Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

The right to stay after ICE | Morning Newsletter

And concert recommendations

A judge ruled this month that Elly Sukawanputra (left) and her husband, Yulius, would be awarded legal permanent residency in the United States. The couple fled here in 1998 as Christians of Chinese descent who were being persecuted in their native Indonesia, and lived peacefully before being arrested by ICE in 2019. They intend to apply to become U.S. citizens.
A judge ruled this month that Elly Sukawanputra (left) and her husband, Yulius, would be awarded legal permanent residency in the United States. The couple fled here in 1998 as Christians of Chinese descent who were being persecuted in their native Indonesia, and lived peacefully before being arrested by ICE in 2019. They intend to apply to become U.S. citizens.Read moreJEFF GAMMAGE
    by Ashley Hoffman
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

A glorious weather day with nothing but sunshine and a high temperature in the low 80s demands you spend as much of today outside as you can. Don’t forget the sunscreen.

In today’s newsletter:

🌎 Important: Let’s explore the saga of an Indonesian couple’s path to citizenship.

🎶Fun: Doja Cat’s coming. Here are 10 Philly concert recommendations cherry-picked by music critic Dan DeLuca.

🛥️ Enjoyable: These are the best things to do for the rest of the weekend and this week.

If you see this 🔒 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Ashley Hoffman (@_AshleyHoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Philly Indonesian couple wins bid to stay in the U.S. after community rallies to stop their deportation

🎤 And now I’m passing the mic to reporter Jeff Gammage:

When I first heard about Elly Sukawanputra and her husband, Yulius, they were in deep trouble — locked in immigration jail and facing deportation to Indonesia, where Christians like them were being attacked.

Now their situation has flipped, the couple awarded the right to live permanently in the U.S. It’s a win for a hardworking, taxpaying couple, and for the local Asian American community, which fought to keep them from being separated from their daughters.

Their case also shows the capriciousness of the U.S. immigration system, which admits some and kicks out others, even if they share similar circumstances. Lots of Indonesians were deported while Elly and Yulius battled to stay.

As Elly told me, without the grace of strong community support and a good attorney, “I don’t think we’d be here now.” Keep reading for the whole story.

What you should know today

  1. A Malvern family recalls the horror of the Highland Park Independence Day parade shooting.

  2. Democrats hope abortion can help them keep hold of suburban voters, but Republicans insist it’s still all about inflation.

  3. A pregnant woman ticketed for driving in the HOV lane is arguing that Roe v. Wade being overturned means that her fetus counted as a passenger.

  4. With a new name, the Chicks made their first Philadelphia-area concert appearance in six years.

  5. Also making a return this weekend is Phoenixville’s 23rd annual homage to The Blob, the campy 1950s sci-fi/horror movie with a legendary scene filmed at the Chester County river town’s historic theater.

  6. Before you buy concert tickets, consult this list.

🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿🏊🏿

❓Pop Quiz❓

As featured in Friday’s morning newsletter: What does local Verified Celebrity Lifeguard Grandma say to herself again?

A) “It’s a game of feet.”

B) “Eyes on the water.”

C) “I’ll be there, I’ll be ready. Never your fear. Now don’t you fear, I’ll be there. Forever and always, I’m always here!”

D) “Suck it up, gurl.”

See if you know the answer.

🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩

Where is Santana playing this summer?

ADAMO FORGOING PELIVMETERION

We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Email us if you know the answer. Cheers to Virginia Brandt, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: American Chestnut.

Photo of the Day

🎶 For today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to “She has got so much to offer, why does she waste all her time with me? There must be something there that I don’t see.” 🎶

👋🏽 There are 74 days left of summer. Drain every summer day to its dregs out there. This weekend, I made nectarine and strawberry tarts, hung at a pal’s pool, saw jazz in Cedar Park, and checked out my friend’s art at Percy Street.

I’m also making my own chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in a mason jar. I’ll give you the easiest ice cream cake recipe ever: Line the bottom of a square pan with chocolate chip cookies, then a layer of Chipwich ice cream sandwiches, then top that with melty chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and crumble chocolate chip cookies all over the top. Freeze for near-endless enjoyment.

Tell us your top three essential things to do in Philly during the summer, and this week my pal Katie Krzaczek will feature the most interesting ones. Email us for a chance to be featured.