No joke. The three have come together to form the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, whose "coalition is a model for how faith leaders can find common ground and create change for good despite significant differences" — with immigration front and center. 

"In a time of polarization that seems to be tearing America apart, faith communities can show our political leaders how to bridge our stark and very real national political divides, especially on an issue where we need bipartisanship the most: immigration," writes Bob Roberts Jr., senior global pastor at Northwood Church in Keller, Texas, and co-founder of the network, in an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News. 

He cites recent bills with bipartisan support, including the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act, the recently introduced Afghan Adjustment Act and the Dream Act. 

"[J]ust as faith leaders can collaborate for the good of our communities, I hope our own Sen. [John] Cornyn will continue to lead in the bipartisan effort to strengthen America by doing good for the immigrants who call America their home," Roberts Jr. concludes.  

Welcome to Monday’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]. 

THANKFUL FOR BUSING — Politics may motivate Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to bus migrants to Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Chicago, but for immigrants themselves, the taxpayer-funded trips are a boon, Jasmine Aguilera reports in TIME Magazine. Migrants Aguilera interviewed were thankful for the transportation and unaware of the political overtones. "[T]hank God they’re helping us with this," said Jhason, last name withheld for the safety of family still in Venezuela, who said he traveled through seven countries over 43 days to get to the border. "If it weren’t for the politics…then yes, [busing is] a solution," said Theresa Cardinal Brown of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Meanwhile, speaking of interfaith efforts: "Gratitude, warmth and a renewed sense of collective responsibility are the responses I have seen as D.C.-area organizations and faith communities (and, most recently, its government) have stepped up to welcome and support newcomers," Gary Sampliner writes in a Washington Post op-ed.  

GRATITUDE, FEAR — While Afghan allies "Ahmed" and "Mohammed" have gratitude for resettling in the U.S., they fear for their families left behind, reports Susan Young of the Bangor Daily News. Both men now live in Lewiston, Maine, working for Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services. "They are suffering," Mohammed said of his wife and children, who remain in hiding while he works to bring them to the U.S. So far, the Maine offices have helped resettle more than 100 people from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Brian Osgood of Al Jazeera breaks down what the Afghan Adjustment Act would mean for Afghan allies already in the U.S. and those still waiting to come here.  

On local welcome:  

• Navy veteran Shawn VanDiver is among the San Diegans who have been welcoming Afghan allies and are now pushing for the Afghan Adjustment Act. (John Carroll, KPBS) 
• Afghan Zianawaz Anjwazkhan was able to achieve his lifelong dream of opening his store, Bins and Wins, thanks to financial literacy help and support from US Together in northeast Ohio. (Mike Brookbank and Claire Geary, News 5 Cleveland) 

SUPPORT FOR REFORMS — In a recent poll covering nine states, including Pennsylvania, a strong majority of voters support Congress protecting Dreamers and passing reforms that would help stabilize the agricultural workforce and address food prices, reports John L. Micek of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Voters in these states "continue to strongly support pro-immigrant solutions, including protecting our nation’s Dreamers, farm workers, [Temporary Protected Status] holders and undocumented immigrants," said Sergio Gonzales of the Immigration Hub, which commissioned the poll by Hart Research Associates and BSP Research.  

UKRAINIANS RETURN HOME — An estimated 6 million Ukrainians have returned to their homes from abroad or places of refuge within the country, per Martin Kuz in the San Antonio Express-News. That’s out of an estimated 14 million who were displaced, 7 million of whom had left Ukraine. More could return home as they hear reports of Ukraine’s successes on the battlefield. "The reverse migration attests to national pride, the bonds of family and the refugees’ desire to regain a measure of control over their lives after struggling to start over," Kuz describes. "Why should we be the ones to go? This is our home," said Svitlana Swirsky, whose family returned to their Kyiv suburb in May. "We want our sons to live in the country where they were born." 

INDIANA — Logansport, Indiana, has become home for Mang Hau, pastor at Burmese-Zo Christian Church, reports Kirsten Adair of the Pharos-Tribune. A onetime refugee from Myanmar, he moved to Logansport more than a decade ago and began working as an interpreter and then diversity trainer at Tyson Fresh Meats. "Tyson paid me to do the job that I loved for the people I cared (about)," Hau said. "Since I left there, I became a full-time pastor in my congregation. I’m not good at preaching, I’m not good at teaching, but God gave me talent to assist people, so that’s what I did." Hau now supports other former refugees as they rebuild their lives.  

Thanks for reading, 

Dan