Democratic lawmakers are urging President Biden to protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. In a letter sent to the White House on Wednesday, a group of 77 Democratic lawmakers criticized the administration’s recent policies "restricting asylum access for migrants crossing the southern border," report Julia Ainsley and Frank Thorp V of NBC News.

"We recognize that the United States is experiencing a difficult migration challenge at the southern border. But as elected officials, we are duty-bound to propose legal solutions, one that protects asylum-seekers while also securing the safe removal of migrants who have no legal claim to stay in the United States," said New Jersey Sens. Bob Menendez, one of the co-signers at a press conference Thursday.

"Instead of issuing a new asylum transit ban and expanding Title 42, we encourage your administration to stand by your commitment to restore and protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees," the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

Separately in Utah, the Venezuelan community has denounced its attorney general’s decision to join 19 other GOP states suing the Biden administration for its recently expanded humanitarian parole program, reports Sydnee Gonzalez of KSL.com.

The criticism comes as the U.S. could begin implementing another Trump-era border policy to fast-track, rapid asylum screenings at the U.S.-Mexico border. The measure aims "to determine whether arriving migrants at the border have a legitimate fear of persecution or torture in their home countries," five sources told Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke of Reuters. It is unclear when this will begin.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and other senators from both sides of the political spectrum talked about reviving bipartisan immigration efforts soon, per Suzanne Monyak of Roll Call.

Let’s hope bipartisan efforts can lead to real, long-lasting border and immigration solutions.

And for Reason Magazine, Stuart Anderson of the National Foundation for American Policy, makes the case that providing more legal, accessible pathways for migrants to work or seek protection in the U.S. "is the only viable way to reduce illegal immigration." It’s worth reading.

Welcome to Friday’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].

WASI’S CASE — Criminal charges have been dropped for asylum-seeker Abdul Wasi Safi, known as Wasi, who served alongside U.S. special operations forces in Afghanistan, reports Haley Britzky of CNN. Unfamiliar with the asylum process, Wasi was apprehended after crossing the southern border. Wasi’s immigration attorney Jennifer Cervantes explained: "He didn’t understand that he needed to go to a port of entry to ask for asylum, otherwise this case would have been very different. … He thought that he needed to apply as soon as he found a CBP (Customs and Border Protection) official to give him his documents, and that’s exactly what he did."

Meanwhile on local welcome:

To mark its one-year anniversary of operations, the Wausau Multicultural Community Center, a new central Wisconsin refugee resettlement agency, celebrated with individuals and families who have since resettled in the area, including Afghans. Agency leaders then outlined plans to place about 150 additional refugees in the region this year. (Rob Mentzer, Wisconsin Public Radio)
Thanks to Sajida Saafi, an Afghan teacher at the nonprofit Community Refugee and Immigration Services in Columbus, Ohio, a group of women are learning English with confidence and getting acclimated in the U.S. (Peter Gill, The Columbus Dispatch)

DETENTION — On Tuesday, New Mexico legislators proposed a bill that would ban local governments and state agencies from beginning new contracts with ICE and private immigrant detention facilities, per Morgan Lee of the Associated Press. If passed, the bill could undo contractual agreements that permit groups to detain immigrants at the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral in southern New Mexico "and spur closer oversight at others," notes Lee.

UNEMPLOYMENT FUND — Colorado is the first state to create an unemployment assistance fund for undocumented immigrant workers, reports Talib Visram of FastCompany. After Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed the bill into law, the state used AidKit to help run the program to reduce costs and streamline efforts. The state "hopes the model can be a template for the rest of the country to help support marginalized workers," writes Visram.
"[Undocumented immigrant workers] are a critical part of our economy, and we can legally discriminate against them," said Mark Newhouse, cofounder of AidKit.

DREAMER SCHOLARSHIPS — The nonprofit TheDream.US is calling for more applicants from Ohio for its Opportunity Scholarship program through Tuesday, reports Peter Gill of The Columbus Dispatch. The scholarship provides up to $80,000 over four years to cover tuition, fees and on-campus housing and meals for a bachelor’s degree at five of its partner universities. "During a time of uncertainty for many Dreamers, we will remain steadfast in our support of undocumented youth and their futures," said Gaby Pacheco, the organization’s director of advocacy, communications, and development, as she encouraged all eligible immigrant youth to apply by deadline.

Thanks for reading,

Clara

P.S. Psst! Don’t miss our interactive journey to the border now in Spanish and English.