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Border Patrol Agents Spark Backlash in Portland

Customs and Border Protection agents are among federal officers detaining and arresting protesters in Portland, Oregon, sometimes seemingly for no reason.

This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

The Department of Homeland Security deployed Customs and Border Protection agents to patrol protests in Portland, Oregon, and they’re among militarized units that have been recorded arresting and beating protesters around the city. An internal DHS memo obtained by The New York Times said these agents were not trained in riot control or mass demonstrations. The agents were part of BORTAC, Border Patrol’s equivalent to a S.W.A.T. team, that usually works on drug smuggling investigations. The mayor and local police have called on the federal agents to leave. The New York Times

In other national immigration news…

Hospitals Short Staffed Because of Trump’s Visa Ban

President Trump’s coronavirus immigration restrictions are leaving hospitals across the U.S. short staffed. A presidential proclamation in June banned the entry of most immigrants on work visas, which meant hundreds of young doctors were unable to start their residencies. The order was intended to exclude medical workers, but DHS and the State Department have set inconsistent guidelines. One New York City hospital serving low-income residents has nearly half of its incoming class stuck abroad. Some consulates have begun to accept medical applications just this week and the State Department posted guidance exempting doctors treating COVID-19 patients from the visa ban on Thursday. ProPublica

Black Immigrants in Maine Hit Hard by COVID-19

Black people – many of them immigrants – in Maine make up only 2 percent of the state’s population but 23 percent of its COVID-19 cases. Maine has had a low coronavirus infection rate, with around 3,600 cases total, but 846 of those were Black Mainers. Advocates for immigrants in the state say many have been ill and a state lawmaker said systemic racism hindered access to health care. Immigration organizations also said the state was slow to invest in immigrant-led organizations. Almost half of the black people in Maine are immigrants, the highest share in the country. The Washington Post

Government Must Accept New DACA Applications

A federal court in Maryland on Friday ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program must open up to new applicants. Last month, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s effort to rescind the program that grants work permits and protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants who were brought here by their parents. For the first time in three years, the government must accept new applications for the program, where 650,000 people are currently enrolled. The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can still end the program through a legally sound method. The Associated Press


City Launches Investigation into Woman Who Asked for Man’s Papers

A woman in Rancho Mirage, California, was recorded asking Latino landscaper Juan Andrade for his papers. She approached him at an apartment complex while he was cutting the lawn. This was allegedly the second time she questioned Andrade’s immigration status, as she told him to “go back to his country” a few months ago. The city attorney is investigating the incident. Andrade had been working at the landscaping company for 10 years. The woman can be seen in the video standing close to Andrade with no mask on asking to see his papers. KMIR-TV

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