council explains how the U.S. government has justified MPP, its inherent dangers, as well as recent developments under the Biden administration. 

  Read more: The “Migrant Protection Protocols” 

 ACROSS THE NATION 

• The American Immigration Council and a partner filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to disclose information about U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ massive delays in processing of applications for humanitarian parole filed for Afghan nationals who have not been able to travel to the United States.
  
  This information is crucial to understand USCIS’ significant delays impacting the applications for Afghan nationals looking to reach safety in the United States.
  
  Read More: Council Sues USCIS to Obtain Records About Humanitarian Parole Applications of Afghan Nationals

 MAKE A CONTRIBUTION 

 QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

“The idea is to make sure that all of our county services are accessible to everyone in our community, and that language isn't a barrier for anyone.”

– Alachua County Commissioner Anna Prizzia

Gainesville, Florida is one of the Council’s Gateways for Growth communities. We applaud the recent funding of $875K to include the City of Gainesville and the Rural Women’s Health Project to increase language access programs and grow immigrant inclusion. 

The Gateways for Growth Challenge (G4G) is a competitive opportunity for localities to receive research support and technical assistance from the American Immigration Council and Welcoming America to improve immigrant inclusion in their communities.

 FURTHER READING 

• Houston Chronicle: Editorial: Ten years later, why are Dreamers still in purgatory?
   

• Reason: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Immigration Crackdown Could Be Costly
   

• The Associated Press: New films from Love Has No Labels Inspire Acts of Love that Address Bias, Hate and Discrimination
   

• Common Dreams: 'Totally Unacceptable': US Rejecting 90% of Afghans Seeking Asylum Under Humanitarian Program
   

         

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