JFI Biweekly Review: August 12-23, 2024 JFI Colleagues, Please see below for the latest updates from JFI including the next national call, webinars, statements, and upcoming events. Migration & Refugee Services (MRS) and CLINIC Webinar Staff from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)/MRS and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), will discuss the new parole in place process for certain undocumented family members of U.S. citizens, which was first announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on June 18, 2024. Please register and join us for this informative webinar. Here is the webinar flyer: REMINDER: Next JFI National Zoom Call – Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 2 PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific Please note on your calendars the date and time for the August 28, 2024 JFI National Zoom Call. Information to participate in the call will be sent to the participant call list. Please send us an email if you want to be on the list. Problem Areas In Immigration Series: Documented Dreamers Most noncitizens who come to the United States on temporary work visas do not have a clear path toward permanent legal status. If their minor children come with them, and turn 21 years old in the U.S., they “age out” of the temporary legal status derived through their parents’ visas and confront the difficult choice of having to depart the United States or face potential deportation unless they can obtain a different temporary or permanent status themselves. These young people often refer to themselves as “Documented Dreamers.” There are estimated 200,000 Documented Dreamers in the United States. The August issue of problem areas in migration focuses on this population, examines some of the challenges they face, and possible improvements that could be made to improve their situations. Please take a moment to read the latest installment in our series on Documented Dreamers.  Wednesday Welcome Series For #welcomewednesday, the Kino Border Initiative's Sister Tracy describes demographic changes of migrants crossing the Southern border. Watch Sister Tracey in the video. Reminder: 2024 World Day of Migrants & Refugees/National Migration Week On June 20, the USCCB joined with others around the world in honoring refugees and the communities that welcome them. Bishop Seitz released the following statement: “On World Refugee Day, we reflect on the urgent need to promote the dignity and rights of refugees, as well as the positive contributions they make to our communities. As Catholics, we are called by the Gospel and Church teaching to embrace our brothers and sisters fleeing for their lives, offering them compassion, support, and solidarity. For generations, Catholics across the United States have embodied this through their commitment to refugee resettlement. In these efforts, we witness the resiliency of refugees, and we recognize in them a hope for new life, which resonates in the heart of every Christian. May this work of welcome continue to inspire within us a deeper awareness of our own journey toward everlasting life.” The Catholic Church in the United States will observe National Migration Week (NMW) from September 23-29, 2024. Each year, this week-long celebration culminates with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), established by the Holy See over 100 years ago and commemorated by Catholics across the globe. Throughout this week, the faithful and others of good will are encouraged to reflect on the challenges facing migrants, refugees, and others impacted by the complex phenomenon of forced displacement, the ways these newcomers enrich welcoming communities, and how we are each called to respond to them as members of the same human family. The theme for NMW 2024, “God Walks with His People,” underscores the solidarity with migrants our Church embraces as they journey in various ways to find security, safety and peace for themselves and their families. In preparation for this celebration, please take an opportunity to read Pope Francis’ WDMR message. Be sure to check out the Justice for Immigrant’s NMW page and 2024 toolkit (in Spanish), where we expand on the theme and suggest possible ways for your community to get involved. Homily notes and prayer resources. Please share your NMW and WDMR events, celebrations and Mass information on JFI’s Facebook page and Twitter to spread the word about your plans during the week! Also, let us know what you are doing for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees by emailing Tony Cube at [email protected]. Save the Date: Center for Migration Studies/MRS Conference in New York – September 12, 2024 If you are in the New York area, please join us for an upcoming conference. On Thursday, September 12, 2024, the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) will host a 2024 Immigrant Integration Convening, A Church at the Borders: Best Practices, Promises and Aspirations for the Integration of Migrants in New York, to be held at St. John's University in New York City. The arrival of over 190,000 asylum-seekers to the New York area over the past two years has brought into focus what it means to be a welcoming city, and especially, “What does welcome and integration mean for the Church today?” Certain parishes and universities, legal and social services have made great strides, but emerging “best practices” have neither been identified nor shared widely. The 2024 IIC will shed light on the integration of migrants within all the organizations and institutions of the Church in the area, and show, in many places, how migrants are leading the way. Please visit our registration site to learn more. New JFI Resource: Family-based Immigration: A Catholic Perspective Family unity and reunification have long been foundational principles of our nation’s immigration system. While U.S. immigration policy incorporated family relationships as a basis for admission into the U.S. as early as the 1920s, it was in 1952 that the current approach was enacted with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Under these laws, both U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) over the age of 21 have the ability to petition for certain family members to receive immigrant visas. These visas grant an individual LPR status, also known as a “green card”, which is a pathway to U.S. citizenship. Please take a moment to read this overview, which will help you better understand this complex issue. For those who have friends and colleagues not on the listserv but who might be interested in this and other resources, please send them to the JFI website for more information. Reminder: New Bilingual Resource on Family Relief Services Following the Biden Administration’s announcement last month of a new relief program for the undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens, the USCCB released a new explainer in English and Spanish. Importantly, it is not yet possible to apply for this program. Community members should be vigilant against fraud, especially anyone offering access to the program for a fee. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) expects to begin accepting applications for this process on August 19. More details, including instructions for those wishing to apply, are expected to be released in the coming weeks, at which point the USCCB will offer an informational webinar.   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 August 20 CMS Migration Update, which includes: Biden Administration Launches Program to Benefit Immigrant Spouses Border Arrivals Reach New Low Under Biden Asylum Rule United States Announces Aid Package for Refugee Populations in Sub-Saharan Africa View the August 14 CMS Migration Update, which includes: United States Reaches Nearly 75,000 Refugees Resettled in FY 2024 Biden Action Protecting Undocumented Spouses Leaves Many Behind Republican State Attorneys General Sue Biden Administration Over Expansion of Health-Care to DACA Recipients 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 20 de agosto, que incluye: Administración Biden lanza programa para beneficiar a cónyuges inmigrantes Las llegadas fronterizas alcanzan un nuevo mínimo bajo la regla de asilo de Biden Estados Unidos anuncia paquete de ayuda para poblaciones de refugiados en África subsahariana Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS del 14 de agosto que incluye: EE.UU. llega a casi 75.000 refugiados reasentados en el año fiscal 2024 La acción de Biden para proteger a los cónyuges indocumentados deja a muchos atrás Los fiscales generales republicanos del estado demandan a la administración de Biden por la expansión de la atención médica a los beneficiarios de DACA Migration-Related Stories, Op-Eds, Videos and Interviews by Catholic Bishops, (Arch)Dioceses and Catholic Agency Executives USCCB: Responding to False Claims About Catholic Organizations Serving Newcomers Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop Emeritus of Brooklyn: Study on Catholic attitudes on immigration shows need for instruction Bishop Edward Weisenburger, Diocese of Tucson: Responding to False Claims about Catholic Organizations Serving Newcomers J. Kevin Appleby, Senior Fellow for Policy & Communications at the Center for Migration Studies of New York: How Trump's deportation plan would harm the nation — and the church  Notable New Publications, Reports, Resources, Articles, Etc. United States Government Accountability Office: Arrests, Removals, and Detentions Varied Over Time and ICE Should Strengthen Data Reporting A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in late July found that the Department of Homeland Security has under-counted the number of immigrants in immigrant detention, with different Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices exhibiting faulty data collection methods. According to a report by several immigrant advocacy groups, ICE does not include immigrants placed in temporary detention in their counts, for example, thus reducing the total actual number by 30 percent. Migration Policy Institute: U.S. Legal Pathways for Mexican and Central American Immigrants, by the Numbers This fact sheet examines the U.S. legal pathways that exist for nationals of Mexico and the northern Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, which have long been among the top sources of unauthorized migration to the United States. By analyzing U.S. government data, the fact sheet provides an overview of the extent to which migrants from these countries are issued immigrant visas, for those who intend to live permanently in the country; nonimmigrant visas, for those who seek to enter temporarily for seasonal work, study, or business; and humanitarian forms of admission, including refugee resettlement and humanitarian parole. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP): Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants ITEP’s latest report reveals that undocumented immigrants contribute a substantial $30.7 billion in state and local taxes annually. These taxes come from various sources, including sales, excise, property, and income taxes. The report clears up the myth that undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes, highlighting that even undocumented workers who are paid "under the table" contribute through these consumption taxes.  Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Services JustFaith: Tools for Transformation, August 27, 2024 at 12:30 PM PT. JustFaith Ministries Founder, Jack Jezreel, M.Div., and his colleague Leila Oakley, M.T.S., will share Tools for Transformation on Tuesday, August 27 to equip your church, organization, or network to love our neighbors by addressing root causes of injustice. Please register and join us. Center for Migration Studies of New York Webinar, Migration Realities in the United States: Looking at Causes, Trends, and Solutions, September 5, 2024. CMS will will host this webinar and discussion on the migration landscape in the United States, with particular focus on changes in recent years. A panel of experts will speak to the root causes of migration, the issues and opportunities raised by border narratives and politics, the successes and challenges of refugee protection and resettlement, recent demographic changes and trends in migration, and the legal and policy realities, shortcomings, and potential, constructive ways forward. Please register for this webinar. Pax Christi USA’s Virtual National Conference, September 6-7, 2024. Registration is now open for Pax Christi USA’s virtual National Conference, taking place via Zoom on September 6 and 7. Friday evening's opening plenary will be a moderated conversation between Pax Christi USA's new Executive Director, Charlene Howard, with JustFaith's founder and Executive Director Jack Jezreel on what it means to be Catholic and prophetic in the United States today. In solidarity, 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 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice