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A second group of asylum seekers arrived in Washington, D.C., Thursday on a charter bus after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to transport migrants from Texas to D.C.

This comes just one day after the first bus of undocumented migrants from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, was transported to the nations capital.

Abbott said the order is a direct response to President Joe Biden's plans to end Title 42 expulsions on May 23. The controversial policy, which the Trump administration implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, restricts migrants from coming into the country under the auspices of a public health emergency.

Leaders in Congress have no idea about the chaos they have caused by the open border policies and they refuse to come down and see firsthand and talk to the people who are really they're just dropping bombs of illegal immigrants from countries across the entire globe, leaving those local communities to have to grapple with it, Abbott told reporters on Wednesday.

The Texas governor added, there will be more that will be arriving whether by bus or plane so that Washington is going to have to respond and deal with the same challenges that we're doing.

A worker with Catholic Charities speaks to a person who was one of around twenty people who arrived on a bus from Texas in Washington, April 13, 2022.

Chris Magnus, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPD) commissioner, expressed concerns over Abbott leading the operation without adequate coordination with the federal government.

As individuals await the outcome of their immigration proceedings, they are legally obligated to report in for the next steps in their immigration process and permitted to travel elsewhere. CBPs close partnerships with other government and non-governmental stakeholders are essential to this effort, and to ensuring fairness, order, and humanity in the process." Magnus said in a statement. Governor Abbott is taking actions to move migrants without adequately coordinating with the federal government and local border communities. CBP has always worked closely with and supported border communities in Texas, many of which CBP personnel call home."

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers press secretary Susana Castillo told ABC News in a statement on Wednesday, Our Administration continues to work with NGOs [Non-Government Organizations] who are providing resources to the arriving individuals and families. Our partners were able to triage the first bus, which included individuals hoping to settle outside of the region.

Immigration advocacy groups and faith leaders held a joint press conference in front of Washington, D.C.,s Union Station to welcome asylum seekers who arrived in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

Around twenty people who crossed the U.S. border from Venezuela gather in Union Station after arriving from Texas in Washington, April 13, 2022.

Organizers from Welcome with Dignity, Carecen, and CASA, told reporters they plan to help asylum seekers as they connect with their family members in the United States, as well as, provide legal services if needed.

Our community is ready to receive any immigrants that the governor of Texas wants to send here. We are an open city. We are a welcoming city. We will continue to be that. We have the support of the local government, Abel Nunez, the executive director of Carecen, a Central American refugee nonprofit, said.

I invite the governor of Texas, if he wants to continue to send immigrants to this region, to coordinate with us so that we can ensure that we can provide the best service and we can meet all their legal obligations, Nunez said.

Ordalis Rodriguez, 26, a migrant originally from Venezuela who was transported on a bus from Texas, holds her daughter Luciana, 1, as her husband Victor Rodriguez, 27, looks on outside of Union Station in Washington, DC, April 13, 2022.

During the presser, immigration advocates also called out Biden for the delays in passing immigration reform. Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, said federal legislation is the only long-term solution to address the ongoing crisis.

I want to send a very clear message to the Biden administration: It is time to pass immigration reform. I remember when he was running for president, he promised that if he controlled the White House and Congress, they were going to pass immigration reform. We are still demanding that. That is the only real solution to this crisis that we are facing, Torres said.

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Gov. Abbott sends 2nd bus of migrants to Washington DC to protest end of Title 42 - ABC News

Democrats are bracing for a grueling election in November, thanks mostly to the twin issues of inflation and immigration. What seems to elude policymakers on both sides of the aisle, however, is how closely tied the two problems are and why increasing immigration levels could help lower inflation. Instead, moderate Democrats are wringing their hands over the Biden administrations plan to lift Trump-era Title 42 health restrictions at the border, which will make it more difficult to turn back undocumented border crossers. Democrats fear that scenes of thousands of asylum seekers allowed temporary entry while their claims are adjudicated will reignite the anti-immigrant firestorm that launched Trumps campaign in 2015. They may be right about the politics of immigration among the Republican base, but thats a small slice of the electorate, and and influx of working-age migrants is just what the economy needs right now.

The pandemic has drastically changed the American workforce. More than 47 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021, the highest level in 20 years, including almost a quarter of Hispanic and Asian workers. A Pew study shows that most people who quit cited low pay and no opportunity for advancement (63 percent) or said they felt disrespected at work (57 percent). Most of these workers found other jobs, with a majority (56 percent) earning more than they did previously. While that increased pay accrues benefits to individual workers, the costs are born by employers and consumers in the form of higher prices.

Job dissatisfaction may spur upward mobility, but then who is going to do the jobs ambitious workers leave? For decades, new immigrants filled the first rungs on the economic ladder, taking entry-level jobs in the service, food, and construction industries while building the work experience and language skills needed to move up over time. But immigration restrictions over the last half-decade stemmed the flow of new workers into the United Statesand the combination of the Trump administration and COVID restricted it even more.

The best solution, of course, would be for Congress to enact legislation allowing more workers to enter the country and granting legal status to the millions of undocumented workers already here, two-thirds of whom have lived here more than 10 years. And there is some hope that a bipartisan compromise might be possible, with Sens. Thom Tillis and Dick Durbin planning to convene bipartisan talks after the recess to see whether a 60-vote margin is possible on some elements of immigration reform. The only way that were going to get real progress is have a four-pillar discussionso immigration reform, DACA, border security, and then I think asylum reform is pretty important particularly with thats going on with Title 42, Tillis told the Hill last week.

The last time the Senate successfully tackled immigration reform was in 2013, but despite passing bipartisan legislation 68-32, the bill died in the House thanks to overwhelming GOP opposition, so Im not holding my breath. In the meantime, admitting asylees and giving them work authorizations, as well as allowing in more Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, could alleviate some of the countrys labor shortage.

The Department of Labor reported last month that there were 11.3 million job openings in February, a number that has remained at historic highs for months. We should be opening our doors wider so that those seeking refuge in the United States can come here and help fill those jobs. Not all those who will likely gather at the southern border as Title 42 restrictions are lifted will fit the bill, but enough will that it could improve employment conditions in many areas. Even among Central American families who comprise the largest group of asylum seekers, adult family members will be eager to work if given the chance. College graduates in the Ukrainian and Afghan refugee population as well as truck drivers, electricians, plumbers, roofers, and others with needed skills would be a welcome addition to many communities. With hundreds of thousands of Russias most highly educated, employable, and liberal-minded citizens fleeing for countries with freer societies and brighter futures, surely some of them would be welcome in the offices of American companies struggling to hire.

Though policymakers dont like to talk about it, unauthorized immigration has played an important role in the labor market for the last several decades. Americans intuitively understand this. A 2020 Pew poll found that 77 percent of Americans believed that undocumented immigrants fill jobs Americans dont wantand this was during the height of the pandemic when unemployment was rising. Certainly it would be better if Congress came together to fashion a sensible immigration reform bill that included better border security to keep out drugs and dangerous criminals, but let in needed workers.

In the meantime, the numbers of asylees and refugees likely to be admitted in the coming months will help ease inflationary pressures on wages and supply chain backlogs that labor shortages have created. The challenge for Democrats will be to accelerate the process so Americans can start to feel the economic benefits before the midterm elections, and to talk about those benefits rather than panicking.

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More Immigration, Less Inflation - The Bulwark

What do we want? Pastor Emma Lozano of Lincoln United Methodist Church asked in Spanish to a small crowd in Chicagos Little Village neighborhood Wednesday. Justice! they chanted back. And when? Lozano asked. Now! they answered.

The crowd gathered on 26th Street between Troy Street and Albany Avenue, to welcome Omar Gomez and Homero Ocon, immigration activists with United for Immigration Reform Colorado, who arrived in Chicago on the 24th day of a 40-day bicycle ride from Colorado to Washington, D.C. The trek is expected to last through May 1.

Theyre biking for immigration reform, and calling for an end to deportations. They hope to pressure federal officials to make changes prior to Novembers midterm elections.

So far, Gomez has biked 1,106 miles, accompanied for much of that by Ocon, who has taken a few days off. Theyve been joined by other bikers on some legs of the journey, too.

Its been grueling for Gomez. Every day, I stand up, and my body sometimes dont want to go on the bike, Gomez said but, I dont have a choice, he added.

U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia speaks about getting Immigration reform passed during a rally to welcome immigration activists Omar Gomez and Homero Ocon.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The activist cyclists from Colorado were welcomed by a group of local leaders including U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia.

League of United Latin American Citizens Illinois State Director Maggie Rivera said community members have been waiting years for President Joe Biden to finally fulfill promises on immigration reform.

I know that so many families here and around the country are still living in fear of deportation, Rivera said. Many others have already lost a loved one to deportation, the trauma and grief these families deal with is not only unjust. It is inhumane.

Mahalea Velasco, 16, experienced that trauma personally 11 years ago at age 5, she said. Her father was driving with an expired license plate when he was stopped by a police officer in Chicago. He had no papers, and was deported within 24 hours, Velasco said.

Its been a real struggle, she said. I never really got to have that experience with my father, so everyday things like going to the store, going to the park, its something I missed out on.

Velasco said she has been working to get her father back since the day he was deported, joining the anti-deportation group Right 2 Family.

I wouldnt even wish this on my worst enemy, dealing with deportation, Velasco said.

Many immigrants are forced from their homes due to war, violence or other disasters, Little Village Community Council president Baltazar Enriquez said. We dont want to break the law, he said, but many have no choice but to flee dangerous situations.

And they are tired of being disrespected, Enriquez said.

Were the ones that pick your fruit, pick your vegetables. Were the ones who clean your bedrooms in the hotels. We do that for you. We put food on the table, Enriquez said. So please, give us some respect as human beings.

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Immigration activists welcomed in Chicago in middle of 40-day bike ride to Washington - Chicago Sun-Times

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The Biden administration announced Friday that it is designating Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) meaning that nationals living in the U.S. will be protected from deportation and can apply for work permits.

TPS authority allows the Department of Homeland Security to protect nationals of designated countries living in the U.S. from potential deportation if they are eligible, allows them to apply for work permits and gives them the freedom to travel. Cameroon is designated for an initial 18 months, but such designations are frequently extended.

BIDEN ADMIN GIVES TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN EVACUEES

TPS is based on three grounds: armed ongoing conflict, environmental disasters or "extraordinary and temporary conditions." DHS cited the violence between government forces and separatists, as well as a rise in terror attacks by Islamic terror group Boko Haram.

"The United States recognizes the ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon, and we will provide temporary protection to those in need," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

"Cameroonian nationals currently residing in the U.S. who cannot safely return due to the extreme violence perpetrated by government forces and armed separatists, and a rise in attacks led by Boko Haram, will be able to remain and work in the United States until conditions in their home country improve."

Nov. 16, 2021: Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Nationals must have already been present in the U.S. as of Thursday, and those who enter after that time will not be eligible. The New York Times reported that approximately 40,000 Cameroonians are expected to be eligible.

It is the latest use of the TPS designation by Mayorkas, who recently designated Afghanistan for TPS, and has designated or redesignated Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and South Sudan. Activists and some Democratic lawmakers had been urging Mayorkas to designate Cameroon. Activists have also called for TPS designations of Ethiopia and Mauritania.

Meredith Owen, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Church World Services, said that the designation will "provide Cameroonians with the lifeline they so desperately need."

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION GIVES PROTECTION FROM DEPORTATION TO UKRAINIANS LIVING IN US

"While we welcome this much-needed step toward a more equitable immigration system, many more in our communities need this same life-saving protection extended to them," she said in a statement. "We all have neighbors whether from the Northern Triangle, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, or beyond that wake each morning fearing that this could be the day their families are returned to peril. No one should have to live this way, the administration needs to act in their interests, too."

While the designation is supposed to be temporary, designations are regularly extended and a pathway to citizenship for anyone in the country on TPS has regularly been floated as part of any amnesty inclusion in various immigration reform packages. Immigration hawks have dubbed TPS "amnesty-lite" and used similar language when criticizing the Biden administration's move on Friday.

"With Secretary Mayorkas continuing to aggressively designate countries like Cameroon for TPS, it is fair to wonder what illegal alien population wont receive amnesty-lite by the end of the Biden administration," RJ Hauman, head of government relations at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) said in a statement. "Will he end up designating every country in the world due to climate change?"

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"This is even more offensive considering what is happening down at the border," Hauman added. "Instead of, say, fully re-implementing Remain in Mexico, hes busy figuring out how to make sure illegal alien populations can remain in America forever."

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Biden administration grants Temporary Protected Status to immigrants from Cameroon - Fox News

Becky Whitley (District 15) is a state senator and Manny Espitia (Nashua / Hillsborough 31) is a state representative.

America was built by millions of immigrants who have continuously contributed to our economy and society. For years, activists, Dreamersand advocacy groups have been fighting to create a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and other undocumented immigrants.

While the Build Back Better Act could have served as the vehicle to deliver this change, achieving a pathway to citizenship will not be possible due to the Parliamentarians various rulings. However, future reconciliation packages still offer an opportunity to pass critical protections for our undocumented friends, neighborsand colleagues who have lived in our country for an average of 20 years.

As elected officials, it is our duty to advocate for all those in our community who need it. We are proud to stand with the Dreamers, TPS holders and other undocumented immigrants who have stood with us in difficult times. These folks are our neighbors and have served as essential workers during the pandemic, contributing greatly to our economy and society as active members of our communities.

Here in the Granite State, we value the close connection we feel to our neighbors and our communities at large. In the legislature, we strive to enact and maintain policies that are pro-family and promote civic engagement. Thats part of the reason why New Hampshire regularly ranks high on national lists of best places to live and raise a family.

Unfortunately, in our state, there are families who live in constant fear that they will be separated because the threat of deportation has not ceased. Without protections, our undocumented neighbors remain vulnerable to deportation from the country they call home. These families should not have to worry for their safety and stability, especially when there is a solution that would allow them to plan for their future and relieve them of their worries.

Fortunately, our federal delegation understands all of this well. In the United States Senate where negotiation of a future reconciliation bill continues, our senators have been steadfast champions, pushing forand working with their colleagues to provide hope and security for Dreamers whose energy, hard work, and innovation are critical to our economic future.

Our undocumented neighbors have contributed to our economy for far too long and not only is offering them greater stability and certainty the right thing to do, but it will also help build a more resilient economy, buttressed for future generations.

As Sens.Shaheen and Hassan know, by including immigration relief in a future reconciliation package we can also help invigorate our economy. As elected officials in the Granite State, we know firsthand how critical it is that our state continues to build back stronger than ever. That means we need smart, pro-family, economy-boosting policies that create stability and certainty, and lay the foundation for a workforce of people who are eager to contribute their talents and skills.

Moreover, providing protections for Dreamers, TPS holders, essential workers and other undocumented individuals would allow them to continue their success as employees and small business owners. Thats why including these protections in a new reconciliation package shouldbe a priority for our leaders in the United States Senate. The opportunity for meaningful immigration reform is still within our grasp. We can take positive steps forward on work permits and protections of Dreamers, TPS holders and others.

There are still many options that our leaders in the Senate can and should explore to finally provide protection to millions of American families. We urge them to consider the positive, long-lasting impact that we can deliver on for our communities as a new reconciliation package is negotiated in the coming months.

As negotiations in the United State Senate continue on this topic, please be reminded that this is a critically important issue to the communities and families we represent and presents an opportunity we cannot let slip.

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Opinion: Congress must expand protections for Dreamers - Concord Monitor