This week, we read about the lack of protection Afghan refugees are receiving in the U.S., an end to mass worksite immigration raids, and an update to the travel ban.
People are dying for helping America
An article written by immigration attorney, Abigail Loesch sheds light on her Afghan clients. Specifically, Loesch details the struggles of Afghans who helped the U.S. during the war and now face threats from the Taliban.
Loesch tells the story of her own client and the lack of protection he is receiving after directly helping the U.S. government. Loesch describes the delays in her clients’ approval process, noting that while this is common for immigration cases, it usually doesn’t mean life or death.
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has come searching for her client in the U.S.
When this client was forced to flee the city he was in and his family, the Taliban told his wife they would kill him. Loesch said that her client has had several family members and friends killed by the Taliban, related to these threats.
“Expedited processing is the holy grail for HPs, usually taking two to four weeks. But we’ll only know whether expedited service was granted if we get the HPs sooner than 90 days. My client doesn’t have 90 days. And this is why I’m writing: to alert others to what this man and his family are going through, because of his support of our government. Our government is not doing enough to help.”
Loesch encourages people to help by contacting their members of congress and expressing their outrage on the issue.
Biden administration ends mass worksite immigration raids
The Department of Homeland Security released a new memo announcing an end to mass worksite immigration raids.
This change is yet another decision under President Biden that veers from President Trump’s harsher immigration policies.
ICE conducted the largest single-state immigration raid at a poultry plant during Trump’s term in office.
The memo notes the shift in policies going forward. It reports that, “future practices should deliver ‘more severe consequences’ to employers to reduce the demand for illegal employment.”
U.S. to lift curbs from Nov. 8 for vaccinated foreign travelers
On October 15th, the White House announced an official date for the travel ban to be lifted. Fully vaccinated foreign nationals will be able to travel and re-enter the U.S. effective November 8th.
The ongoing travel bans prevented millions from traveling to the U.S. and visiting family and loved ones abroad.
The restrictions began with China in January of 2020, with more countries added to the list as the pandemic progressed. Yet, there were no rules or plans set in stone in regards to how and when the bans would be lifted. Since the announcement, U.S. airlines, hotels, and cruise lines stock has increased.
“Full reopening of international travel is also critical to reviving economies around the globe, reinvigorating communities and supporting millions of jobs in the U.S. and abroad,” said Nick Calio, chief executive of the Airlines for America industry trade group.
The White House is yet to determine who would be eligible for exemption from the vaccine requirement (i.e. children under 18). The new rules do not require travelers to quarantine when re-entering the U.S. The CDC plans on doing contact tracing in accordance with this update.
