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JFI Week in Review 3/2/20-3/6/20
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Justice for Immigrants Colleagues,
Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.
USCCB Committee Chairman Testifies before House Judiciary Committee in Support of Refugees
On February 27, 2020, Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington and Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration testified in a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. In the hearing, The Current State of the U.S. Refugee Program, Bishop Dorsonville shared the Catholic Church's history of resettling refugees in the United States, described the assistance provided by Catholic organizations to resettle and welcome refugee families in U.S. communities, and discussed Catholic social teaching guiding us to welcome the newcomer.
Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) Update
On February 28th, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the Trump adminis-tration's MPP policy. The 2-1 decision in Innovation Law Lab v. Wolf reinstated an injunction by the U.S. District Court of Northern California blocking implementation of MPP, also known as "Remain in Mexico" policy. The 9th Circuit judges said: "(the [MPP] policy) has had serious adverse consequences for individual plaintiffs. Plaintiffs presented evidence in the District Court that they, as well as others returned to Mexico under the MPP, face targeted discrimination, physical violence, sexual assault, overwhelmed and corrupt law enforcement, lack of food and shelter, and practical obstacles to participation in court proceedings in the United States."
Later that day, the same court stayed its ruling on MPP to allow the policy to remain in place while the Trump Administration appeals the case to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Justice Department argued that its suspension will prompt migrants to overrun the border and endanger national security.
On March 4th, the 9th Circuit ruled that the MPP policy will be allowed to continue until March 11, 2020 but after that prohibited from operating in the Ninth Circuit (California and Arizona) unless the U.S. Supreme Court grants a stay.
Having difficulty keeping up with the latest MPP updates? See our latest backgrounder - also available on our Asylum page.
USCCB Migration Committee Chairman Leads Pastoral Visit with Detained Immigrants
On March 2nd, Bishop Dorsonville led a group that included retired Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden of Baltimore in a meeting with 10 immigrant detainees at a Maryland detention center. The detainees asked the bishops to pray for their wives and children who are separated from them. Bishops Dorsonville and Madden pledged to the men that they will ask worshippers at Mass to keep them in prayer.
Crux/Catholic News Service detailed the bishops' visit in an article this week.
Learn more about immigrant detention by reading our backgrounder and also see MRS' Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations letter opposing increases in immigrant detention.
Census 2020: Resources on Information Sharing and Immigrant Participation Starting March 12th, households will begin receiving information about how to participate in the 2020 Census. As the U.S. government utilizes the Census to count population and accumulate the demographic data necessary to allocate federal funds and inform policy decisions, it is vital that all actively participate.
Unfortunately, there are concerns that participation will be low this year over fears related the Trump administration's failed efforts to insert a citizenship question and other data sharing concerns. In order to educate yourself about the information sharing possible through Census 2020 participation, please see our census data and information sharing resources in English and en Español.
Please also look out for our upcoming backgrounder about Census Participation and Access to DMV Records!
Digest of Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) Publications of Relevance to the U.S. Immigration and Refugee Debates
Our colleagues at CMS created a document that compiles and indexes the papers, research and studies they have produced and/or published over the last few years that may be useful to policy work and advocacy. Links to the various CMS documents can be found at the end of each paper that's referenced. Take time to also review the CMS compilation document.
REMINDER: Mobilize in March! Meet with Your U.S. Senators and Ask Them to Protect Dreamers during March 16th-20th Congressional Recess We need your help showing support for Dreamers and encouraging Senators to protect Dreamers.
On November 12, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and is expected to issue a ruling on the legality of the DACA program in late the April-June 2020 time frame.
The Catholic Bishops continue to express their support for Dreamers and sent letters to the House and Senate supporting legislation to protect these young people from deportation. As the SCOTUS DACA decision date approaches, we ask you to continue to voice your support for Dreamers with your U.S. Senators in local meetings during the Congressional recess next month, which is March 16-20, 2020 Thank you!
40th Anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980 - Week of March 16, 2020
The week of March 16th will be the 40th Anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980. JFI will be celebrating the inspiring refugees and asylees protected under the Act and the over 3.1 million refugees and 700,000 asylees welcomed into America under the Refugee Act. The week's activities will include the World Refugee Day webinar (see below) and an action alert to support the GRACE Act and the NO BAN Act. Stay tuned for JFI's Refugee Protection Act 40th Anniversary email blast soon!
Registration Deadline EXTENDED to March 13, 2020: Refugee Council USA's (RCUSA) Advocacy Days, April 28-29, 2020, Washington, DC
Interested JFI and Catholic Charities partners are invited to attend the RCUSA Advocacy Days. Please fill out the concept note and the invitation form for participants to complete. In the question about association with resettlement agencies, put USCCB. There is no registration cost, but participants must cover their own travel and accommodations. USCCB is currently working with RCUSA to try to identify possible scholarship opportunities. Please contact Rachel Pollock with questions.
Webinar Notice: World Refugee Day 2020
Please join us on March 18, 2020 at 2 PM Eastern to learn more about World Refugee Day (WRD) 2020, hear about past WRD celebrations around the country, and how you can hold your own event for WRD 2020. See the webinar flyer below:
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
- Annual Archdiocesan Inclusion Ministry Mass - March 7, 2020 at 11 AM in Seattle, WA - Join Archbishop Etienne at St. James Cathedral for the annual Inclusion Ministry Mass. A reception will follow immediately after Mass. Email Erica Cohen Moore for more information.
- St. Matthew's Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC: Social Justice Ministry Advocacy Retreat - March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC - The Cathedral's Social Justice Ministry invites you to attend a special Lenten retreat to engage in Social Justice and Community Service Ministries. The retreat will be led by Fr. Jacek Orzechowski, at the Franciscan Monastery in Brookland, 1400 Quincy St. NE, Washington 20017. Please RSVP.
- Catholics Charities of Indianapolis-USCCB Open House for Unaccompanied Children and the CARE Program - March 9, 2020 at 9 AM in Indianapolis, IN - If you are in the Indianapolis-metro area, please come to an open house and community education event that highlights the work of USCCB sub grantee Bethany Christian Services as a transitional foster care provider, and also Catholic Charities' activities in providing accompaniment to immigrant families through the CARE program. See the event flyer for more information.
- Call for Proposals for Catholic Charities USA 2020 Annual Gathering - Due March 18, 2020 - Do you want to share your program knowledge with others in the Catholic Charities ministry? Share your expertise with colleagues across the network and gain the opportunity to learn from others. Proposal guidelines and the submission form are on the event website.
- Humanity in Crisis: How Ethics and Religion Shape Policy Responses to Refugees - March 18, 2020 at Noon in Washington, DC - Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J., will examine the scope of our responsibilities and considers practical solutions to the global refugee crisis. Featuring panelists T. Alexander Aleinikoff, former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees; Anne Richard, former Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration; and Clemens Sedmak, University of Notre Dame Professor of Social Ethics. RSVP to join the Keough School of Global Affairs - Washington Office, 1400 16th St., Suite 120, Washington 20036.
- The Haiti Project: Volunteers, Donations, and Sponsorships Available - Ongoing - Sponsored by the collaborative ministry of the Salvatorian Family, USA, this project serves people living in the rural mountains of Northern Haiti. Volunteers and supporters travel to Haiti to work on projects, help by collecting clothes and household items for an annual shipping container, and/or sponsor a child in school. Visit the website to see how to help.
In Solidarity, Tony Cube
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3211 Fourth Street, NE Washington, DC 20017
Phone: (202) 541-3165 Fax: (202) 722-8711
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