Meanwhile, the follow-up continues on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) sending of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last week. Tal Kopan of The Boston Globe has a good look at the political thinking — and the "complicated picture," which goes a layer deeper.  

"First of all, playing with these people’s lives to score cheap political points is outrageous," said John Sandweg, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "We obviously have a problem at the southern border. It’s a problem that existed under the Trump administration as well as under the Biden administration. ... [But] this is reprehensible and disgusting." 

From the faith perspective, Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service writes about DeSantis’ and other governors’ "crisis of faith": "[A]pparently, when it comes to the Bible’s repeated commands along the lines of ‘do not mistreat or oppress an immigrant,’ [DeSantis is] willing to make some compromises." Don’t miss this piece. 

DeSantis promises to transport more migrants from border states soon, per Steve Contorno of CNN.  

Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is representing 30 of the 48 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard under Gov. Desantis’ order, is asking U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey to open a criminal investigation, per Rachel Tucker of WFLA. For The Washington Post, Aaron Blake analyzes whether what governors are doing is illegal or not (bottom line: it’s murky).  

I’ll give the last word to Daniela Gerson, an assistant professor of journalism at California State University, Northridge, in an op-ed for CNN:  

"The descent into cruel political stunts distracts from how our broken immigration system is not a partisan problem. It’s an American one. And one that Congress has failed to act on for decades. Our laws reflect neither the reality of our labor needs nor our humanitarian aspirations. Dumping asylum-seekers on an island they did not choose to go to and that is unprepared for their arrival is not only cruel, it also distracts from the hard work of finding a solution to a broader patchwork system overrun with problems." 

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].  

MODELS OF WELCOME — The Biden administration will use the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans (and, later, Ukrainians) as a model to develop a private-sponsorship program for refugees admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and is turning to organizations to help launch a pilot program by the end of this year, Julie Watson and Amy Taxin of the Associated Press report. Meanwhile, Natalie Sarrett of Send Relief writes in the Biblical Recorder of Christians’ support of Afghan evacuees, homing in on ministry centers in Atlanta, Boston and Denver. "There are millions of Afghans fleeing violence and persecution, and this is an amazing opportunity for churches in the United States to respond and follow Christ’s call to welcome the stranger," said Send Relief Vice President Josh Benton.  

Locally: 

• More than 30 Afghan students at Newcomer Academy in Kentucky got an opportunity to meet Dr. Nadia Nadim, a professional soccer player for Racing Louisville FC and former Afghan refugee. (Ford Sanders, WHAS11) 
• Former Afghan army officer Setara Wafa, who resettled in Seattle after fleeing Afghanistan in August 2021, is now helping new arrivals get their bearings. (Julie Calhoun, KING5)