Tuesday, June 28
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THE FORUM DAILY

Amen to the words

of San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller: "There are about 46
migrants dead in San Antonio. Our prayers raised up to you O Lord for
their souls. Lord have mercy on them. They hoped for a better life."  

Nearly 100 migrants were found Monday in a tractor trailer that had been
deserted in San Antonio in nearly 100-degree weather, as Guillermo
Contreras and Emilie Eaton report in the San Antonio Express-News
.
Forty-six had perished, and that number could rise: Emergency personnel
helped transport 16 people to area hospitals for medical treatment, with
at least five in critical condition, according to hospital officials.  

Many of the survivors were suffering from heat stroke and heat
exhaustion, with no signs of access to water on the truck. Homeland
Security Investigations agents are now leading the criminal
investigation.  

This human tragedy is in large part a result of immigration policies
that intend to make crossing the border more difficult, even for people
with legitimate claims for protection after fleeing terrible
circumstances. When legal pathways are shut off or heavily backlogged
and ports of entry remain largely closed to asylum seekers, more and
more migrants rely on smugglers to cross - often in extreme
conditions and in extreme danger.   

To put a finer point on it: Deterrence results not in fewer overall
border crossers but in more danger for those making the attempt -
including more deaths.  

We cannot let another heartbreaking headline make us numb. Rather, let
us act. Expanding capacity at land ports of entry, increasing investment
in tech and training CBP to rescue migrants, and expanding permanent and
temporary pathways for people to apply to enter the U.S. legally: These
are ways Congress can work together on reforms that respect human life,
keep us secure, and bring order to the border. 

Again in Archbishop Gustavo's words
: "Once
again, the lack of courage to deal with immigration reform is killing
and destroying lives. We do not learn. God teach us to change. Humanity
is at stake constantly. We pray, we love, we trust. Give us strength! We
want to do your will." 

Welcome to Tuesday'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] . 

ASYLUM CLAIMS - Between 2016 and 2021, Louisiana immigration courts
denied asylum claims in 88.36% of cases, drastically higher than the
nationwide average of 67.6%, reports David Mamone for The Acadiana
Advocate
.
Limited access to legal representation, especially in rural courts
located in remote areas of the state, likely contributes to the denial
rate. Courts also are experiencing a growing backlog of cases. "I see
the problem as a lack of resources for the entire immigration
adjudication system as it relates to the federal government and asylum
applicants," said Darlene Gorlin, a law professor at Louisiana State
University.  

**NOMINEE WITHDRAWS** - President Biden's nominee to lead
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has withdrawn, St. John
Barned-Smith and Elizabeth Trovall report in the Houston Chronicle
.
Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez's nomination had been stuck
amid an unsubstantiated domestic abuse allegation that surfaced in a
police affidavit last year. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director
since the Obama administration. "I arrived at this decision after
prayerfully considering what's best for our nation, my family, and the
people of Harris County who elected me to serve a second term as
Sheriff," Gonzalez tweeted Monday
.
 

'IS HE NOT HUMAN?' - Ahmad Alsidnawi, originally from Syria,
thought he would be able to reunite with his family for the first time
in eight years. But after gathering proper documentation to visit his
family for a vacation in Mexico, he was stopped, detained, and sent back
to Turkey, where he has citizenship - "likely caught up in Mexico's
response to pressure from the United States to stop Turkish citizens
from posing as tourists before crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to
request asylum," reports Kate Morrissey of The San Diego Union-Tribune
.
"What did he do? Is he not human? We're just trying to be one family
in the same place," said Huda Alsidnawi, Ahmad's sister.  

FORAI - Faith-based nonprofit Forai , "Friends
of Refugees and Immigrants," has been partnering with refugee and
immigrant women in the St. Louis metro area for almost 13 years,
"teach[ing] them how to produce jewelry and textiles, all while paying
them a fair wage for their work," reports Alecia Humphreys for Ladue
News
.
Women from Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar and elsewhere have worked for the
organization. "We love getting to know these courageous women, teaching
them new skills and providing much-needed income as their families
adjust to a vastly different life," said Jen Owens, Forai's founder
and executive director. 

To Connecticut for more local welcome: 

* Organizations in Bridgeport teamed up to help a new Afghan refugee
family "improve their English and progress towards their longer-term
professional goals" through English as a Second Language courses. (Laura
Roberts,  HamletHub
) 

* Jane Kinity, a former refugee from Kenya, started an annual Refugee
Day picnic three years ago with the goal of bringing New Haven's
refugee community together: "They needed a place of connection," she
said. (Laura Glesby, New Haven Independent
) 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan

 

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