4-19-21 Mexico increased detentions and deportations of migrants in March as the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador steps up law enforcement against a wave of illegal immigration that has created havoc for the Biden administration. Detentions of Central American migrants jumped 32% to 15,800 in March from February, and more than doubled compared with March of last year, according to data from Mexico’s immigration agency. Deportations rose 61% from February to 9,400 last month, and were up 65% from a year earlier.
4-19-21 The Biden administration quickly backtracked Friday on a decision to keep U.S. refugee admissions limited to 15,000 this year. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement issued Friday afternoon that the administration expected to increase the number of refugees allowed into the country for the remainder of the year. But she added that Biden’s initial promise of admitting 62,500 refugees “seems unlikely.”
4-21-21 – Gov. Jay Inslee today announced applications will be accepted for the next round of assistance under the Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund starting April 21.
The extra $65 million allocated by the Legislature this year will provide additional relief to support new applicants. Similar to the first round, the fund will rely on the continued partnership between the state and community organizations, including Scholarship Junkies and the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, with the Department of Social and Health Services providing oversight. Applicants must demonstrate Washington state residency; be at least 18 years old; have been significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic; be ineligible for federal stimulus payments or unemployment insurance benefits due to their immigration status, and have an income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. This round of funding builds on the governor’s prior allocations totaling $62.6 million for COVID-19, which is one-time relief to immigrants in 2020, which provided much-needed assistance to nearly 60,000 individuals who were not eligible for federal COVID assistance due to immigration status. The fund coincides with other relief commitments by the governor in small business grants and rental assistance. Applications for the second round of the Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund will be accepted from April 21 to May 21. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, prioritizing those according to need.