Miller Mayer immigration attorney Steve Yale-Loehr was quoted by Politico in ‘There Is No More Room in Mexico’: Mayor Adams Takes Mexico. Steve said, “A single trip by a politician will not dampen the flow. Mayor Adams would do better to work cooperating with the Biden administration on this complex issue, rather than striking out on his own foreign policy pursuits.”
Steve was quoted by Inc. in How Business Leaders Can Prepare to Hire Asylum Seekers—and Why They’re Pushing for More. The article notes that in August, more than 120 business executives signed a letter to President Biden and Congress urging more federal support and expedited work permits for asylum seekers. Steve said that especially hard-hit industries, including construction, farming, and home health care, could benefit from the added workers. Steve noted that there are steps migrants must take before they start legally working, and obstacles to navigate. For example, he noted that asylum seekers may not speak English or may want a lawyer’s assistance to file the work permit application.
Steve was quoted by El Pais in A Three-Month Wait: New U.S. Immigration Plan Marred by Secrecy and Uncertainty. The article notes that a new U.S. immigration program known as Movibilidad Segura, or Safe Mobility, pursues “the expansion of legal routes to the United States or other countries for refugees and migrants in South and Central America,” according to its official website. The United States launched the program in June with the aim of “reducing irregular migration,” and established migration offices in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. However, three months after its launch, less than 1% of the nearly 29,000 applicants in Colombia have passed through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), according to official data. The lack of information and the secrecy surrounding the project have experts consulted by El Pais perplexed, the article notes. Migrants interviewed by El Pais explained that they had to sign a confidentiality agreement stating that they “cannot comment on their process.” Steve termed this procedure “unprecedented” and “unusual.” He explained that signing non-disclosure clauses does not form part of the normal refugee process in the United States and is not required for an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate. “It must be a new procedure, which I haven’t heard of before,” he said. When the U.S. government launched Safe Mobility in Colombia, El Pais noted, it announced that it would be conducting “a six-month pilot period.” Midway through, it said it plans to extend it but declined to give a specific timeline. With so much uncertainty, Steve said he understands the frustration surrounding the scheme: “It’s had a very slow start.” He said he believes that the future of Safe Mobility remains unknown: “It has not failed yet, but it has not been a success either.”
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