JFI Bi-Weekly Review - Oct. 23rd - Nov. 5th, 2021 |
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JFI Colleagues,
Please see below for the latest updates from the JFI Campaign.
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On November 2, 2021, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, issued a statement on the Department of Homeland Security’s new memorandum terminating the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as “Remain in Mexico.” In addition to welcoming this news, Bishop Dorsonville added, “At the same time, we remain deeply concerned about the continued use of Title 42 to summarily expel asylum seekers and other vulnerable persons, especially families. We call on the Administration to resume processing those seeking protection at the U.S.-Mexico border in accordance with our laws and principles.”
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On November 3, 2021, Bishop Dorsonville joined his brother bishops in a letter to all members of Congress, renewing previous requests for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Build Back Better Act to promote the common good and the dignity of every person. In that letter, the bishops specifically called for Congress to “advance legislation that would promote the full integration of undocumented persons already living as Americans in principle by affording them legalization with a pathway to citizenship.” The bishops also “affirm[ed] the value of enacting temporary protections, with the expectation that Congress will work expeditiously to enact permanent relief in subsequent legislation.”
United States to Ease COVID-19 Travel Restrictions in November
On October 12, 2021, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that foreign nationals traveling from Canada and Mexico who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have the appropriate documentation will be allowed to enter the United States at land borders and ferry crossings for non-essential purposes beginning in November. This follows a September 20 announcement by the Biden Administration that it will also relax restrictions on air travel in November for non-essential foreign nationals who are vaccinated. At the same time, the Administration has not announced any plans to end or alter its ongoing use of Title 42 to expel asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
A recent episode of The First Freedom Podcast, hosted by the USCCB’s Office of Religious Freedom, highlighted a joint project between USCCB/MRS and Princeton University that focuses on the role of religion in refugee resettlement and integration. The episode incorporates the voices of refugees gathered through the Oral History Project to allow them to speak in their own words. During the podcast, Katherine Clifton of Princeton University and Todd Scribner of USCCB/MRS also discussed the “Voices of Afghanistan” project.
Do you know our nation often sends young people seeking asylum to jail on their 18th birthdays? Each year thousands of unaccompanied minors flee to the U.S. for refuge. They are transferred to government-funded child care centers for immigrant youth. As they age out and if they have no family with whom to live, they are handcuffed by ICE and sent to adult detention centers, often county jails or for-profit immigrant prisons. Instead of being sent to prisons, the young women and men at Viator House and Bethany House can attend school, work, seek counseling, follow their religious traditions and meet regularly with their attorneys. This webinar will provide an opportunity for you to learn more about these models - and how to gather allies in your area interested in opening your own house of hospitality.
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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.
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.
¿Tiene actualizaciones o recursos en español que desea compartir?
Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources
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Diocese of Arlington (VA) Prayer Service: Celebrating the Diversity of the Communion of Saints and Black Catholics on the Pathway to Sainthood, November 5, 2021, at 6 PM. Bishop Michael Burbidge invites you to this service at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More. Members of parishes from across the Diocese of Arlington will share information of the lives of the saints and saints-to-be. Following the prayer service, all are invited to Burke Hall for a reception and additional information on the holy men and women on the pathway to sainthood. Learn more now.
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Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) 2021 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, November 6-8, 2021. Watch and participate in all of the ISN events virtually. List of speakers, sessions and associated events is on the website.
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Catholic Charities USA Webinar: The Theology of the Good Samaritan: Putting Fratelli Tutti into Action, November 11, 2021, at 3 PM ET. This webinar will explore Pope Francis’ new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, and its invitation to renew our commitment to caring for our neighbors and global society through actions of justice, solidarity, and dignity. It will incorporate participants’ personal experiences to embrace key topics at the center of the encyclical and the Catholic social teaching tradition. Particular focus will be given to the encyclical’s meditation on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. RSVP to join the webinar.
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Catholic Charities USA Webinar: The Theology of the Good Samaritan: Putting Fratelli Tutti into Action, November 11, 2021, at 3 PM ET. This webinar will explore Pope Francis’ new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, and its invitation to renew our commitment to caring for our neighbors and global society through actions of justice, solidarity, and dignity. It will incorporate participants’ personal experiences to embrace key topics at the center of the encyclical and the Catholic social teaching tradition. Particular focus will be given to the encyclical’s meditation on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. RSVP to join the webinar.
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Power Philadelphia: Leader’s Training: Powerful Organizing, November 15, 2021. Join a learning experience connecting us to our own power so we can build greater power in our congregations and teams. Join us to explore what power is, what it means to us to be powerful, and how we can organize to win! Register today.
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JustFaith Ministries’ Acting for Justice Series: A Spirituality for Social Justice Ministry, November 18, 2021 at 7 PM ET. Social justice ministry veteran Tom Ulrich will discuss how followers of Jesus Christ are making a life-long commitment to social justice ministry. You can register on our website.
In solidarity,
Tony Cube
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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.
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