Daily Digest for November 17, 2020 Posted at 7:45 a.m. by Michael Olson |
Good morning. From his travel ban to his efforts to extinguish the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have made it challenging for immigrants living in the country to regularize their status and for others to reunite with family from overseas.
Now many immigrants in Minnesota are cautiously optimistic about their future, hoping an administration under Joe Biden will quickly roll back several regulations that have significantly limited the number of refugees into the country, curtailed work visas and hampered family reunification over the past four years.
“A lot of us that work in this area knew what the future held for all of our clients really hinged on who won the election,” said Ana Pottratz Acosta, an immigration attorney and associate professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. “It was just like a huge weight had been lifted off of all of our shoulders. We knew there was a lot more hope for our clients moving forward.”
Biden has promised to undo Trump’s exhaustive changes to the immigration system, but many observers caution it will take time to restore programs such as refugee resettlement and asylum.
Minn. officials have adjusted their guidance around Thanksgiving State health officials joined Gov. Tim Walz Monday to plead with Minnesotans to stay home — especially on Thanksgiving.
It was an about-face from health officials’ guidance the previous week, in which they urged scaling back, suggesting if people must gather, that they keep things small and include a limited number of households.
Since then, the situation — and the messaging — has changed dramatically, with Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm warning that, at the current rate cases are rising statewide, Minnesota will see 10,000 new COVID-19 cases per day by Thanksgiving.
She called on Minnesotans to celebrate with people only within their immediate households.
Iowa governor reverses course, issues mask mandate as COVID-19 cases rise As hospitals in Iowa fill up with COVID-19 patients amid a major surge in cases in recent weeks, Gov. Kim Reynolds, who once dismissed coronavirus restrictions as "feel good" measures, has abruptly reversed course, issuing the state's first mask mandate.
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