The policy has forced thousands of migrants to wait for the duration of their immigration proceedings in dangerous parts of Mexico, per Julian Resendiz of Border Report. The Biden administration and Mexico agreed to restart MPP in December in the wake of a lower court’s ruling. 

"I ask U.S. authorities to not change laws to make things more difficult for us. We are here with our families because of the problems we experienced at home," said Jose Mario Licona, a merchant who fled from gang violence in Honduras with his family. "They tell me Juarez [in Mexico] is violent, you fear being kidnapped. You don’t go out, you don’t know where else to go."  

Advocates have remained concerned about the dangers migrants waiting in Mexico face. For more on MPP, see our explainer. 

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]. 

RESPONSES TO TRAGEDY — In light of the deaths of more than 50 migrants in a semitrailer in Texas, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said he is again talking about immigration reforms with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), per Andrew Desiderio of Politico. "I think what happened at the border with finding 51 dead migrants in that tractor trailer is what I would call a ‘Uvalde moment,’" Durbin said. "I hope it sparks an interest in finding a bipartisan approach to dealing with immigration." The archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo García-Siller, continues to call for reforms after visiting hospitalized migrant survivors, Victoria De Leon reports for KENS 5. Meanwhile, a team at the Associated Press tells the stories of the victims, who were seeking better lives here. And Julie Watson and Fabiola Sánchez home in on two cousins’ journey toward Ohio. One is hospitalized in Texas; the other is missing.  

CHECKPOINTS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that the state will increase its checkpoints for trucks crossing from Mexico to combat cartels and smugglers, reports Patrick Svitek of The Texas Tribune. Timing and the exact locations of checkpoints are unclear. "[Smugglers] are using cloned trucks and vehicles that appear to be legitimate, that look like they’re legitimate, that’s easy to pass through the particular checkpoint, but I can assure you our troopers will be able to identify whether they’re legitimate or not and take action at that point in time," said Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw. (In case you missed it, read the responses of the Forum and some of our faith, national security and law enforcement colleagues.)  

BORDER BUDGET — The House Appropriations Committee has voted to increase funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement by almost $3 billion for the next fiscal year, reports Sandra Sanchez of Border Report. The combined budgets reportedly would increase to $85.6 billion, a 3% increase. Should Congress approve the funding, it could cover the hiring of close to 2,000 people at the two agencies, according to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). The committee also voted to reduce funding for immigration detention in the fiscal year 2023. 

‘FAILED IN AFGHANISTAN’ — An estimated 45 Afghan refugees who assisted the U.S. military are trapped in prison-like conditions in a military base in Kosovo while awaiting additional processing, reports Haley Ott for CBS News. "We have absolutely no freedom to leave the area. We only have access to one field, the bathrooms, the dining hall, and our tent," said Muhammad Arif Sarwari, who worked with the CIA during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Sarwari, along with many other refugees, feel betrayed: "People here have worked with the U.S. against terrorism and have risked their lives for this cause and are innocent … yet some were titled as ineligible. Washington has clearly failed, just like how they failed in Afghanistan."  

Stateside, local welcome continues:  

• Thanks to support from IRC-Atlanta, the Mohammeds are settling into their new four-bedroom apartment in Stone Mountain, Georgia, after spending months in an extended-stay hotel. (Sophia Qureshi, Atlanta Magazine) 
• Afghan refugee children in Fresno, California, are attending free gymnastics, Taekwondo, dance, and English classes as a part of a three-week summer program hosted by nonprofit Break the Barriers. Cross City Christian Church and Bethany Christian Services helped fund the program. (Kassandra Gutierrez, ABC30 Action News) 
• Amid the growth of the refugee and immigrant population in Roanoke, Virginia, more than 20 students gathered at Belmont Library to learn "methods for communicating across language and cultural barriers and forming communities." (Heather Rousseau, The Roanoke Times) 

HEALTH CARE — California is the first state to allow all undocumented immigrants to access health care benefits, reports Mathew Miranda of The Sacramento Bee. The new Medi-Cal expansion, slated to take effect no later than Jan. 1, 2024, "is expected to provide full coverage for approximately 700,000 undocumented residents ages 26-49 and lead to the largest drop in the rate of uninsured Californians in a decade," Miranda notes.