The idea is to reduce unlawful crossings between ports of entry by creating a lawful channel for some Venezuelan migrants. But thousands of Venezuelan migrants will now be denied access to asylum at the border and instead expelled via Title 42, notes Monyak. 

"What strikes me about it is that it’s kind of an enforcement policy to stop Venezuelan migration, and then secondarily there’s a small access to protection," said Yael Schacher, director for the Americas and Europe at Refugees International.  

With thousands of Venezuelan migrants already heading to U.S.-Mexico border to seek refuge, Schacher says it’s unlikely that many have heard about the new parole initiative — and if they arrive between ports and get expelled, they’re disqualified altogether.  

"[I]t does raise concerns about whether the administration really is set on ending this policy that is really causing a lot of harm to migrants," our policy expert Danilo Zak told Alisa Reznick of KJZZ’s Fronteras Desk.  

On Twitter, Griff Jenkins of Fox News shared footage of the first group of Venezuelans being expelled back to Mexico via Title 42. 

Meanwhile, faith-based refugee resettlement groups are offering a mixed review of the new program, highlighting that it should not replace asylum protections, nor take away from refugee resettlement, report Emily McFarlan Miller and Paul O’Donnell of Religion News Service. 

Switching gears, here are a couple of good reads before Hispanic Heritage Month concludes tomorrow: 

• Luana Munoz of WESH2-TV reports on the economic contributions of Hispanic-owned businesses in Orlando, Florida. "I was a new, young, budding entrepreneur. I had a vision or a dream, but I didn’t know how to put everything together," said Phillip Rosado, originally from Puerto Rico and owner of Educe Salon. 
• A team at the Smithsonian has put together a blog post featuring "Six Latinas to Know" in U.S. history. 

Welcome to Friday’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].  

‘LIFE AND DEATH’— Army veteran James Powers of Canton, Ohio, was among a small group of veterans and Afghans from across the U.S. who gathered at Sen. Rob Portman’s (R) office Tuesday to underscore the importance of passing the Afghan Adjustment Act, reports Danae King of The Columbus Dispatch. "We don’t leave fallen comrades," Powers said, in reference to not leaving any Afghan ally behind. "Those creeds, those oaths we stand by, they’ve got to matter." Passing the Afghan Adjustment Act "isn’t political," added another Army veteran, Matt Zeller. "This is literally a matter of life and death." 

CRIME VICTIMS — Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar certified that the nearly 50 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, were victims of a crime, reports James Barragán of The Texas Tribune. As a result, these groups of migrants can apply for a U visa, which is reserved for (and protects) victims or witnesses of a crime. Rachel Self, a Massachusetts attorney who has been involved in the case, is already working on the applications, according to George Brennan of The Martha’s Vineyard Times. "All of these victims are now protected from removal while their U visa application is pending," Self said. 

H-2B VISAS — The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it will issue the maximum number of H-2B visas for seasonal workers, for a new total of more than 130,000, reports Michelle Hackman of The Wall Street Journal. The U.S. will set aside 20,000 of the additional visas for workers from Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The remainder will be allocated for returning workers, Hackman notes. "While this is welcome news … Congress needs to do more to provide added certainty and predictability for seasonal businesses that are struggling to fill their job openings," said Jon Baselice, vice president of immigration at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

MENTAL HEALTH — New data collected in northern Mexico along the U.S. border, by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and LUCHA Ministries Inc., notes that 61% of migrants there show symptoms that parallel those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reports Jeff Brumley of Baptist News Global. "They are just trying to escape the torture they experienced in their home countries and on their journeys to the United States. These kinds of experiences leave deep scars on people," said CBF social worker Sue Smith, who conducted the mental health screenings. The data also suggest that 39% of migrants have signs of other anxiety disorders. Smith noted that mental health screenings could "be used in American legal proceedings to establish the credible fear required to achieve asylum." 

CLIPS TO NOTE — A few more stories before you go: 

• Marty Schladen of the Ohio Capital Journal has more on the Ohio farmers who are calling on the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to help address dire labor shortages, ease inflation and strengthen national security. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the nation’s agricultural imports are slated to exceed the exports next year for the first time.  
• An estimated 130,000 migrant children entered the U.S. government’s shelter system in fiscal year 2022, a record, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News. 
• On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the U.S. would pull visas belonging to current and former Haitian government officials involved with gangs and other criminal organizations, as well as their immediate family members — and send assistance to Haiti, per Dánica Coto of the Associated Press. 

Have a great weekend, 

Dan