Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com.
Biden Administration Gives Hope to Stateless People in US
Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough is a stateless person living in the United States. "I'm from a country that doesn't exist anymore," Ambartsoumian-Clough told VOA. She is one of 218,000 stateless people living in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which on Tuesday said it would clarify what "stateless" means for immigration purposes. Immigration reporter Aline Barros has the story.
US to Take Mexican Referrals of Refugees for Possible Resettlement
The U.S. government announced last week that it would take referrals of Haitian, Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan citizens from Mexico for possible resettlement as refugees in the United States. Mexico announced earlier that it would set up a service center offering jobs and resettlement for people from those four countries. It said the center would be on the southern border with Guatemala but did not specify where or when it would open. The Associated Press reports.
Pentagon Pulling 1,100 Troops From US-Mexico Border Mission
The Pentagon is pulling 1,100 active-duty troops from the U.S.-Mexico border whom it deployed earlier this year as the government prepared for the end of asylum restrictions linked to the pandemic. The Associated Press reports.
Body Found in Rio Grande Anti-Migrant Buoys, Mexico Says
The Mexican government said Wednesday that a dead body had been found caught in the controversial floating barriers installed by Texas authorities to stop migrants crossing into the United States. U.S. authorities informed Mexico that "they found the body of a lifeless person stuck in the southern part of the buoys" on the Rio Grande, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Agence France-Presse reports.
Migrant Crisis Swells in NYC as Asylum-Seekers Camp Outside
Hundreds of migrants are outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan in New York City. The hotel operates as the migrant processing center for city shelters. But the shelters are full, and migrants are sleeping on sidewalks as they wait for help. For VOA, Evgeny Maslov has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
Appeals Court Allows Biden Asylum Restrictions to Stay in Place
An appeals court Thursday allowed a rule restricting asylum at the southern U.S. border to stay in place. The decision was a major win for the Biden administration, which had argued that the rule was integral to its efforts to maintain order along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Associated Press reports.
'Mom, Please' Café Brings Taste of Ukraine to Los Angeles
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 17,000 Ukrainian refugees have moved to the Los Angeles area. Olena Kochetkova fled after a rocket strike killed her husband in their Mariupol bakery. For VOA, Svitlana Prystynska has the story of how one new business has helped other immigrants along the way.
VOA in Photos: A Texas guardsman watches as migrants who crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico to the U.S. walk along concertina wire, in Eagle Pass, Texas, July 31.
Immigration around the world
Rights Group Urges More Sanctions on Sudanese Leaders for Alleged Atrocities
A leading human rights group called Friday on the United States and the United Nations to impose further sanctions on the Sudanese individuals "responsible for the atrocities" in Darfur, as evidence of scorched-earth attacks mounts. The Associated Press reports.
Syrian Refugees Tell of Hardship in Somalia
Syrian refugees in Somalia haven't given up on their dreams to return home, as they struggle as refugees in Somalia. Abdulkadir Zubeyr has more from Mogadishu in this report narrated by Salem Solomon. Sirwan Kajjo contributed to this report produced by Bakhtiyar Zamanov.
Rights Group: 385 Pakistani Migrants Freed From Libyan Trafficking Warehouse
Security authorities in eastern Libya freed at least 385 Pakistani migrants who were held in trafficking warehouses in an overnight raid, a migrant rights group said Monday. Al-Abreen, a group that helps migrants in Libya, said the Pakistani nationals were released early Monday from smugglers' warehouses in the al-Khueir area, roughly eight kilometers south of the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk. The migrants — among them children — were later transferred to a nearby police headquarters, it said in a post on its official Facebook page. The Associated Press reports.
News in brief
— The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it has expanded labor visa opportunities. “This year, the United States increased the number of available H-2B temporary work visas, which also help fulfill this administration’s commitment to expanding access to lawful pathways and to working with our partners throughout the hemisphere to reduce irregular migration."
