JFON El Paso is Hiring!
JFON El Paso is Hiring!
Our office has seen more changes over the past month, as our staff attorney left at the end of January to pursue other opportunities. We are now looking for a new staff attorney, and concurrently also seeking a permanent Executive Director. You can find both job postings at this webpage: Job Postings – JFON El Paso Please share with your network, so we may have a wide variety of candidates from which to choose.
On the asylum front, the past month saw more of the same, with President Biden urging lawmakers to pass immigration reform during his State of the Union Address, but at the same time moving forward to institute a travel ban that would deny asylum to most. Vice President Harris touted new investment in Central American countries from companies such as Target and Columbia Sportswear, which promises investment in purchases and job creation, but overlooks the political, security and climate challenges that remain in those countries. In positive news, the administration also announced the creation of The Welcome Corps, a government program designed to allow groups of individuals to sponsor refugees within their communities.
One of the books I recently read is Johann Hari’s “Stolen Focus”, which is both a criticism of the tech industry and also a deep dive into the harm our lack of focus causes when it comes to solving complex political problems, like immigration reform. It seemed that only one or two months ago, the eyes of the world were on our communities, and people came from far away to report, photograph and tell the story of a broken asylum system. Just as quickly as the numbers shifted, global attention turned to another story. Those on the ground who work daily with the migrant community know that the personal crises continue, and that there remain people desperate for status, or some process they can begin.
We need to remind everyone that as of last week there were still 24,000+ individuals detained by ICE throughout our country, with most having no idea when they may be released. We need to remind people that when the U.S. deports Venezuelans and others back to Mexico, many still have no place to go. We need to demand the focus and sustained attention of our lawmakers to think beyond punitive actions. We need to reset our moral compass so that our operations on the ground reflect our stated values as a country. And we need to celebrate and highlight the voices from our own community that show the positive, beautiful side of immigration. Let's stay focused.
Vanessa Johnson, Interim Executive Director