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Overview: This week, CCUSA submitted a letter to Congress, urging the leadership to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act. Much of the media focus this week centered on President Biden's decision to offer one-time, limited student loan forgiveness. DACA recipients also received some good news regarding their eligibility to remain in the U.S. under certain conditions. For more information on each of these items, read the paragraphs below. United We Stand Summit: On September 15, President Biden will host the United We Stand Summit at the White House to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence in our country and to honor "Uniters" from across the U.S. Learn more about the United We Stand Summit. By September 1st, 2022, people are invited to nominate an extraordinary Uniter in their community to be recognized by the White House. Commenting on the summit, Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of CCUSA, said, "It is crucial that we hear the voices of those with whom we disagree without engaging in violence, personal attacks and vitriolic interchanges that serve only to divide us further and shred the beautiful tapestry of our national identity." Economy: In the week ending August 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial [unemployment] claims was 243,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 5,000 from 250,000 to 245,000. The 4-week moving average was 247,000, an increase of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 1,250 from 246,750 to 245,500. Afghan Adjustment Act: CCUSA submitted a letter to congressional leadership asking that the Afghan Adjustment Act (S. 4787/H.R. 8685) be adopted as soon as possible in order to protect Afghan allies in the U.S. and set them on a path to full integration into the communities where they live. Read the full letter here.  Upon their arrival, Afghan refugees board a bus at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., Sept. 1, 2021, taking them to a processing center. (CNS photo/Kevin Lamarque, Reuters) |
DACA: The Department of Homeland Security announced the final rule codifying the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy (DACA) into the federal regulations. This action by the agency protects DACA, making it more difficult for future administrations to end the program. Nearly 600,000 young immigrants will continue to receive work authorization and protections from deportation under these regulations, which will take effect on Oct. 31, 2022. While the new regulations still allow renewal of DACA applications, they stop short of allowing new applications. DACA recipients are people who were brought to the U.S. as children from other nations. Eligibility for DACA requires the person to prove three conditions: He or she arrived in the U.S. by age 16 before June 2007, studied in a U.S. school or served in the military, and lacks any serious criminal record. Anthony Granado, vice president of government relations at CCUSA, was interviewed by CRUX magazine about DACA. Granado said that DACA is one piece of a larger immigration question the nation's leaders need to address. "We need to start having a serious, realistic, conversation in this country about immigration and what is going to be best for our country, and for people who are arriving," he said. Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF): On Wednesday, the Biden-Harris administration announced a loan forgiveness program. Over 175,000 borrowers have been approved for loan forgiveness through the limited PSLF waiver. Borrowers, with an annual income during the COVID-19 pandemic of under $125,000 (for individuals) or under $250,000 (for married couples or heads of households) who received a Pell Grant in college, will be eligible for up to $20,000 in debt cancellation. Borrowers who met those income standards but did not receive a Pell Grant will be eligible for up to $10,000 in relief. More information on this waiver, including how to qualify and apply, can be found here. Be sure to submit your PSLF form and/or consolidate your loans by October 31, 2022, to get the benefit. EFSP: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.) introduced an emergency appropriations bill (H.R. 8725) to provide $50 million in supplemental funds for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) to provide humanitarian relief for migrants, including migrants being bused into the District of Columbia from Texas and Arizona. |
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