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