The Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed how many cases have already been approved since the program began receiving applications last Friday, they note. Yesterday however, "hundreds of Cubans were chatting on WhatsApp, Facebook and other apps about their applications and how to fill out the required forms." 

Meanwhile, several other Cubans have spent years waiting to reunite with their loved ones through the formal family-reunification immigration process, which is approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — the same agency approving parole cases.  

An estimated 225,000 Cubans came to the U.S. last fiscal year, mostly encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border, Torres and Blanes note. Migration by sea has also increased, with hundreds recently arriving in Florida in masse.  

Dave Sherwood and Anett Rios of Reuters report that with the new proposed policies, some Cubans will continue to look for other ways to migrate to the U.S.  

Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, weighed in on the border policy announcement last week. 

While The Washington Post’s columnist David Ignatius describes President Biden’s approach to immigration — and the new policies — as a trade-off.  

"The central idea is that while migration is essential, it must be more orderly and manageable," he writes. While Biden’s immigration plan won’t "fix our shattered system … it recognizes that people aren’t morally defective if they demand a more secure and effective border policy." 

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Clara Villatoro, the Forum’s strategic communications manager, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Dynahlee Padilla-Vasquez and Katie Lutz. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

‘WELCOMING THE WORLD’S TALENT’ — Without an increase in population, the U.S. will continue to face economic challenges now and, in the future, according to a new volume of research by The Aspen Economic Strategy Group. "[T]he U.S. economy is confronting a wholly different set of economic headwinds," including demographic changes, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, who leads the strategy group, told Axios’ Neil Irwin. "These challenges threaten to constrain our productive capacity and reduce future standards of living … [W]e should play to our strengths by welcoming the world’s talent, unleashing innovation, and providing a stable, open and competitive business environment." JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon recently sounded a similar theme on Fox News’ "Mornings with Maria": "We need an immigration policy. We need to stop illegal immigration. We need more legal immigration," per FOX Business’ Kristen Altus.  

BUILDING TRUST AND COMMUNITY — When Alan Hernandez originally from Zacatecas, Mexico, was 15, he tried volunteering at the Avon Police Department in Colorado. But due to his immigration status, he was turned down. After getting his permanent residency, and never giving up, he became a police officer and is now a detective working in the Rocky Mountains community, reports a team at Cronkite News Arizona PBS. Using his experience to better connect with Avon’s large immigrant community, Hernandez said, "They always tell me they are scared to go to the police … That it is easier for them to speak to a Spanish-speaking officer who maybe understands their immigration status and understands the battles they have to fight." The department has even hosted a unique program called Latino Police Academy (Academia de Policía Para Latinos) for about a decade, which has helped build trust between both police and immigrants here. 

VISA HURDLES — A number of visa challenges are crushing international graduates’ dreams of becoming journalists in the U.S., reports Ngai Yeung for Poynter. Among the challenges are limitations for programs like the Optional Practical Training (OPT), permitting foreign students to temporarily work in their field; obtaining a work visa like H1-B as part of the lottery system; or an O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement. Getting newsrooms to sponsor future foreign journalists is almost impossible, "due to paperwork, high fees and unpredictable wait times" notes Yeung. "It’s kind of discriminatory — you’re open to any race, sexual orientation, but why not a foreigner?" said University of Southern California graduate Dongyao Nie. International students of all careers are challenged by the immigration system once they graduate. In a Forum statement for the record, we note that a lack of immigration reforms often forces American-educated foreign students to live in legal limbo, hindering their careers and livelihood. 

BORDER LOVE STORY — Yedid Sanchez, originally from Mexico, and Tom Kobylecky from Chicago, know what it’s like to be part of a mixed-status family, living "with a foot in two countries." The Guardian Aaron Nielsen, with photos by Jamie Kelter Davis, tells their incredible story, centered on commitment and sacrifice. As a result of Yedid’s ban to enter the U.S. for at least a decade due to past illegal entries, Tom had to relocate to Reynosa, Mexico, to work and be with his family. Together they "decided to ride out a 10-year sentence in exile and get right by the law," notes Neilsen. In 2017, they initiated Yedid’s visa process, and in early December 2021, she was granted her visa — a process that took 13 years total, notes Nielsen. If all goes as planned, they’ll close on a new house in Byron, Illinois. How exciting! 

Thanks for reading,  

Clara 

P.S. Inspired by copies of her father’s letters and artifacts, "Letters from Home," is a one-woman play by performer Kalean Ung, exploring her father’s immigration story. He had fled Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. The show will be staged at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre through Feb. 5 in Massachusetts, per Cameron Morsberger of the Lowell Sun.