Happy Friday! From fears over financial aid applications by students with undocumented parents to a new Dallas dashboard aiding immigrants with essential services, here are the top stories impacting the well-being of immigrants this week. – Alexis Reynoso
TOP STORY OF THE WEEK
Students with undocumented immigrant parents are apprehensive about filling out college financial aid forms due to uncertainties regarding their legal status. These fears are intensified by President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportation of illegal residents. College advisors cannot confirm whether submitting the federal aid form is risk-free for these students.
College-bound Students Fear ‘Outing’ Undocumented Parents on FAFSA Financial Aid Form
NATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
WA Immigration Advocates Prepare for New Legal Challenges to DACA
Luis Cortes, an immigration attorney who argued for DACA before the Supreme Court, is now urging recipients to prepare for its potential termination.
‘It’s a Scary Time’: US Universities Urge International Students to Return to Campus before Trump Inauguration
Trump has proposed expanding travel restrictions and revoking visas for certain students, heightening uncertainty for those studying in the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Mexico Tests Cellphone App Allowing Migrants to Send Alerts if They Are About to be Detained in US
Mexico is developing a cellphone app allowing migrants to warn relatives and local consulates if they think they are about to be detained by the U.S. immigration department. The app would allow users to press a tab that would send an alert notification to previously chosen relatives and the nearest Mexican consulate.
Western African Migration Rises as Other EU Routes Decline
In 2024, EU migration patterns shifted with 220,700 irregular crossings. Tighter controls reduced crossings on the Western Balkan and Central Mediterranean routes, while deteriorating conditions in West Africa caused a spike on the Western African route, making it the busiest.
HEART-WARMERS OF THE WEEK
Thank you for reading the IWB Stories of the Week series! Stay tuned for next week’s edition.
Alexis Reynoso is a Graduate Fellow with Im/migrant Well Being Collaborate, dedicated to supporting immigrant communities by advocating for their health and well-being. As a Master’s student in Public Health with a focus on epidemiology, Alexis merges her academic knowledge with her passion for social impact, by doing research that will help positively impact Im/migrant communities.