Editor's note: We wanted a way to keep you updated with the top immigration, migration, and refugee stories every week — the ones that will most affect you, our international readers, viewers and listeners. We want you to know what's happening, why, and how it could impact your life, family or business, so we created a weekly digest of the top original immigration reporting from across VOA. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com
"My daughter, she had no life"
Last week, VOA brought you the stories of two Guatemalan mothers' quests to reunite with their children after being separated from them under U.S. President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy. Celia Mendoza traveled to a village in Guatemala to understand what drove one family to flee in the first place.
2,500 children still in limbo
On Monday, immigrant families won a deportation reprieve from two U.S. judges, allowing those who remain separated more time to determine their futures.
To date, more than 2,500 children in U.S. custody remain separated from their parents, prompting a set of "nanny and stroller-led" protests around the country. On Tuesday, Democratic senators introduced a bill to immediately reunite them, while the government faces a judge-ordered deadline of July 26 to do so themselves.
Relief extended for Somalis
Roughly 500 Somalis, who were previously granted temporary protected status (TPS) in the United States, were provided an 18-month extension of relief. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen determined "the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions that support Somalia's current designation for TPS continue to exist."
If college weren't already expensive…
...it may soon go up for international students. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule this week that would increase visa application fees. DHS suggests it's intended to address a funding shortfall and "continue to achieve its priorities — enhancing national security and preventing immigration fraud."
Spain ranks #1
No, they're not the 2018 FIFA World Cup champions. France takes home that glory, and all the fleeting euphoria that comes with it. Spain, on the other hand, is the top European Union destination for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Arrivals are up 166 percent from last year; a stark contrast to Italy, which has been on the defensive lately.
Aline Barros contributed to this report.
