JFI Biweekly Review: October 16-27, 2023

JFI Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

Pope Francis Calls for Immigration Reform

In a prayer service held in the context of the Catholic Church’s ongoing synod, Pope Francis called for a global immigration reform to “put the more vulnerable at the center,” increasing legal pathways to avoid exploitation and deaths during journeys, including in the U.S.-Mexico border and the Mediterranean. A related article was published in Catholic News Service.

Letter from the Cardinal Seán O’Malley on Immigration Crisis and How Parishes Can Help

Cardinal O’Malley (see photo below) wrote a letter to pastors and the parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston regarding a growing humanitarian and societal crisis that is building in the Commonwealth and Archdiocese of Boston. The issue involves the fate of immigrants arriving daily in Massachusetts and in need of basic shelter and compassionate care.

Statement of U.S. Bishops’ International Justice and Peace Chairman on Continued Violence in the Holy Land

In response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war, Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace, renewed his call for peace. The latest statement calls for the release of hostages and protection of civilian populations, and urges Congress to provide support for relief efforts.

Welcome Wednesdays is Here!

Welcome Wednesdays is a new weekly series that will feature interviews with MRS' network across the country. This first set of videos showcases Carla & Jim who volunteered to sponsor a Ukrainian family through their parish in Seattle. In this video, they discuss why they got involved in this initiative. The USCCB Welcome Circle program has stood up 74 circles supporting nearly 250 newcomers from Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Over 1,100 volunteers from across the country have stepped up to be part of a Welcome Circle. You can watch the first and second videos in the series.

For more information, please check out: https://www.usccb.org/welcomecircles

Take Action on the Latest JFI Action Alert

Call on Congress to Pass Funding Measures that Further the Common Good

Much is at stake as Congress continues to debate federal funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, including our nation’s fundamental commitment to humanitarian protection. If either full-year appropriations or the stopgap funding measure known as a “continuing resolution” is not passed by the extended deadline of midnight on November 17th, a partial shutdown of the federal government will occur, impacting many programs and services relied upon by citizens and noncitizens alike.

Join the U.S. bishops in calling for bipartisan cooperation in Congress to avoid a government shutdown and enact a just budget that reduces future unsustainable deficits, protects poor and vulnerable people, advances the common good, and promotes human life and dignity—without sacrificing vital humanitarian protections. Send the action alert now!

JFI Prayer and Devotional Resources

Be sure to check out our webpage of prayer and devotionals, which you can use as you contemplate the situation confronting migrant populations and how we might respond to their spiritual and material needs. We hope that as you reflect on migration, it will inspire you to learn more about both what is happening on the ground and what the Church teaches on this issue. Check back regularly as we will provide new prayers and other spiritual reflections that will help you to respond to the Gospel call to welcome the stranger. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to read and reflect on Pope Francis’ most recent World Day of Migrants and Refugees message and related resources, which focus on some key concerns related to the migration experience. Also, feel free to send us prayers and spiritual devotions that your parish or religious community has created so we can share your resources. Thank you!

Policy Update / Actualización de Política

We are thankful to the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) for its weekly Migration Update. Please visit their bilingual Migration Updat e page to stay up-to-date on recent migration policy updates.

View the October 23 CMS Migration Update, which includes:

United States Resettles Over 60,000 Refugees in 2023
Biden Administration Settles Lawsuit Over Trump-era Family Separations
DHS Announces New Family Reunification Parole Process for Ecuador
Biden Administration Proposes Changes to the H-1B Program

View the October 17 CMS Migration Update, which includes:

Despite Campaign Pledge, Biden Elects to Build 20 Miles of New Border Wall in South Texas
DHS Resumes the Deportation of Venezuelans and Extends and Re-designates TPS for Cameroon
A Federal Judge Allows Biden Administration to Deny Appointments to Asylum-seekers Who Do Not Use the CBP One App

Agradecemos al Centro de Estudios de Migración de Nueva York (CMS por sus siglas en inglés) por su Actualización de Migración semanal. Visite su página bilingüe de Actualización de Migración para mantenerse al día sobre las actualizaciones recientes de la política de migración.

Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS del 23 de octubre, que incluye:

Estados Unidos re-asienta a más de 60,000 refugiados en 2023
La administración de Biden resuelve una demanda por las separaciones familiares de la era Trump
DHS anuncia nuevo proceso de libertad condicional por reunificación familiar para Ecuador
Administración Biden propone cambios al programa H-1B

Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS del 17 de octubre, que incluye:

A pesar del compromiso de campaña, Biden elige construir 20 millas de un nuevo muro fronterizo en el sur de Texas
DHS reanuda la deportación de venezolanos y extiende y redesigna el TPS para Camerún
Un juez federal permite que la administración de Biden niegue citas a solicitantes de asilo que no utilizan la aplicación CBP One

Migration-Related Stories, Op-Eds and Interviews by Catholic Bishops, and Catholic Agency Executives

Blogpost by Cardinal Seán O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston:

The call to welcome migrants and refugees

Archbishop Jose Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles:

How Catholics in America serve the church by helping others

Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn:

Toxic scapegoating doesn’t help fix the immigration system

JFI Report: Reflections from the 2023 Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers (PCMRT) Visit with Migrants

At the end of August/Early September 2023, USCCB/Migration and Refugee Services participated in a delegation trip to the Diocese of Yakima (WA) to examine the situation confronting migrant farmworkers in the region. The event was organized by Cultural Diversity at the USCCB and attended by various offices and organization both inside and outside the Bishops' conference. The post-visit report that was produced speaks to the realities confronting these populations, the need for the Catholic church’s further engagement with them, and some recommendations how we can better provide material, spiritual, and advocacy support.

Notable New Publications, Reports, Films, Articles, Etc.

Hope Border Institute White Paper: A Proposal for a National Catholic Accompaniment System for Asylum Seekers and Paroled Persons

Unlike refugees, asylum seekers and paroled persons arriving in the U.S. through the U.S.- Mexico border do not count on a formal system of welcome that facilitates the transition into independent life. The Catholic Church in the United States has the potential to build a broad and structured system that coordinates the existing hard efforts of parishes, communities and organizations toward the goal of welcoming, protecting, promoting and helping asylum seekers and paroled persons in the country. This document aims to show the need for a national accompaniment system for asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants; offer a proposal for the Catholic Church in the U.S. to integrate the many existing initiatives and efforts into an integral national system of accompaniment to asylum seekers and paroled persons; and open a dialogue around a humane and proper welcome of asylum seekers and paroled persons in the U.S.

Migration Policy Institute: Recent Immigrant Children: A Profile of New Arrivals to U.S. Schools

An estimated 649,000 children ages 5 to 17 — representing 30 percent of all foreign-born children — had been in the United States for three years or less as of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey. This report draws on analysis of Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Education data to explore the characteristics of recently arrived immigrant children.

Department of Homeland Security Fact Sheet: Overview of the Family Separation Settlement

On October 16, 2023, the United States reached a settlement in Ms. L., et al. v. ICE, et al., a class action litigation filed in 2018 seeking injunctive relief relating to the separation of parents and children at the southwest border. The proposed settlement, subject to court approval, will provide for continued reunification of families, set forth standards to limit future separations, and provide certain non-monetary support to class members. Except where noted, the settlement will remain in effect for six years after the effective date.

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): Southwest Border: Cultural and Natural Resource Impacts from Barrier Construction

This GAO statement for the record —based on a September 2023 report— explores how border barrier construction between 2017-2021 has affected natural and cultural resources in the U.S.

United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Policy Brief: Ukrainians Fleeing Russia’s War Cut Off from U.S. Support

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have arrived in the United States since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. As the war continues and Russian attacks on civilians escalate, Ukrainians continue to seek safety and protection in the United States on a daily basis. However, the safety net available to Ukrainians arriving in the United States has been removed. The recent deal to keep the federal government open through mid-November did not include language to extend support to newly arriving Ukrainians. This means that many Ukrainians arriving after September 30 will not be able to access federal welfare benefits or resettlement services. Resettlement agencies and Ukrainian groups worry the ramifications will appear swiftly—as arrangements between Ukrainians and their U.S.-based sponsors are rocked by the lack of support. In this brief we analyze benefits eligibility for Ukrainian humanitarian parolees. It draws upon interviews and discussions with representatives from the Ukrainian community and domestic resettlement agencies.

REQUEST: Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe 2023

The annual celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG) is on December 12th. Please send us information of your upcoming OLG celebrations, Masses, and events so we can help publicize your events.

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources

Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice: Boundless and Beloved, October 28-30, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice is an annual gathering for members of the Ignatian family (Jesuit and other Catholic schools, parishes, organizations, and individuals) to come together in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network, and advocate together. It is a place where people are empowered, re-energized, inspired, challenged, and supported by a community that sees faith and justice integrally linked. We invite you to join us in person or via livestream.

Diocese of Arlington (VA) Mass in Celebration of Respect Life Month, Sunday, October 29, 2023. Join Bishop Michael Burbidge in honor of Respect Life Month with Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA at 11 AM.

Aliento Gallery (Mesa, AZ) Event: A Human Experience: Stories of Migration, Expression, and Community, November 3, 2023 at 6 PM. Join us for our exhibition showcasing the art created by Aliento workshop participants throughout the years, sharing through familiar art forms the reality of their human emotions as undocumented, DACAmented, or members of mixed-status families. In Aliento workshops, healing, and art intersect to build coping skills for those impacted by their immigration status. Our goal is to build resilience, agency, and community!

TPS Clinic Volunteers in Upstate New York. Legal service providers across New York State are working with Immigrant ARC and the New York Immigration Coalition to conduct rapid response legal clinics to help all Venezuelan shelter residents outside of New York City to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and their work permit. Local service providers will coordinate these clinics, and Immigrant ARC and NYIC will be supporting with logistics, training, and materials. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out this form. There are both in-person and remote opportunities!

In solidarity,

Tony Cube

Stay Connected

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