Title 42 continues to be used to expel migrants at the border

Last year’s order from the CDC Director continued the use of the Trump-era Title 42 policy to rapidly expel migrants at the U.S. border to prevent the “introduction” of COVID-19. The CDC is instructed to conduct a review every 60 days to determine if it should remain in effect, and last week the CDC completed its third review of the policy. Once again the CDC spokesperson announced that they would continue to keep the policy in place. However, despite citing concerns about the spreading of COVID-19 as the rationale behind this policy, CBS News reported that the administration’s proposal to vaccinate migrants encountered at the border was never implemented and most migrants encountered by CBP have not been offered the vaccine.

The news also broke last week that the Biden administration has begun flying Venezuelans to Colombia if they had previously resided there, since they cannot be expelled to Venezuela. There has been a large increase in the number of Venezuelans encountered at the border in recent months, with 13,000 single adults encountered in December 2021 (compared to only 96 in December 2020). While the government has acknowledged the extreme instability in Venezuela by offering Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans already present in the U.S. last August, they continue seeking to expel those seeking asylum. 

Over 80 lawmakers issued a letter urging President Biden to step up evacuations of Afghan allies left behind

Last week 82 members of the House of Representatives issued a letter asking President Biden to step up evacuation efforts for allies left behind in Afghanistan. The Wall Street Journal reports that there have been around 40,000 applications for humanitarian parole since the U.S. withdrew our troops last year, and only 160 have been approved. This leaves many of those who worked for the United States in an extremely vulnerable position. 

NPR reported that over 100 former members of the Afghan government and those who worked with security forces or international military troops have been killed since the Taliban takeover. There have also been numerous credible reports of kidnappings, beatings, and threats to those affiliated with the former Afghan government, human rights organizations, and media outlets. An in-depth report  published in The Atlantic details the chaos and lack of organization during the evacuation, and highlights how many people were left behind in extreme peril due to their work for U.S. forces.

A NFAP study shows that the decrease in immigrant workers during the pandemic did not benefit domestic workers

A study from the National Foundation for American Policy strengthens the economic argument for increased migration as it found no benefits to U.S. workers following the reduction in immigrant workers during the pandemic. A summary of the findings from Forbes points out that while some labor unions have criticized the recent increase in H-2b visas, “there is no evidence the entry of fewer foreign workers on temporary visas improved outcomes for U.S. workers.” The study found that instead of employment growth for American workers, having fewer immigrant workers in markets that have traditionally relied on temporary foreign workers simply left more unfilled jobs.