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 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]

USCCB Resource: Prayer for Unity, to Overcome Division

In the hyper-charged political atmosphere our nation is currently facing, please take a moment to lean into our Catholic faith and reflect on our unity as Christians. Please consider the following prayer (also in Spanish) to help bring people together.

Christ Jesus, 

who gave yourself for the good of all, 

we come before you as brothers and sisters 

but we are divided and at times, even hostile-- 

tearing one another down. 

We approach the altar unworthily and ask for your forgiveness. 

Move us, instead, towards Encounter, listening, dialogue,

reconciliation, and a commitment to build your kingdom for the good of all.  

Heal us, restore us, unite your divided family, Lord. 

Through the power of the Eucharist, overcome our divisions. 

Give us sincere hearts that make us open, not closed, 

and willing to encounter, ready to listen. 

In your broken body, given for all, may we find unity 

and peace in you. Amen. 

Inspired by the reflections of Pope Benedict XVI in Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity), no. 89

Cristo Jesús,

que te entregaste por el bien de todos

venimos ante ti como hermanos y hermanas

pero estamos divididos y a veces, incluso somos hostiles

destrozándonos unos a otros nos acercamos al altar indignamente para pedirte perdón.

Muévenos, en cambio hacia el encuentro, la escucha, el diálogo, la reconciliación, y hacia un compromiso para construir tu reino por el bien de todos. 

Cúranos, restáuranos, une a tu familia dividida, Señor

a través del poder de la Eucaristía supera nuestras divisiones.

Danos corazones sinceros ayúdanos a abrirnos y a no cerrarnos dispuestos a encontrarnos y listos para escucharnos unos a otros.

Que, en tu cuerpo partido y entregado por el mundo encontremos la paz y la unidad en ti, Señor Jesús. Amén.

Inspirada en las reflexiones del Papa Benedicto XVI en Sacramentum Caritatis (El Sacramento de la Caridad), n. 89

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.

You can read the entire Problem Areas in Immigration Series on the JFI website.



Upcoming Webinar: Statelessness

Join the USCCB's Migration & Refugee Services and Secretariat for Justice & Peace on October 1, 2024 at 2 PM ET to learn more about this issue. This webinar feature an interview with former Nicaraguan presidential candidate and Hewlett Visiting Fellow for Public Policy at the University of Notre Dame, Juan Sebastián Chamorro. Register now!

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Webinar: Migrant-Serving Non-profit Organizations 

Join the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 for a webinar for leaders, staff, and volunteers of migrant-serving non-profit organizations. DHS personnel from our Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will share ways to enhance the safety, security, and resilience of your communities – especially against threats and acts of targeted violence. Register in advance and see the flyer for more information.

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Services

• Know Your Rights Workshop, September 21, 2024 at 10:30 AM in Chicago, IL. Join this conversation on how the U.S. elections may impact Central America and those migrating through and from the region to the US-Mexico border. Presenters will be Aimée Santillán, HOPE’s policy analyst, Oscar Chacon, senior policy advisor at Alianza Américas, and Gordon Whitman, managing director for international organizing at Faith in Action. Register today!

• Faith In Action Webinar: How could the U.S. elections impact Central America?, September 24, 2024 at 3 PM ET. All are welcome to this series of informational workshops to help you understand your rights! Please register in advance for this workshop.

• American Immigration Council Webinar: Unpacking the Supreme Court Immigration Cases in the 2023-2024 Term and Looking at What's Ahead, September 26, 2024 at 3 PM ET. The Supreme Court had a significant impact on immigration law during its last term. What do the rulings mean for immigration law and policy, both now and moving forward? And what do this term’s non-immigration cases tell us about the future of immigration cases before the High Court? Join this webinar where we will discuss the most recent immigration Supreme Court cases and look ahead to the next term.

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.