The Forum Daily | Thursday, May 30, 2025https://immigrationforum.org/

THE FORUM DAILY

We’ll start with a new resource and an especially timely one.  

In the new one, our policy experts outline the immigration provisions [link removed] in the "Big Beautiful Bill." One takeaway: "The legislation’s $140 billion expenditure on border security and interior enforcement, combined with unprecedented application fees and benefit limitations, would fundamentally alter how the United States approaches immigration policy." 

Then, the timely: Earlier this year we published a resource on so-called sanctuary jurisdictions [link removed]. Last night the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a list of more than 500 [link removed] jurisdictions it’s defining as such, reports Rebecca Santana of the Associated Press [link removed].  

The list was "determined by factors like compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens," according to the DHS statement. Future federal funding could be at stake for the jurisdictions. 

In Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton counties are on the list. Both previously had taken issue with being labeled sanctuary counties, the Morning Call [link removed] reports.

"Northampton County will continue to uphold our responsibilities under the law, honoring our Constitution, protecting our community, and rejecting attempts to politicize public safety," County Executive Lamont G. McClure said this morning.

Hamilton County, Ohio, Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey underscored implications for public safety, reports Tre Mathews of WXIX [link removed]: "Our immigration policy indicates that we allow members of the public, including immigrants and refugees, to communicate with our office without fear of interrogation into immigration status or deportation."

Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s VP of strategic communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Broc Murphy, Clara Villatoro and Becka Wall. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected] mailto:[email protected]. 

**ECONOMY RED FLAGS** — Economists warn that losing international students will only harm the U.S. economy, reports Vivian Ho of The Washington Post [link removed]. During the 2023-2024 school year more than 1.1 million international students contributed around $44 billion to the American economy, according to NAFSA [link removed], the Association of International Educators. Separately on the economic front, recent immigration arrests of Vermont dairy farmworkers are raising concerns, reports Alexandra Martinez of Prism [link removed].

**ASYLUM** — A federal judge in Arizona stopped the deportation of an Iranian woman and ruled that the Trump administration cannot stop people from seeking asylum, reports Jimmy Jenkins of the Arizona Republic [link removed]. Fatemeh Tabatabaeifar has been held in a detention center since her February arrest. A presidential edict can’t negate Congress’ authorization for people’s chance to seek asylum, the judge ruled. 

**CARE OFFICE** — The State Department announced it will begin shutting down the office that helps resettle Afghan allies, reports Hadriana Lowenkron of Bloomberg [link removed]. "The CARE Office was established to fix the failures of the U.S. withdrawal," said Shawn VanDiver, a veteran and president of AfghanEvac. "Eliminating it — without public explanation, transition planning, or reaffirmation of mission — is a profound betrayal of American values and promises."  

Meanwhile, local welcome efforts live on: 

* Lutheran Services in Iowa is reestablishing a small team to assist resettled Afghans and Ukrainians. (Jason Clayworth, Axios Des Moines [link removed]) 

* Afghans and advocates in California talk about the approaching end of Afghan Temporary Protected Status — and highlight the many people still offering help and welcome. (KQED [link removed] team) 

* With the loss in federal support, local and state agencies in Minnesota are still trying to help newly arriving Afghan allies. (Maya Rao, The Minnesota Star Tribune [link removed]) 

**RECONSIDERING** — A small Missouri town is reeling from a longtime neighbor’s immigration detention, reports Jack Healy of The New York Times [link removed], with photos by Jamie Kelter Davis. Carol Hui immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong, has lived in Kennett, Missouri, for almost 20 years and is now a community staple. "[N]o one voted to deport moms," said Vanessa Cowart, a Trump voter and church friend of Hui’s. "We were all under the impression we were just getting rid of the gangs ...." 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan 

[link removed]

[link removed]    [link removed]    [link removed]    [link removed]

[link removed]

Unsubscribe from this email list [link removed] or opt out from all Forum emails [link removed]

National Immigration Forum<br>10 G St NE<br>Suite 500<br>Washington, D.C. 20002<br>United States
www.immigrationforum.org [link removed]