TASK FORCE INFORMATION:
Our next Zoom meeting will be held on Monday evening March 13th at 7:30pm.  A Zoom Invitation will be sent during the week of March 6th.  Please send me any item you wish to discuss.

TIME SENSITIVE.        Find out about the new DOJ/DHS rul
e. A Closer Look: The New Asylum Rule
The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations will present a webinar about this policy that not only violates U.S. law but puts in danger the lives of countless migrants and their families who are seeking protection in our country at our border.  Please join The Office of Government Relations for the Episcopal Church on Friday, March 3 from 1 pm-1:30 pm ET as they explain the substance of the rule and how it affects those who are seeking asylum at the U.S. southwest border, and how you can draft and submit a public comment on this proposed rule before it is finalized. This will be recorded for all who register.  

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
Register 
.Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: A Closer Look: The Asylum Rule. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.us17.list-manage.com

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: A Closer Look: The Asylum Rule. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
us17.list-manage.com


WASHINGTON UPDATES:
>> Just as you thought it was going be a tough four years with the split in the House and Senate, it is time to buy stock in MAALOX!  On Feb 8th The Hill reported, “Partisan rift widens on immigration policy, as seen in two House hearings”.  
SEE:  https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3848188-partisan-rift-widens-on-immigration-policy-as-seen-in-two-house-hearings/

>> On Feb 9th, Reuters reported that, “U.S. officials prepping legislation to revamp asylum system”. SEE:  https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-officials-prepping-legislation-revamp-asylum-system-2023-02-09/?utm_ 

>> Family Reunification Task Force Reports Nearly 1,000 Children Remain Separated. “Nearly 1,000 children separated from their families at the southern border by the Trump administration remain separated to this day, according to a Biden administration fact sheet(https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/02/02/fact-sheet-review-family-reunification-task-force-second-anniversary-its?emci=fe264af9-93a9-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&emdi=ac7d8fe8-e5aa-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&ceid=9900747)released on February 2.”  The DHS fact sheet marks two years since President Biden’s creation of the Interagency Task Force on Reunification of Families and shows that the devastating effects of the Trump administration’s family separation policy are far from over.  Read the full article at https://immigrationimpact.com/2023/02/10/family-reunification-task-force-reports-nearly-1000-children-remain-separated/?emci=fe264af9-93a9-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&emdi=ac7d8fe8-e5aa-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&ceid=9900747

NATIONAL NEWS:
>> The American Immigration Council published an article entitled,”Who is in ICE Detention Right Now? New Data Provides a Snapshot of Sprawling Detention System”. It concluded that ” 
Recently published data from ICE provides insight into who the agency is detaining and for how long. The results show that the majority of noncitizens are being held in the rural South, and many are subject to fast-track removal proceedings. But still, many people remain locked up for months, if not years.” SEE:  https://immigrationimpact.com/2023/02/03/who-is-in-ice-detention-right-now-data/?emci=2455d0ba-0ca4-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&emdi=dc3eabc3-65a5-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&ceid=9900747
 
>> I am sure you are aware of the articles that establish the need for highly skilled immigrants to fill the job vacancies in the US.  Now The Hill published another warning entitled, “Canada regularly poaches US immigrant tech talent: Mexico could be next”.  Read the full article at: 
https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/3843282-canada-regularly-poaches-us-immigrant-tech-talent-mexico-could-be-next/

>> TIME MAGAZINE has a really good article entitled,”7 Things That Would Fix Immigration in the U.S”. It is really worth the time to read this thoughtful article SEE: https://time.com/6253531/how-to-fix-immigration-us/

>>  How’s this for outrageous?  On Feb 10th NPR reported that the FL legislature after Martha’s Vineyard, gave DeSantis $10 million more to move migrants. “In a party-line vote, state GOP lawmakers passed the bill that gives the state broad authority to find and move migrants in other states to so-called immigrant “sanctuary cities” outside Florida”. SEE: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/10/1155806778/desantis-florida-republicans-migrant-transport-millions

>> On Feb 10th The Washington Post reports “that as the future of the DACA program hangs in limbo, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC) introduced the Dream Act on Friday. The legislation would allow people who were brought to the United States as children and who have a high school education and college enrollment, employment, or military service to earn residency and eventually citizenship”. SEE:https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/10/immigration-dreamers-durbin-graham-congress/?hsmi=245901739&hsenc=p2ANqtz-_3SqvgtZ13fc0M36X-b3I8aN1l80ZqcjPd111SeX-slZ43AgekPuAaL5_xUAQqj6NVLG1iGVwlbzc1Vpd8emwDPMF3SA

>> The Hill published an Op-Ed on  Feb 14th submitted by Rep Gerald E Connolly (D-VA) entitled “Myth vs. Truth: Dissecting the Republican narrative about the border”. SEE: https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/3857782-myth-vs-truth-dissecting-the-republican-narrative-about-the-border/

>>In March, 2021, The American Immigration Council (AIC) published a Fact Sheet providing an overview of the Dream Act (https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/dream-act-overview?emci=fe264af9-93a9-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&emdi=ac7d8fe8-e5aa-ed11-994d-00224832eb73&ceid=9900747)

>> The AIC republished a 2022 Fact Sheet entitled, “ Migrants Aren’t the Ones Smuggling Fentanyl Into the United States”. Republicans have been spreading mis-information at recent House hearings that immigrants are the cause of the fentanyl flooding our cities.  If you are told this falsehood at your next cocktail party, you’ll have the facts to counter the argument.

>> Thanks to Georgina for the following:  
Immigrants Win ‘Unprecedented’ Settlement Over Violent ICE Raid in Tennessee (Raid was in 2018!). SEE: https://www.commondreams.org/news/immigration-raid-settlement

>>  CNN International reports on a recent New York Times article that exposed a surge in migrant child labor law abuses in the United States. AILA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Gregory Chen, joined
one of the journalists who wrote the article to discuss the findings and how DOL and DHS can hold the companies accountable and protect migrant children from exploitation.  Both a video and a transcript of the CNN report are contained.  The results of this  report will be discussed at our next meeting on March 13th to determine what action we should take.  SEE: https://video.snapstream.net/Play/9qsXQlab5zEBgVWBaeDY5w?accessToken=d135z7swb6er7&utm .  SEE ALSO:  A story from PBS highlighting an interview with the reporter of the NYT article referred to above.(https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/biden-administration-vows-to-crack-down-on-companies-exploiting-child-labor)

>> How To Seek Asylum (Under Biden’s Proposed Asylum Transit Ban), In 12 Not-At-All-Easy Steps. The Biden administration recently announced a proposed regulation that would all but eliminate access to asylum for the overwhelming number of asylum seekers who come to the United States via the southwest border. But the regulation doesn’t put it that way.  There has been opposition to this new plan, with a couple of senior advisors on immigration policy resigning from the White House staff.  Go to:  https://immigrationimpact.com/2023/02/22/steps-to-seek-asylum-biden-transit-ban/?emci=405c0d01-92b4-ed11-a8e0-00224832e811&emdi=b55e5f3c-e6b5-ed11-a8e0-00224832e811&ceid=9900747. Article prepared by the  American Immigration Council.

LOCAL NEWS:
>>The Needham Human Rights Committee and Needham Diversity Initiative 
are hosting the Needham Multicultural Festival on March 19th in Powers Hall at Needham Town Hall. To date, the organizers have confirmed 18 different countries/cultures that will be represented by Needham residents at the event. The event will feature authentic foods – from Mediterranean grape leaves to Ethiopian bread to Indian sweets – as well as activities like origami at the Japanese table or playing Loteria at the Mexican table. If you’d like to volunteer to represent the Task Force at this event, please contact me. 

LOCAL REQUESTS
>> The International Institute, Boston is looking for volunteers and in-kind donations:
Provide transport to medical appointments
Help coordinate social events  
Join a Welcoming Team and help with apartment set-ups  
Provide ESOL support  
Provide tutoring and FAFSA support 
IN KIND DONATIONS:          Gift cards (Amazon, Walmart, Market Basket, and Target are all excellent choices), queen-size sheets, toiletries: (shampoo, deodorant, body soap, laundry detergent, toothbrushes/toothpaste, disposable razors, Amazon Wish List. Questions? Contact Leslie Schick617-695-9990. info@iine.org

Stay safe everyone,
Gerry Rovner