JFI Week in Review - February 3-7, 2020

Justice for Immigrants Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

U.S. Bishops Chairmen Very Concerned with Recent "Public Charge" Supreme Court Decision

On January 27th, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing the Trump Administration to implement its "public charge" rule in the United States (except in Illinois where the rule is enjoined) while litigation challenging the legality of the rule proceeds through the federal courts. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington and chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration, issued the following statement:

The Supreme Court's decision will have devastating consequences for immigrant communities, as those impacted are cast into the shadows because they fear deportation and family separation for seeking critical support. . . The Church upholds the dignity of all human life, and the Gospel compels us to serve those who are in need, regardless of their circumstances. Preventing anyone from having access to life-saving services is contrary to our belief that all life is sacred from its beginning to its end.

On January 30th, USCIS announced that the rule will be implemented nationwide (except in Illinois) on February 24, 2020, but will only apply the final rule to applications and petitions submitted on or after the implementation date, February 24th. DHS will not consider an immigrant's receipt of the newly listed benefits before February 24, 2020 in the public charge determination. Read our new public charge backgrounder on how the public charge affects refugees and refugee service providers and stay tuned for more materials on this important issue.

Catholic Leaders Voice Opposition to New Proclamation Restricting Immigration and Travel from Additional Countries

On January 31st, President Trump issued a proclamation restricting the issuance of certain immigrant visas to people from Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria. Additionally, the proclamation restricted access to the diversity visa program for citizens of Sudan and Tanzania.

Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, Bishop Joseph Bambera of Scranton, Chairman of the USCCB's Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, and Chairman of CLINIC, along with Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, and Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA strongly disagreed with the President's action by stating:

The proclamation restricting immigration further undermines family reunification efforts and will make ensuring support for forced migrants in the designated countries more difficult. This proclamation also serves as a painful reminder of the 2017 ban which threatened our country's founding principle of religious freedom.

New JFI Resource: Backgrounder on the Asylum Cooperative Agreements

From July to October 2019, the United States has negotiated and in some cases officially signed "asylum cooperative agreements" (ACAs) with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras that would allow the United States to send asylum seekers to Guatemala and bar them from applying for protection in the U.S. In mid-November, DHS issued an interim final rule seeking to implement these agreements, including through the creation of unprecedented procedures that risk the return of children and families to persecution and other harm. Please see our ACA backgrounder to inform you about the agreements, their implications, and Catholic teaching related to people migrating to seek safety in other countries.

February 8th: World Day of Prayer, Reflection and Action Against Human Trafficking

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General designated February 8 as an annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking as it is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery in Sudan and Italy. Once she attained her freedom St. Josephine became a Canossian nun and dedicated her life to sharing her deliverance from slavery and comforting the poor and suffering.

This February 8th, please join us in prayer by downloading the materials available on the Vatican Migrants and Refugees Section website of this initiative, including the prayer to Saint Josephine Bakhita, and the Pontifical Orientations on Human Trafficking.

Are you in the Greater DC area? Please attend our Mass (see the flyer) honoring St. Josephine Bakhita in partnership with the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking, USCCB/MRS and the Archdiocese of Washington. Join us for a reception after the Mass!

Update on Comments to Fee Changes: Public Comment Reopened

On November 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security published a notice of proposed rulemaking, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other, which seeks to increase fees for applications for adjustment of status, asylum, DACA renewals and naturalization. On December 18th, USCCB/MRS, Catholic Charities USA, and CLINIC filed a comment opposing the proposed fee increases, as did many other organizations throughout the country. The multitude of comments sent to USCIS led the agency to extend the deadline for comment submissions by two weeks, from Dec. 16 to Dec. 30, 2019. On January 24, 2020 USCIS reopened the public comment period, extending it to February 10, 2020.

If you have not done so, please consider submitting a comment on the fee changes. You can use and adapt a sample template comment created by CLINIC for filing your own comment. There is also a JFI webinar on the fee proposal that you can watch for more information.

Webinar Notice: USCCB/MRS, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Charities of Oregon - State Level Advocacy Support Project Webinar III at 2 PM Eastern on February 19, 2020

USCCB and CCUSA are co-sponsoring a year of state level advocacy support. Catholic Charities of Oregon is partnering with us to share the holistic, community based, bi-partisan approach they successfully used in Oregon to secure state level funding for refugees.

Please join us for the third webinar in this series about pursuing state level funding support. You can view the previous webinars on the JFI website. Here is the webinar flyer:

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington - Ongoing - The Immigration Legal Services program at Catholic Charities of Washington, DC has various volunteer opportunities available. They currently need volunteer attorneys, people to create care packs for unaccompanied minors, and interpreters in different languages. Please visit volunteer website to learn more.

U.S Immigration Policy Discussion: How Did We Get Here? - February 10, 2020 at 7 PM in Wausau, WI - Co-sponsored by Catholic Charities-Wausau, this discussion is the first in a three-part series to examine the ways in which the Wausau, WI community is affected by the immigration issue. The event venue is 625 Stewart Ave., Wausau 54401. More information is on the event website.

St. Andrew Apostle Catholic Church: Matthew 25 Walk - February 15, 2020 at 8 AM in Silver Spring, MD - St. Andrew Apostle is hosting a charity walk to raise money for three local nonprofit organizations who are living out the values outlined by Christ in Matthew 25: providing food for the hungry, drink for people who are thirsty, clothing for people who need clothes, and welcoming strangers. The 5K walk will provide financial support for their efforts. Join the fun at 11600 Kemp Mill Rd., Silver Spring 20902.

Sister Norma Pimentel on Crossing Borders: A Catholic Response to Migration - February 19, 2020 at 7 PM at Manhattan College, NY - As a part of Manhattan College's annual Peace Week, Sister Norma Pimentel, a national migration advocate, will deliver a talk on her work at the U.S.-Mexico border. The event is free. Learn more on the website.

Pax Christi USA Young Adult Leadership Gathering - April 2-5, 2020 in Washington, DC - Pax Christi USA is sponsoring a young adult leadership gathering called Creating the Beloved Community to bring together young leaders to deepen an existing interest in and call to involvement with Pax Christi USA. Application deadline is Feb. 7, 2020.

In Solidarity,

Tony Cube