Immigration attorneys across the country have reported a recent increase in arrests of immigrant spouses of Americans during interviews at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices, reports Miriam Jordan of The New York Times.
Couples interviewed say they have followed all the rules: entering the country legally, receiving the necessary interviews and medical exams, and paying the fees. But in San Diego alone, attorneys working with these couples say that authorities have arrested several dozen foreign-born spouses of Americans.
"In 25 years of practice, I have never seen anything like this; the proper procedure was exactly what they did. What’s next? Revoking green cards from millions who followed these same steps?" said Johanna Keamy, the lawyer for Katie Paul, a British-born woman detained during an immigration interview in front of her American husband and 4-month-old baby.
Another troubling trend: Some immigrants who have won protection from deportation are still being detained, reports Andrea Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.
"These are clients who did everything right. They won their cases before an immigration judge and now they’re treated like criminals and remain in detention even after an immigration judge rules in their favor," said Jennifer Norris, an attorney at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center.
Worth another look: the number of — and increase in — non-criminal immigration detainees, which Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Julia Ingram cover for CBS News.
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And welcome to Tuesday’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 Masooma Amin, Jillian Clark, Nicci Mattey and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
FALLOUT CONTINUES — New this morning: the Council on National Security and Immigration weighs in on the response to last week's horrific shooting. Meanwhile, Afghan nationals seeking safety in the United States see their dreams slipping further away, reports Diaa Hadid of NPR. This trend is not limited to Afghans, as other immigrant populations who were once considered "special cases" are being stripped of their protections as well, report Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz of The New York Times.
DEATH TOLL — Six deaths in immigrant detention centers this year — a third of the nationwide total — have occurred in Florida, reports S.G. de León y León of 10 Tampa Bay News. The number potentially is an undercount, León notes. Meanwhile, former federal officials are raising flags about "the rapid dismantling of guardrails against human rights failures" within the Department of Homeland Security, including for immigrant detention.
FARMWORKERS — North Texas farmers need a better system for the migrant labor they depend on, reports Marissa Armas of CBS News. "Most everyone agrees that we need the guest workers, and most everyone will agree we want them to be legal," said Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. "We need to refine [the H-2A program], make it work a lot better, make it more efficient." Separately, Brittny Mejia and Robert Gauthier of the Los Angeles Times share stories and photos of migrant farmworkers’ daily challenges.
‘HELP REDUCE FEAR’ — Smith County, Texas, business and community leaders are speaking out as fear rises and workforce challenges increase, reports Auyana Aird of CBS 19. After local police signed agreements through the 287(g) program, "We’re seeing the impact across the board — workers, employers, and East Texas families," said Bob Westbrook of the Texas Restaurant Association. "[I]f there’s one message that gets out, it’s this: Sheriff, please lower your program to the base level to help reduce fear in Smith County."
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