Friday, January 20
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THE FORUM DAILY

For the first time ever: pending asylum cases have exceeded 800,000, per
a recent report <[link removed]> by the Transactional
Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University. This
growing backlog leads to an average wait time for a hearing of more than
four years, and even longer for a final decision. 

The report also shows a significant decrease in the number of
Venezuelans able to seek asylum after the Department of Homeland
Security announced it would implement Title 42
<[link removed]>
for this population in October, reports Sandra Sanchez of Border Report
<[link removed]>. 

In a speech on Thursday before the U.S. Conference of Mayors in
Washington, D.C., Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
underscored the need to work together to find viable solutions to manage
the border, Sanchez notes. "The threats and challenges we face are
evolving, increasingly diverse, and dynamic," Mayorkas said. "Yet, we
can meet this moment if, and only if, we work together."  

The 270 bipartisan mayors who attended the meeting called on President
Biden and Congress to help them address the flow of migrants, including
"funds to take humane care of those who arrive," reports Jennifer A.
Kingson of Axios
<[link removed]>. 

"What we truly need beyond the dollars from the federal government is
comprehensive immigration reform," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (D)
said before the meeting. "What we have is an antiquated system, and
Congress surely sees that." 

Meanwhile, in a piece for The Dallas Morning News
<[link removed]>,
civil rights attorney Louis A. Bedford IV urges compassion and empathy
for people seeking a better life here. "Where else should they go if
not to the nation built by and for immigrants?" he asks. 

Welcome to Friday's edition of The Forum Daily. I'm Dan
Gordon, the Forum's strategic communications VP, and the great Forum
Daily team also includes Dynahlee Padilla-Vasquez, Clara Villatoro and
Katie Lutz. If you have a story to share from your own community, please
send it to me at [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>. 

**'INTERESTED IN SOLUTIONS'** - A bipartisan group of senators is
trying to reach an agreement on border security and immigration policy,
report Eliza Collins and Michelle Hackman of The Wall Street Journal
<[link removed]>.
It would include a path to citizenship for Dreamers and changes to the
asylum system, they report. The group is hopeful following last year's
bipartisan work to pass a gun-control law. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) are leading the efforts. Matthew Choi
of The Texas Tribune
<[link removed]>
writes about Cornyn's optimism specifically. "There's no alternative
but to step up and try to deal with this the best we can," Cornyn said.
"This group of senators has a history of dealing with tough political
challenges. We're all interested in solutions. And I think this
current crisis cries out for a solution." 

**WELCOME CORPS** - More details are emerging about the newly launched
Welcome Corps
<[link removed]>,
which will allow everyday citizens to help resettle and financially
support refugees in the U.S. The program "marks the most significant
reorientation of the U.S. refugee program since its inception more than
four decades ago," aiming to expand capacity and accelerate the process
of new arrivals, reports Miriam Jordan of The New York Times
<[link removed]>.
The expansion of private sponsorship programs will complement the nine
federally funded nonprofits who exclusively have managed resettlement
services in the past. Through the Welcome Corps, the State Department
hopes to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to sponsor at least 5,000
refugees within the first year, and then scale the program as part of
the robust refugee program in the future. The program's first refugees
are slated to arrive in April. 

In local welcome: 

* Oasis International <[link removed]>, a St. Louis
nonprofit, is expanding its services to provide Afghan and Syrian
refugee women with free group therapy to cope with trauma, PTSD and
other aspects of mental health. (Andrea Y. Henderson, St. Louis Public
Radio
<[link removed]>) 

* Thanks to Stephanie Coca, English Language Learner Coordinator at Will
Rogers Elementary School in Stillwater, Oklahoma, eight Afghan refugee
families have made strides rebuilding their lives and learning English.
(Jessica Marshall, Stillwater News Press
<[link removed]>) 

**IN-STATE TUITION** - Allowing state residents to pay in-state
tuition at colleges and universities just makes sense, Jeff Jacoby
writes in his Boston Globe
<[link removed]>
column. In Massachusetts, legislators are once again considering a bill
that would grant in-state tuition to students who are undocumented. "No
one is barred by their undocumented immigrant status from driving on
Massachusetts highways, swimming at Massachusetts beaches, or doing
research in Massachusetts libraries. Neither should they be barred from
paying the tuition rate charged to other state residents," Jacoby
writes. "... Why wouldn't Massachusetts want its young residents to be
as successful and educated as possible?" About two dozen states, with
leadership that spans the political spectrum, already have such policies
in place, he notes.  

**REFUGEE MINORS** - Some Floridians have had the opportunity to
become foster parents to unaccompanied migrant teens through a Catholic
Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami program, reports Rocío Granados
of Florida Catholic Media
<[link removed]>.
Through the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program, Catholic Charities
offers training and additional support for foster parents. "The program
is always focused on protecting the children and we are always working
with the parents, not only during the trainings, but in any area where
they think they need to learn more or need more help," said Jackie
Carrion, director of Community Services for Catholic Charities of the
archdiocese. Being foster parents fits well with "our beliefs of loving
your neighbor as yourself, loving people around the world who don't
look like you, who don't believe like you, who aren't from the same
country," said Caroline Hazelton of Jacksonville.  

Thanks for reading, 

Dan 

**P.S.** For a fun, heartwarming weekend read, check out "How Love and a
Presidential Speech
<[link removed]>"
drew our policy expert Arturo to the United States. We're fond of this
post - not only (but not least) because we're grateful to call its
author a friend and colleague.

 

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