One notable difference: People were automatically ineligible for asylum under Trump’s ban. The Biden administration’s proposal would allow some exceptions, though many advocates say they’re too limited. 

The Biden administration has also touted that the rule is meant to be temporary and that there are other pathways for some migrants. Both are true. But the bottom line is that seeking asylum, no matter how one enters the country, is legal under U.S. and international law. The proposed rule would block some would-be asylum seekers from accessing that right. 

Welcome to Thursday’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].  

REVIVE BIPARTISAN REFORMS — Business leaders Ted Maxwell and Todd Sanders analyze the need for long-lasting, bipartisan immigration reforms in an op-ed for the Arizona Republic. The authors urge Congress to return to the late 2022 proposal from Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina). "The Sinema-Tillis deal laid out a thoughtful foundation to advancing numerous commonsense solutions critically needed for our country, economy and workforce," they write. 

MEETING CRITICAL NEEDS — New research by economics professor Madeline Zavodny shows how "[i]mmigrants boost economic growth, employment growth and economic dynamism through their contributions to the workforce, entrepreneurial activities and purchases of goods and services," Stuart Anderson writes in Forbes. (The National Foundation for American Policy, which Anderson directs, published the study.) Separately, a new National Bureau of Economic Research study underscores that increasing immigration can help the U.S. fill critical nursing roles while improving nursing home care quality, per Jessica R. Towhey of McKnight’s. 

1 MILLION — Data published yesterday show that almost 1 million people applied for asylum in the European Union in 2022, excluding more than 4 million Ukrainians who were granted a special temporary protection there, reports Renata Brito of the Associated Press. The continued lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions, growing food insecurity, and conflicts in various parts of the world are among the reasons for the numbers. Speaking of Ukraine and global migration: Here’s our statement upon the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, homing in on the need to improve welcome efforts. 

A WIN — Minnesota’s Driver’s Licenses for All bill — which would allow undocumented residents to apply for driver’s licenses — passed in the state Senate yesterday, per Hibah Ansari of the Sahan Journal. Gov. Tim Walz (D) said he is willing to sign the bill into law, which is on its way to his desk. The law would go into effect by Oct. 1.  

BACK HOME — Thanks to community leadership and legal efforts, DACA recipient Jaime Avalos was able to reunite with his family after being stuck in Mexico for six months, report Michelle Homer and Marcelino Benito of KHOU. "This case gives us reason to understand that there are families that are involved [in the border issues] and families are suffering," Houston Rep. Al Green said.   

Thanks for reading, 

Dan 

P.S. Read Daily drafter extraordinaire Dynahlee Padilla-Vasquez's touching reflection about meeting a migrant named Willy during a border visit in the fall. Also worth a read: Pastor Ronald W. Waters’ report for The Brethren Church on a recent event on refugees and immigration at Beacon of Hope Community Church in Louisville, Ohio.