No matter what happens today: Americans have made it clear that they want Democratic and Republican lawmakers to work together on key immigration reforms — and want action this year.  

Bipartisan, meaningful reforms that Americans support include legislative solutions which strengthen border security, create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, and ensure a legal, reliable workforce for farmworkers and ranchers.  

So, the question remains: "Can Republicans and Democrats Find a Way Forward on Immigration?" That’s the headline from The New York Times’ Eileen Sullivan as we head into the midterms today. 

Anti-immigrant rhetoric in election campaigns this year has made it especially challenging for "the Biden administration to secure any meaningful immigration reform after the midterm elections, especially if the G.O.P. controls at least one legislative chamber," Sullivan notes. 

"But even if Republicans win control in Congress and want to advance their immigration policies, particularly on border security, they will have to find some compromise with Democrats to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate — something that has been elusive for years, regardless of party control." 

Bipartisan work to pass reforms is necessary. There is no doubt about it. 

As our new President and CEO Jennie Murray laid out a couple weeks ago: "Make no mistake, this fall and winter will be pivotal in determining whether Dreamers get to keep their protections, our farm workforce is brought into the 21st century, and we tackle challenges at the border in a constructive and humanitarian way." 

Congress can act now, there is no reason to wait. As Jennie said, "Americans, immigrants and the U.S. economy stand to lose a lot over the next few months if Congress fails to move immigration policy reforms forward before the end of 2022." 

Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Clara Villatoro, the Forum’s strategic communications manager. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

TALKS IN CUBA — The State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Mendoza Jaddou are heading to Havana, Cuba, this week, reports Nora Gámez Torres of the Miami Herald. This comes just a few days after a speedboat with Cuban migrants crashed, killing seven, including a 2-year-old. Survivors said a Cuban Coast Guard struck their vessel. During the visit, both U.S. officials plan to discuss the "full resumption of immigrant visa processing in early 2023 and the recent resumption of Cuban Family Reunification Parole processing at the U.S. Embassy in Havana," with the Cuban government, notes Gámez Torres. 

THE PLIGHT OF VENEZUELANS — A record number of Venezuelans seeking asylum are heading 6,000 miles north — through the dangers of the Darién Gap — to just get stuck in bureaucratic limbo in the U.S., reports Marcela García of the Boston Globe. Thousands of them were admitted into the U.S. before the new parole program launched by the Biden administration. But until their asylum cases get processed — which can take months — their work permits will not be issued, notes García. "We left because, as a parent, I realized that I couldn’t meet my kids’ basic needs: health care, education, food," Francys Suinaga told García. "Life in Venezuela is just not normal." Border expulsions under Title 42 — part of the Biden administration’s new policy approach — has also "had the unintended effect of trapping many Venezuelan families on opposite sides of the U.S.-Mexico border," report The New York Times’ Miriam Jordan and Brittany Kriegstein. 

• Meanwhile, a federal government review has begun after Border Patrol violated policy by not returning personal, important documents to some Venezuelan asylum seekers before releasing them in New York City, reports a team at CBS News.  

‘OUR HUMANITY’ — With current court challenges against Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the futures of over 30,000 North Texas residents continue to "hang in the balance," reports David Silva Ramirez of Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "To still be here, like in the same spot, just constantly renewing, it makes me sad a little bit," said Diana Rodriguez, who first applied for DACA at 16. "But the fact that we still have it, I’m very grateful for that." Today there are more than 600,000 DACA recipients in the country, with over 100,000 of them residing in Texas, per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. "… Our humanity is not defined by our status in the country. Our humanity is defined by who we are," Rodriguez added. Over in Columbia, Missouri, DACA recipient Ivonne Ramirez, has a similar message, per Claudia Rivera Cotto of the Columbia Missourian. 

NEW AMERICANS LEAD — Since 2018, Columbus, Ohio’s, free and nonpartisan immigrant-focused New American Leadership Academy (NALA) "has trained around 100 participants — several of whom have since won elected office or been appointed to city positions," reports Peter Gill of The Columbus Dispatch. "NALA gave me the education and resources so I can serve for my people," said Kawther Musa, an alum of the program, who is now part of the Northeast Area Commission. "Somalis like me are from a country where there was no government at the time I was growing (up)." And over in Nevada, "newly naturalized" immigrants are not only excited to vote — but will play a huge role in the outcome of the midterms, according to a new report, per Jeniffer Solis of the Nevada Current. 

Thanks for reading, 

Clara  

P.S. "There are people in life who just want a better world. But they need access to things like education, fair treatment and immigration reform." — That’s the chorus of a new song called, "Mi Sueño" or My Dream, produced by a local Charlotte, North Carolina, band who will debut the song nationally at the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival in California next month, reports WFAE’s Kayla Young, in partnership with La Noticia. Do yourself a favor and watch the entire music video!