Justice for Immigrants Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

Bishop Seitz Releases Pastoral Letter on Racism

On October 13, 2019, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso released a pastoral letter, Night Will Be No More, during the Teach-In 2019: Journey for Justice. The letter addresses racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy in borderland communities and across the nation, particularly in the aftermath of the August 3, 2019 shooting in El Paso that left twenty-two dead and many injured. "Hate visited our community and Latino blood was spilled in sacrifice to the false god of white supremacy," Bishop Seitz writes in the letter. The pastoral letter is available in Spanish and English.

Bishops' Pastoral Encounter in El Paso, Juarez and Las Cruces

In anticipation of the 2019 World Day for Migrants and Refugees, a group of bishops, women religious, lay ministers and other Church leaders working with immigrants spent the days prior to the September 29th observance in El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Juarez, Mexico visiting immigrant farmworkers and migrants in the region. Bishop Oscar Cantu, of San Jose, California, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, Bishop Brendan Cahill, of Victoria, Texas, and Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico held a press conference to discuss the need for greater accompaniment of immigrants.

Federal judge rules against emergency declaration to fund border wall

On October 11, 2019, a federal judge ruled the President's national emergency declaration to build a border wall unlawful. In his ruling, Judge David Briones of the Western District of Texas said that President Trump overstepped his authority to divert more funds to border security than what was appropriated by Congress.

Judges in three states strike down "public charge rule"

Also on October 11th, federal judges in California, Washington state and New York ruled against the Administration's proposed "public charge" rule. The new rule was to take effect on October 15th. 

USCCB and Catholic Relief Services support Bi-Partisan Senate Venezuela TPS Bill

Bishop Joe Vásquez, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Chairman of USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Sean Callahan, President/CEO, Catholic Relief Services, sent a letter to Senators urging support for the Venezuela Temporary Protected Status Act of 2019, S. 636, a bi-partisan bill that would provide TPS for qualified Venezuelans in the United States and crucial funding to strengthen refugee protection systems in nations hosting displaced Venezuelans. USCCB/MRS has also endorsed legislation regarding TPS for Venezuela in the House as well.

Learn more about TPS here.

Refugee Update

On October 15, 2019, the Administration held the statutorily required consultation with Congress for the Fiscal Year 2020 Presidential Determination (PD) on refugee admissions. The President has still not officially issued this year's PD, although the proposed number is 18,000. Refugee advocates held a demonstration in front of the U.S. Capitol to oppose the low PD. It was co-sponsored by Church World Service, Amnesty International and JFI core-member organizations Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns and Franciscan Action Network (FAN). Susan Gunn, Maryknoll, spoke at the event, and along with Sister Marie Orlandini of FAN; Anne Richard, former Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the refugee program, and 15 others were arrested in an act of civil disobedience opposing the Trump Administration's drastically reduced commitment to refugee resettlement. The former Assistant Secretary explained her actions in Newsweek. 

We urge all JFI members to engage in refugee advocacy. See the JFI PD and Executive Order (EO) 13888 toolkit and two recent JFI webinars, one on the PD and EO and the other on Catholic Charities of Oregon's collaboration to receive state level funding to serve refugees.