Migration News 

Some Central American Children Will Soon Be Able To Apply To Get Into The US From Their Home Countries 

Hamed Aleaziz, BuzzFeed 

The Biden administration is restarting a program that allows certain Central American minors to seek entry into the US from their home country as officials deal with an uptick in unaccompanied immigrant children crossing the southern border, officials announced Wednesday. The Central American Minors program, which started during the Obama administration and was later scrapped by former president Donald Trump, allowed parents who were from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras — and who had legal status in the US — to seek approval for their children to also be allowed in on a two-year basis that could be renewed. 

More than 100,000 migrants encountered at US-Mexico border in past 4 weeks, data shows 

Geneva Sands, CNN 

US authorities arrested and encountered more than 100,000 migrants on the US-Mexico border over the past four weeks ending on March 3, according to data obtained by CNN, marking the highest levels for the same time frame in five years. The number of migrants arrested on the southern border has been increasing in recent weeks, causing alarm among officials as they scramble to provide resources for the increase in minors and families who are unlawfully crossing into the US. 

Jen Psaki says surge of migrant children is 'heartbreaking,' brings difficult choices for Biden 

Jen Psaki, Yahoo News 

Press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House is facing "really difficult choices" on how to address the surge of undocumented migrant children coming to the United States. "It's incredibly difficult and quite an emotional issue for many of us in the White House, whether you're a parent or not, or just watching these stories and hearing these reports," Psaki said in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." More than 3,250 migrant children are in custody along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a report by The New York Times. Many of the children are staying in holding cells longer than the three days allowed by law, The Times reported. 

Record number of migrant children held in Border Patrol custody as cases climb overnight 

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN 

The number of unaccompanied migrant children in US Border Patrol facilities intended for adults climbed on Tuesday, surpassing record highs from the previous day, according to new figures reviewed by CNN. More than 3,400 unaccompanied migrant children were in Customs and Border Protection custody, according to the data dated Tuesday. Of those, around 2,800 were awaiting placement in shelters suitable for minors, but there were just under 500 beds available to accommodate them -- startling figures that demonstrates how deep the challenge is for the Biden White House. 

Supreme Court Dismisses Immigrant Public-Charge Cases 

Jess Bravin, The Wall Street Journal 

The Supreme Court dismissed several pending appeals over a Trump administration rule penalizing lawful immigrants for seeking public assistance, acting on joint requests filed Tuesday by the Biden administration and plaintiffs challenging the policy. The Justice Department, which didn’t publicly announce the move, declined to comment after the filings were docketed by the Supreme Court. Immigrant-rights groups said the filings were a precursor to rescinding the public-charge policy still in place. 

Biden yet to act on overturning some Trump immigration policies 

Anita Kumar, Politico 

Since he took office, President Joe Biden has sworn to overhaul draconian Trump-era policies, crafting a kinder, gentler immigration system where everyone — from refugees to asylees to students to billionaire CEOs — is welcome. There’s just one problem: Despite the massive immigration package he introduced on Day One and the flurry of executive orders that soon followed, Biden's policies have yet to catch up with his rhetoric. 

Further Reading 

As migrant apprehensions rise, Abbott slams Biden immigration policies in border appearance 

The Texas Tribune 

A year into the pandemic, refugee and immigrant families face ongoing struggles 

The Daily Tar Heel 

Catholic, other faith groups applaud decision to grant Venezuelans TPS 

The Catholic Spirit 

Universities Should Be the Next Refugee Sponsors 

The Niskanen Center  

Social work students show support for Russian asylum-seekers 

The Guam Daily Post