JFI Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI including the USCCB's Labor Day statement, webinar recording, statements, and upcoming events.

Please read and share the 2024 Labor Day statement (also available en Español).

Archbishop Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Seitz of El Paso is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration.

REMINDER: 2024 World Day of Migrants & Refugees/National Migration Week 

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. Also available on the webpage are prayer resources and homily notes.

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 ac[email protected].

LAST CALL: 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.

Problem Areas In Immigration Series: Statelessness 

According to international law, a person who is not considered to be a national of any state under the operation of its law is stateless. The U.S. Department of State has a longer, more detailed definition:

A stateless person is someone who, under national laws, does not enjoy citizenship – the legal bond between a government and an individual – in any country. While some people are de jure, or legally stateless persons (meaning they are not recognized as citizens under the laws of any state), many people are de facto, or effectively stateless persons (meaning they are not recognized as citizens by any state even if they have a claim to citizenship under the laws of one or more states). 

The September issue of our problem areas in migration series focuses on statelessness and this population of people, 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.

Reminder: New Bilingual Resource on Family Relief Services

Following the Biden Administration’s mid-summer announcement 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. Community members should be vigilant against fraud, especially anyone offering access to the program for a fee. More details, including instructions for those wishing to apply, are expected to be released in the coming weeks. Please listen to the webinar recording noted above for the most up to date information.

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Services

• 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.

• Ignation Solidarity Network Online Event: Voting is an Act of Love: Educators Conversation, September 10, 2024 at 3:30 PM ET. As we approach the 2024 election, how are you preparing to hold civil, values-based civic conversations in your classroom and/or on your campus? Join us for an open space for conversation with fellow educators to share questions, ideas, and food for thought as we continue to encourage young people to exercise their right and responsibility to vote for candidates and issues that support the common good. Register for this event.

• At the Beatitudes Center (Moro Bay, CA): A Virtual Conversation with Fr. Greg Boyle S.J., September 14, 2024 at 11 AM PT. Fr. Greg is the author of the NY Times-bestsellers Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion Compassion and Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship. He has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. He has received the University of Notre Dame’s 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest honor given to American Catholics. Fr. Greg will share insights into his work with young at-risk people of color. Please register to join us.

• In-Person DACA Renewal Clinic (Chicago, IL), September 17, 2024 at 3 PM CT. At this FREE legal clinic, private attorneys from Chicago's top law firms will join with National Immigrant Justice Center to complete and file applications for qualified applicants to RENEW their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Please see the event website for more information and to register.

• The Coterie: 2024 National Labor Trafficking Conference, October 16-17, 2024. The Coterie provides training and capacity-building support to address prevention, identification, and response to human trafficking. Executives and staff of Catholic Charities agencies will be among the presenters at this virtual conference. Register and join us.

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.