JFI Biweekly Review: March 11-22, 2024 JFI Colleagues, Please see below for the latest updates from JFI including action alerts, webinars, policy update, and upcoming events. Movie Discussion Guide: Cabrini The recently released move, aCabrini, has taken off as a popular, “must see” film in many Catholic circles. It tells the story of Mother Cabrini, her life in New York, and the challenges that she faced trying to minister to immigrants arriving in the region. JFI has recently developed a discussion guide for the film, which can provide some background and questions that can help individuals or groups reflect on the film. Please feel free to use and to distribute to friends, families, and colleagues who are interested in watching the movie. Photo credit: The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Thanks to St. Frances Cabrini Collection, Holy Spirit Library, Cabrini University) JFI Webinar: Immigration and Refugee Legislation in the 2024 Congress March 27, 2024 at 2 PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific Register for the webinar This is a U.S. presidential election year and, as of now, we kicked the can down the road on another FY funding package due in large part to disagreement in Congress on immigration and border funding. On this webinar, hear from government relations experts from Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and USCCB/Migration & Refugee Services as they discuss the legislative outlook in Congress this year for immigration, refugee and border legislation and funding. Registration is Now Open: Spring 2024 Immigration Conference in Washington, DC Please register for the 2024 spring immigration conference: Responding to Changing Realities at the US Border and Beyond – Catholic Approaches to Migration.  This event is a joint initiative by The Catholic University of America and the USCCB’s Department of Migration and Refugee Services/JFI. It will take place at the Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC on April 10 and 11, 2024: law.edu/immigration There is no charge for the conference; we only ask that you register so we can get an accurate head count. You can also use the QR code in the flyer below to register:   Problem Areas in Immigration Series We are excited to unveil a series that delves into the critical issues of migration, a subject that resonates deeply with the Catholic Church for both institutional and moral reasons. Migration, with its complex and multifaceted nature, demands our attention and calls for a nuanced understanding. This initiative isn’t about offering comprehensive solutions; instead, it aims to shed light on specific challenges within the U.S. immigration system and the issue of migration generally that warrant a closer look. The first installment will be issued on April 1. For those who have friends and colleagues not on the listserv but who might be interested in this series, please send them to the JFI website for more information. RCUSA Advocacy Days Refugee Council USA will be hosting their annual national Advocacy Days May 7–8. This is an opportunity for community members, faith leaders, advocates, resettlement staff, and others to gather in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the protection of forcibly displaced people. Participants will not only meet with their members of Congress but will also be able to attend training sessions to help build and expand their advocacy toolbelt. Attendees who have personally experienced forced displacement are invited for a special day-long training on Monday, May 6, and some scholarships are available for these participants. More information about Advocacy Days, the opportunities, and its goals can be found through the concept note. Please register here! Welcome Wednesday Series Bishop Seitz, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration and Bishop of El Paso, reflects on living the gospel in El Paso in these two clips: [link removed] [link removed] 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. Civilize It: Our Catholic Response in a Polarized World In a polarized climate that threatens the unity of the Body of Christ and distances us from our brothers and sisters, how is the Church called to respond? Join us virtually on March 20, 2024 at 4 PM Eastern to reflect on the challenge of polarization and on tools from our Catholic tradition that can help us heal Church and society. Gloria Purvis, renowned Catholic speaker and host of The Gloria Purvis Podcast from America Magazine, will moderate the conversation. Panelists include: Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, and Rev. Aaron Wessman, G.H.M., author of The Church's Mission in a Polarized World. This virtual event is co-sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, Glenmary Home Missioners, and the Jesuit Conference. Register here or watch the livestream here.  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 March 5 CMS Migration Update, which includes: Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Texas Immigration Law Proposed Compromise Bill on the Border Fails to Gain Traction in the House, but House Speaker Johnson Signals Willingness to Consider a Compromise Biden Administration Grants Deferred Enforced Departure to Palestinians View the February 27 CMS Migration Update, which includes: Biden Administration Plans to Issue Executive Actions Restricting Asylum U.S. State Department Issues New Visa Restrictions on Companies Transporting Undocumented Immigrants to the United States U.S. Government Study Shows Positive Contributions of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers to the US Economy 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 5 de marzo, que incluye: La Corte Suprema bloquea temporalmente la ley de inmigración de Texas El proyecto de ley de compromiso sobre la frontera no logra ganar terreno en la Cámara, pero el presidente de la Cámara, Johnson, indica su voluntad de considerar un compromiso La administración Biden concede la salida forzosa diferida a los palestinos Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS del 27 de febrero, que incluye: La administración de Biden planea emitir acciones ejecutivas que restrinjan el asilo El Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. emite nuevas restricciones de visas para empresas que transportan inmigrantes indocumentados a Estados Unidos Un estudio del gobierno de EE. UU. muestra contribuciones positivas de los refugiados y solicitantes de asilo a la economía estadounidense  Migration-Related Stories, Op-Eds and Interviews by Catholic Bishops, and Catholic Agency Executives Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago: The Human Face of Immigration Georgia Catholic Conference Legislative Report (Feb. 29, 2024) Human trafficking and Immigration Dylan Corbett, Executive Director – Hope Border Institute, and Monsignor Arturo Bañuelas of the Diocese of El Paso: In what kind of country is God’s work a crime? Texas can do better Chris Ross, VP of Migration and Refugee Resettlement Services for Catholic Charities USA: Mother Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants. Would her story be possible today? Notable New Publications, Reports, Resources, Articles, Etc. Center for Migration Studies of New York: Why do Citizens Criminalize Migrants?: Experimental Evidence from a Multi-Role Country, Mexico Every year, millions of immigrants arrive in countries that play multiple roles: they expel them, receive them, or shelter them. Sometimes, citizens welcome immigrants with open arms. Other times, they perceive them as potential criminals. Surprisingly, there is little research on the determinants of criminalization in multi-role countries. In this article, we analyze the results from a nationally representative survey experiment where we investigate how two sources of variation (the skin tone and national origin of others) bias citizens’ willingness to blame suspects for crime. We find that individuals criminalize suspects more when they have a darker skin tone and, against expectations, less when they come from El Salvador. Moreover, in exploratory analyses, we find that coloristic bias is exacerbated among individuals with lower levels of education and, surprisingly, among those with a darker skin tone. Also interesting is that we found that, against contact theory, anti-American bias is stronger among Mexicans with direct or indirect cross-national contact. Our results highlight the various degrees to which migratory contexts influence public opinion. American Immigration Council: Temporary Protected Status (TPS): An Overview Temporary Protected Status is a temporary immigration status provided to nationals of certain countries experiencing problems that make it difficult or unsafe for their nationals to be deported there. TPS has been a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of individuals already in the United States when problems in a home country make their departure or deportation untenable. This fact sheet provides an overview of TPS. Migration Policy Institute: Top Stats to Understand U.S. Immigration and Immigrants to the United States The Migration Policy Institute published the latest version of its popular resource which collects the latest available data about many aspects of recent and historical immigration to the U.S. As the article details, the 46.2 million immigrants in the country as of 2022 represent the largest number in U.S. history, though their 13.9 percent share of the overall U.S. population remains below the record 14.8 percent level set in 1890. Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Services Beatitudes Center Webinar: Pope Francis’ Latest Teachings on Peace, War & Climate Change with Marie Dennis, March 23, 2024 at 11 AM Pacific. Longtime Pax Christi leader, teacher, and author Marie Dennis will report on the latest developments and teachings and how we might help promote Pope Francis’ work for peace and creation. Sign up now. Franciscan Action Network (FAN) Workshop: Awakening to Environmental Justice, Tuesday April 2 & 9 at 4 PM Eastern. FAN is excited to bring our network a workshop series dedicated to building environmental justice research skills. Join us in this two-part virtual workshop to learn how to research cases of environmental injustice in your state and how to respectfully engage with local activists. Click here to register. Lenten blessings, Tony Cube Stay Connected 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.   USCCB | 3211 Fourth Street NE, Washington, DC 20017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!