Week in Review - September 2-6, 2019

Justice for Immigrants Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

New Resource on Flores Rule

As you may know, on August 23rd, the Administration issued its final rule relating to the care and custody of immigrant children under the Flores Settlement Agreement. The rule attempts to drastically undermine existing Flores protections for immigrant children in federal custody. In response, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, TX and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, released a statement condemning the rule and noted: "This rule will jeopardize the well-being and humane treatment of immigrant children in federal custody and will result in children suffering long-lasting consequences of being held for prolonged periods in family detention. We oppose this rule that we believe is unlawful and inhumane."

USCCB/JFI has also issued a new backgrounder on the rule change. We also encourage you to review our backgrounder on the underlying Flores Settlement Agreement here.

Resources on DHS Public Charge Rule

On August 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security published a final rule that will have negative consequences for families accessing critical public benefits for which they otherwise qualify. The Administration is looking to have the rule take effect on October 15th, pending several court challenges that could delay or even halt implementation. As you may have seen, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, TX and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, and Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of Venice, FL and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, expressed their strong opposition to the new rule
declaring: "This rule will undermine family unity and lead many lawful immigrants to forgo vital assistance, including enrollment in nutrition, housing, and medical programs."

USCCB/JFI has joined the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, INC. (CLINIC) and Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) to create a new informational resource you can use to discuss the potential impacts of the rule change. This new document is available
here. For more detailed information about the rule, we also encourage you to review the USCCB-CCUSA backgrounder. We hope you will find these resources helpful. Please feel free to share this information and the new document with your networks and parishes.

Refugee Update

As the deadline of September 30, 2019, nears for the President to set the FY2020 Presidential Determination (PD) on refugees, USCCB/MRS joined nearly two hundred organizations to sign onto a letter urging the Administration to return the annual refugee admissions level to historical norms of the nearly 40-year program (FY2020 PD Letter). Prior to the current Administration, the average annual PD was 95,000.

In a related development, twenty-seven U.S. military leaders sent a letter to the President also calling for a return to historical norms and describing the strategic importance of refugee resettlement.

The Vatican's World Day for Migrants and Refugees - September 29, 2019

The Vatican's World Day for Migrants and Refugees provides an opportunity to reflect on migration in the world, and the Church's response to this issue. The theme for this year's celebration is "It is not just about migrants," which draws attention to the fact that migration is a multifaceted and complex problem. In anticipation of this celebration, Pope Francis released a message on migration that will assist in our reflections.

Appropriations Update

Congress returns from their August recess on Monday, September 9, 2019. While the House already passed 10 of 12 House appropriation bills back in June, the Senate has not yet introduced any of the twelve bills. Reportedly, the Senate may begin by putting together an omnibus bill that would combine the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) and Energy bills. The Hill newspaper reports that the hearing to introduce the Senate LHHS bill will be on Tuesday, September 10, 2019.

Webinar Reminder: What You Need to Know about Unaccompanied Children

Report Release: Faith Leaders' 2019 Delegation Visit to Honduras

Last March, several representatives of JFI core member organizations took part in a delegation of faith leaders to Central America and later shared their trip insights and reported on the migration situation in the region in a JFI webinar.The delegation has released its final report, which contains a user's guide to navigating the report and highlighting how different sections of the report can best be used. Thank you to the all the members of the delegation and the JFI core members' representatives for their work and solidarity with the people of Central America in seeking justice and peace.

Request for Assistance in Jackson, MS to Serve Families Caught in Immigration Enforcement Action

On August 7th, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided several chicken processing plants in the Diocese of Jackson, MS. Hundreds of people were arrested and put into detention. In response to the ICE enforcement action, Catholic Charities of Jackson is requesting assistance from the national Catholic network in the form of deployments to provide case management and/or counseling to families affected. The hope is that each of four parishes assisting the families will be assigned one trauma-informed Spanish speaking mental health clinician and one case manager.

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is assisting Catholic Charities of Jackson by providing travel/lodging reimbursements to agencies which are able to send bilingual, Spanish speaking staff or well-known, credible Spanish speaking volunteers to Mississippi to help serve the families in need. Deployed staff or volunteers must be able to serve for at least seven days.

Please prayerfully consider whether you are able to send a few of your employees or regular volunteers to respond to this critical need. Staff at CCUSA will coordinate and assign personnel to the parish locations within the diocese. Please respond with your intention to Brigid McKeon. All travel and lodging (but no salary) costs will be reimbursed after the fact.

For those unable to send staff but have a desire to help the agency, please also consider donating to Catholic Charities of Jackson through a monetary donation or providing an item off of their Needed Items List or Amazon Wish List.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Webinar: Immigration Enforcement and Protecting Families: The Role of Child Welfare Agencies - September 10, 2019 at 1:30 PM Eastern
This webinar from the Child Welfare League of America will review current border detention and protection policies for child immigrants crossing the border, and interior immigration enforcement policies that impact child and family separation. The webinar will describe the distinction between federal and state child welfare agency roles in protecting immigrant children and provide recommendations for community-based agencies to support families in preparing for immigration enforcement. Webinar preregistration is required.

Monthly Immigrant and Refugee Network Gathering - September 12, 2019 at 1 PM at St. James Cathedral in Seattle, WA
All those working on immigrant and refugee matters in their parishes, schools, and agencies are invited to attend. Attendees have an opportunity to report on their respective immigrant and refugee support activities and network with other workers in the vineyard. Network meetings typically include an update on current events from St. James Immigrant Assistance and/or the Washington State Catholic Conference. Email Joe Cotton for more information.

Recital and Reception: Novel Voices Refugee Aid Project Presenting Carr-Petrova Duo - September 12, 2019 at 6 PM at United Methodist Church Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington, DC These musicians have developed this project "to give voice and visibility, through music and film, to the lives and struggles of both local and international refugee communities, and to encourage audiences and artists alike to become connected and involved." Click here for more information.
Centreville Immigration Forum Annual Dinner - September 20, 2019 at 6:30 PM in Centerville, VA
You are invited to Centreville Immigration Forum's Annual Dinner, "Celebrating Our Global Community," on Friday, Sept. 20th at the
International Country Club, 13200 Lee Jackson Hwy, Fairfax, VA 22033. Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 PM, followed by a seated dinner and program. Tickets are now on sale.

Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants (SBI) Conference: Creating Communities of Welcome - September 21, 2019 at 9 AM in Chicago, IL
Join SSBI at our annual conference at the Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S. Cornell, Chicago. Conference panelists will include U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) and Carmen Nanko-Fernandez of the Catholic Theological Union. Visit the conference website to register and learn more.

Bilingual Mass in Prayer for Migrants and Refugee - September 29, 2019 at 1 PM in Washington, DC
Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew (1725 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036) on Sunday, Sept. 29th at 1 PM will be celebrated by Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, in prayer for migrants and refugees. Join us for this bilingual Mass on the World Day for Migrants and Refugees 2019.

16th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference - 9 AM-5PM on October 7, 2019 in Washington, DC
This year's Immigration Law and Policy Conference offers an excellent opportunity to go beyond the headlines with thoughtful analysis from leading experts. The conference, organized by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Georgetown University Law Center, and the Migration Policy Institute, will offer timely policy and legal analysis, along with audience Q&A. Register before the October 2nd deadline because seats are limited.

In Solidarity,

Tony Cube