JFI Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI including action alerts, a listen session invitation, policy update, and upcoming events.

Appropriations Process Remains Uncertain

Within the past two weeks, the months-long negotiations between a handful of lawmakers in the Senate came to a head. Ultimately, the supplemental funding bill and migration-related changes they had agreed to were rejected by the Senate, which then proceeded to pass a supplemental funding measure without migration-related changes. The House majority promptly rejected that bill, and congressional gridlock on both supplemental funding and full-year appropriations for Fiscal Year 2024 (which began October 1) continues. The current continuing resolutions keeping the federal government funded and operating will expire March 1 (covering Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation and Energy) and March 8 (for all other appropriations bills). It remains to be seen how—or if—Congress, together with the White House, will reach an agreement on another short-term continuing resolution to avoid a partial government shutdown, to say nothing of supplemental funding related to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as international humanitarian aid and other issues caught up in the same process.  

In the meantime, please continue to uplift these action alerts from JFI addressing the appropriations process:



• Join with the U.S. Catholic bishops in opposing harmful and counterproductive changes to immigration law as a condition for supplemental funding. 

• Encourage members of Congress to work toward bipartisan immigration reform that furthers the common good, upholds religious freedom, and respects the God-given dignity of all.

Lenten Postcard Campaign Against Maritime Trafficking 

During Lent, many Catholics eat fish and abstain from meat to be in greater solidarity with those in need. As part of its Lenten Campaign, COMPASS urges companies to “slave proof” their supply chains to ensure that the seafood that we eat is not sullied by slave labor and other forms of exploitation. Please join us in our Lenten postcard campaign urging companies to eliminate slavery in their supply chains. Send them a postcard and make your voice heard. 

Welcome Circles Update

MRS’ network has launched 100 Welcome Circles! Check out this video featuring a Ukrainian family describing their appreciation for the generosity they’ve received and their desire to give back. They were resettled by Aletheia Church in Cambridge, MA last year through the Welcome Circles program. For more information, please visit: https://www.usccb.org/welcomecircles

Coalition of Organizations and Ministries Promoting the Abolition of Slavery at Sea (COMPASS) 

Maritime trafficking is modern slavery at sea, a violation of the human dignity of laborers at all stages of the seafood supply chain and aquaculture industries. The virtually unregulated fishing industry in many countries, coupled with the global demand for cheap seafood, create the lawless conditions under which trafficking at sea flourishes. COMPASS is an initiative that seeks to strengthen the coordination, collaboration, and capacity of the worldwide Catholic response to maritime trafficking, especially in its ministries at sea and ports. Please download our COMPASS toolkit to learn more about the work that we do and how you can help further it.



Save The Date:

Spring 2024 Immigration Conference in Washington, DC

Please note on your calendars an immigration conference at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, on April 10 and 11, 2024. This event is a joint initiative by CUA and the USCCB’s Department of Migration and Refugee Services. More information to come! Here is the flyer:

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 Update page to stay up-to-date on recent migration policy updates.

View the February 13 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

• Border Agreement Dies as Republicans Oppose It 
• US Refugee Admissions Ahead of 2023 Pace 
• United States to Fund NGOs to Assist Refugees in Ethiopia

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 13 de febrero, que incluye: 

• El acuerdo fronterizo muere mientras los republicanos se oponen a él  
• Las admisiones de refugiados en EE. UU. están por delante de las cifras de 2023 
• Estados Unidos financiará organizaciones no-gubernamentales (NGOs) para ayudar a los refugiados en Etiopía

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

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Services

• CLINIC Webinar Training: How to Apply for DOJ Full Accreditation, March 6, 2024 at 2 PM Eastern. Please join FREE CLINIC staff for this informative webinar on how you can expand access to removal defense representation in your community by obtaining DOJ full accreditation for your partially accredited staff. We will discuss the eligibility requirements for full accreditation and how they differ from partial accreditation, the process of preparing for full accreditation with training and mentoring, elements of a strong application, the adjudication process, and next steps after approval. We will also provide tips for getting started and resources for additional information. Learn More and Register.

• Loyola University - New Orleans Lenten Presentation: Sr. Helen Prejean-led Prayer Vigil for Life and Mercy, March 6, 2024 at 7 PM Eastern. Sr. Helen Prejean, C.S.J., will provide this talk on March 6th. Attendees are asked to register via Zoom at this link.

• Irish Immigration Services (Chicago) Immigration Legal Clinic. Our legal clinics provide FREE 30-minute consultations with qualified immigration attorneys. All information provided is confidential. Consultations are held via phone call or in person at our offices. Contact Irish Community Services at 773-282-8445.

In solidarity,

Tony Cube

Visit the JFI website to learn about us, read policy recommendations and letters to Congress, find materials for your parish, get advocacy resources, access previously recorded webinars, and more! Send us an email to get connected.