"They could spend weeks at sea here. The dangers are the first thing that stands out to me," said Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Adam Hoffner of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Florida sector.  

Migrants often come on makeshift boats, typically at night with cooler temperatures, LaGrone notes. Migrants who spoke with her shared that they were journeying north for a better life and employment opportunities and said they paid the equivalent of $2,000 to $3,000 each to make the trip.  

"This is the most landings that I’ve seen," Hoffner added. "It’s predominately Cuban and Haitian migration." 

The journey is dangerous: At least five people from Cuba died after their boat, bound for the U.S., sank Saturday after colliding with a Cuban coast guard ship, reports Megan Janetsky of the Associated Press. The dead include a minor and three women. 

Meanwhile, conditions in Haiti continue to drive migration. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that 96,000 Haitians from Port-au-Prince are facing displacement because of gang-related violence.  

"Thousands of women, children, and men have been forced to leave their homes seeking shelter away from violence and destruction," said Ulrika Richardson, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Haiti.  

Anticipating an increase in Haitian migrants, the Biden administration is considering holding Haitian migrants in a third country or even expanding capacity at the U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, reports Julia Ainsley of NBC. 

Welcome to Tuesday’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]. 

‘REACH THAT STAR’— Border Patrol fired crowd-control projectiles at asylum-seeking Venezuelan and Honduran migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border Monday after agents allegedly were assaulted, Omar Ornelas and Lauren Villagran of the El Paso Times report. The incident in the wake of the Biden administration’s recent agreement under which Mexico is taking in Venezuelans expelled under Title 42. Nearby, Venezuelan asylum seekers have claimed a small piece of land as theirs, rebuffing efforts by Mexican authorities to get them to apply for humanitarian visas, reports Alfredo Corchado of The Dallas Morning News. "We made it this far," said Juan Carlos Brito, who had traveled from Caracas, Venezuela, with his sister and niece. "I’m not going anywhere but north, to reach that star." 

WHY DACA MATTERS — The potential end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program could have a significant impact on Indiana’s economy, Whitney Downard writes in the Indiana Capital Chronicle. "In Indiana, there’s not enough of a workforce to maintain our current economy, much less grow. So the opportunities of economic growth are being stifled by a lack of workforce generally," said Greg Zoeller, Indiana’s Republican former attorney general and a Forum board member. Indiana’s DACA recipients are part of the workforce, have an estimated spending power of $180.8 million and contribute $516.4 million to the state’s GDP, Downard notes. Also don’t miss the personal plea in The Hill from DACA recipient Diana Pliego of the National Immigration Law Center. Separately, Jasmine Aguilera of TIME Magazine offers a good recap of DACA court challenges and the advocacy efforts underway to try to protect Dreamers.  

NATIONAL SECURITY — Leaders of tech companies are focusing on national security as they urge Congress to pass further immigration-related reforms following the "CHIPS and Science Act," meant to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. as it competes with China, reports Suzanne Monyak of Roll Call. "If we are doubling down on the country’s financial commitment to this phase, it only makes sense to marry that with a competitive immigration system that allows us to match the human resources that are needed with the financial investment," said Karan Bhatia, head of government affairs and public policy at Google. 

WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN — A recent event hosted by The University of Northern Iowa centered on stories of women in Afghanistan, reports Mallory Schmitz of The Northern Iowan. "Currently, a genocide is happening toward the Hazara community. We are being targeted in schools, maternity hospitals, in mosques, in wedding halls and in education centers just to name a few," said Hakima Afzaly, who mainly grew up in Pakistan, where her refugee parents were fleeing the persecution of Hazaras. To keep hope for the future alive, "Education is a necessity, not a luxury, and that is why it is a moral obligation of all of us to empathize with women of Afghanistan and keep amplifying their voices," Afzaly added.  

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS — Coming off my sugar high — and possible white lie about not "sharing" my toddler’s candy — to recognize Día de los Muertos, a holiday that originated in Mexico to celebrate, honor and remember family and friends who have passed away. Hundreds of people gathered at Roosevelt Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sunday to celebrate, reports Rylan Capper of MLive. "We’re immigrants. We’re not going anywhere. We might as well just get together and get along," said Roli Mancera, the event organizer. "When you have so many immigrants ... that’s what makes this country rich with influence and culture from everywhere." 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan