Migration News 

Biden picks Xavier Becerra as nominee for health and human services secretary
Amy Goldstein and Seu Ming Kim, Washington Post 
President-elect Joe Biden has chosen California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a critical position in the coalescing administration for which fighting the coronavirus pandemic looms as the most urgent mission once Biden takes office next month.

Judge Orders Government to Fully Reinstate DACA Program
Caitlin Dickerson and Michael D. Shear, New York Times 
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to fully restore an Obama-era program designed to shield young, undocumented immigrants from deportation, dealing what could be a final blow to President Trump’s long-fought effort to end the protections. The program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was created by President Barack Obama in 2012. Over the years, it has protected more than 800,000 individuals, known as “dreamers,” who met a series of strict requirements for eligibility.

Lawyers say Trump administration has handed over new data that will help reunite separated migrant families
Julia Ainsley and Jacob Soboroff, NBC News 
Legal advocates tasked by a federal judge with helping to find migrant families separated at the U.S. border in 2017 and 2018 say that after months of pleas, the government last week handed over new data that could be critical to helping them find the families. In a federal court filing in California late Wednesday, the lawyers said Justice Department data from the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which includes information for parents and children in immigration court proceedings, was released to them last week.

Biden urged to change immigration policy to send more health workers to Covid hot spots
Tucker Doherty, Politico
Thousands of foreign doctors and nurses could surge into areas overwhelmed by the coronavirus early in the Biden administration if health industry interests and advocacy groups win changes to immigration policy and reverse President Donald Trump’s crackdown on certain visas. An estimated 10,000 physicians are in the country on H-1B visas that currently restrict where they can work — and they could face deportation if they fall ill and are unable to do their jobs. An additional 15,000 foreign nurses who’ve applied to immigrate are stuck in limbo because of consulate closures and backlogs. The Trump administration has tightened visa requirements on these and other skilled foreign workers, adding to the difficulties.

More underage migrants are testing positive for coronavirus
Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post 
The number of unaccompanied migrant children testing positive for the coronavirus has jumped more than 35 percent in recent weeks as federal officials prepare for the possibility of a new immigration surge at the U.S.-Mexico border. A total of 1,061 minors in U.S. immigration custody have tested positive since March, up from 781 cases in mid-November, according to federal records. Most minors arrived at the U.S. border already infected with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the federal agency that cares for minors until they are placed with a parent or guardian.

Honduras says U.S. agrees to prolong Honduran migration accord
Gustavo Palencia, Reuters 
Washington has agreed to prolong temporary migration protections for Hondurans living in the United States following two devastating hurricanes that battered their country last month, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said on Monday.

Census Delays Would Prevent Trump Immigrant Exclusion Plan
Janet Adamy, Wall Street Journal
Census Bureau schedules indicate the agency needs until Jan. 23 to complete the 2020 count and transmit apportionment figures to the president, a House committee said Wednesday. The delay would prevent President Trump from excluding unauthorized immigrants from the decennial count of the population that redistributes seats in the House of Representatives and votes in the Electoral College.

Worth a Read 

Court’s DACA ruling welcome news, but immigration reform needed, advocates say
Boston Globe

Three Years After Family Separation, Her Son Is Back. But Her Life Is Not.
New York Times 

How ICE Became The Face Of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown And Where It Goes From Here After Biden Is In Charge
BuzzFeed News 

Undocumented Immigrants Are Half as Likely to Be Arrested for Violent Crimes as U.S.-Born Citizens
Scientific American 

A Maryland immigrant hoped to delay his deportation until Biden took office. It didn’t work.
Washington Post 

Refugee Ministries Hope to Rebuild Under Biden
Christianity Today 

A D.C. lawyer learned English as a child from a teacher who tutored her each day. She found her to say thank you.
Washington Post

A Trump Immigration Policy Is Leaving Families Hungry
New York Times 

Contact tracing in immigrant communities is most effective with trusted voices from within
CNN