The Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General is investigating a recent $400 million federal contract with Fisher Sand & Gravel for construction of the border wall, which raised suspicions in the House Homeland Security committee, reports Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times.

“Mr. Trump had lobbied the Army Corps of Engineers to choose the North Dakota company, despite opposition from military officials who raised concerns about the company’s standards, according to one current and one former administration official. The company’s chief executive, Tommy Fisher, has repeatedly gone on Fox News to cheer for the border wall, a public appeal on the president’s favorite news channel that has helped others win senior positions in the Department of Homeland Security.”

Welcome to Friday’s edition of Noorani’s Notes.

Have a story you’d like us to include? Email me at [email protected].

CREDIBLE FEAR – A father of two who was seeking asylum in the United States was recently murdered while being forced to “remain in Mexico” while his case was processed – per Chantal Da Silva in Newsweek. “When their first court hearing arrived on September 11, the family pleaded to be allowed to stay in the U.S., expressing fears for their safety if they were forced to return to Tijuana…Just over two months later, the family's fears would come true, however, with the father being killed in a vicious attack.”

MAINE’S DREAMERS – Ending DACA could have a serious negative impact on Maine’s economy – which is facing a labor shortage and a rapidly aging population – argues Beth Stickney, head of the Maine Business Immigration Coalition, in the Bangor Daily News. “Every year, DACA recipients contribute nearly $4 million to Maine’s GDP, and more than $460 billion to the nation’s. Without permission to work and live in the United States, that money will disappear from our economy. So will the tax dollars that Dreamers contribute to all levels of government, helping fund Maine’s essential programs and services.”

GROSSLY NEGLIGENT – An internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) whistleblower complaint obtained by Hamed Aleaziz at Buzzfeed News alleges instances of “grossly negligent” care by the agency in detention centers, which has led to preventable surgeries and several deaths. “The whistleblower reported that three people had died in ICE lockup after receiving inadequate medical treatment or oversight, and said official reports on a fourth person’s death were ‘very misleading’…The allegations were laid out in a March 20 memorandum signed by Cameron Quinn, DHS’s officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and sent to top ICE leadership.”

JERSEY LICENSES – New Jersey may be the next state to issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, pending a final vote on the bill next Monday, writes Stacey Barchenger in the Bergen Record. “Proponents say the bill not only provides protection to immigrants, but is beneficial for public safety as a whole because people who are driving illegally now will get licensed and get car insurance.”

“A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT” – Lual Mayen, a Sudanese refugee who taught himself how to code, has developed a new video game based on his experience growing up in a refugee camp. “In the game, players take on the role of refugees fleeing violence... His mother is his game's main character,” reports Jan Crawford in CBS News. Mayen says you win the game by creating a “peaceful environment.”

WHAT I’M READING – I recently picked up Steven Waldman’s, “Sacred Liberty: America’s Long, Bloody, and Ongoing Struggle for Religious Freedom.” Early on he writes, “The attacks on [religious] liberty through the years often had common characteristics. They were frequently triggered by immigration. They grew especially severe when the majority felt its demographic dominance slipping away.”

Thanks for reading,

Ali