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JFI Bi-Weekly Review - March 28th - April 8th, 2022

JFI Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

U.S. Bishops’ Migration Chairman Addresses Termination of Title 42

On April 1, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order terminating the use of Title 42 of the U.S. Code to prohibit certain noncitizens from entering the United States, effective May 23, 2022. Originally begun in a purported effort to reduce COVID-19 transmission, this policy has led to the expulsion of more than one million migrants by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since 2020, including many asylum-seeking children and families. In implementing this policy, DHS has overridden normal immigration proceedings and skirted due process protections, forcibly returning vulnerable individuals to places where their lives are in danger. Bishop Mario Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, issued a statement on the action.

Read Catholic News Service’s article on the termination of Title 42 and the USCCB response.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: USCCB/MRS Seeking New Policy Advisor

MRS Policy has begun its search for a new policy advisor to join its tight-knit team. In particular, this person would be assuming primary responsibility for the Anti-Trafficking/Special Programs portfolio of the office, working in close coordination with related programs. Candidates’ exposure to/familiarity with programmatic or direct-service work is a plus, especially work with asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking. All those meeting the minimum qualifications with a commitment to furthering the Church’s work on anti-trafficking and related initiatives are encouraged to apply! The posting is available on the USCCB’s employment portal.

Request for World Refugee Day (WRD) 2022

World Refugee day is June 20, 2022 and is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. WRD celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives. Please send Tony Cube or Todd Scribner an email with events you have planned for World Refugee Day 2020.

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.

View the April 5 CMS Migration Update, which includes:

CDC Terminates Title 42 Public Health Order that Allowed Expulsion of Migrants, Including Asylum Seekers, at the Border for Over Two Years
USCIS Announces Initiatives to Reduce Backlogs, Expand Premium Processing, and Provide Relief to Work Authorization Holders
DHS Rescinds 2019 Policy that Made Expedited Removal Applicable to All Undocumented Immigrants Who Had Been in the United States for up to Two Years, without Geographical Limitations
DHS and DOJ Will Issue a Rule to Process Asylum Claims of Individuals Subject to Expedited Removal More Efficiently
The Biden Administration Announced Plans to Accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees in the United States
DHS Designated Afghanistan for TPS to Protect Afghans Already Living in the United States from Returning to Unsafe Conditions

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.

Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS de 5 de abri l, que incluye:

Los CDC ponen fin a la orden de salud pública del Título 42, lo que permitió la expulsión de migrantes, incluidos los solicitantes de asilo, en la frontera durante más de dos años
USCIS anuncia iniciativas para reducir los retrasos, ampliar el procesamiento de primas, y proporcionar alivio a los titulares de autorización de trabajo
El DHS rescinde la política de 2019 que hacía aplicable la expulsión acelerada a inmigrantes indocumentados que llevaban hasta dos años en Estados Unidos, sin limitaciones geográficas
El DHS y el DOJ emitirán una norma para procesar de forma más eficiente las solicitudes de asilo de las personas sujetas a expulsión acelerada
La administración Biden anunció planes para aceptar hasta 100.000 refugiados ucranianos en Estados Unidos
El DHS designa a Afganistán para el TPS con el fin de proteger a los afganos que ya viven en Estados Unidos para que no regresen a condiciones inseguras

Migration-Related Op-Eds, Interviews, and Columns by Catholic Bishops

Bishop Mario Dorsonville, Archdiocese of Washington, DC: The future of U.S. Catholicism is ‘brown’ (interview)

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio (retired), Diocese of Brooklyn: Reforming immigration for the national interest

Notable New Publications, Reports, Films, Articles, Etc.

Migrants & Refugees Section of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development: Good Practices about Intercultural Migrant Ministry

Migrants & Refugees Section of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development (April 2022). This resource offers seven practices for ministering to migrants and their host communities. The guidance is based on experience gained through migrant-serving projects, as well as educational programs for host communities around the world. The practices include:

Acknowledging and overcoming fear;
Promoting encounter;
Listening and being compassionate;
Living our Catholicity;
Understanding migrants as a blessing;
Fulfilling the evangelizing mission; and
Cooperating towards communion.

Center for Migration Studies of New York:

Call for Papers: Commentaries on Protracted Displaced Situations, Creative Solutions, and Refugee-Led Initiatives

The Journal on Migration and Human Security (JMHS) requests papers for a special collection on solutions to situations of protracted international and internal displacement. The papers should provide extensive background on one or more situations of protracted displacement and describe the degree to which the affected populations have been able to avail themselves of traditional durable solutions; i.e., safe and voluntary return to their home communities, local integration, and third-country resettlement. The papers should also outline promising complementary approaches to the need for secure, permanent homes, such as expanded mobility and legal migration options, privately sponsored resettlement, self-reliance initiatives, and faith-based programs. Learn more about submitting a paper at the CMS website.

New Publication: Education as an Opportunity for Integration: Assessing Colombia, Peru, and Chile's Educational Responses to the Venezuelan Migration Crisis

This paper examines the distinct educational policy responses to Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, Peru, and Chile. It begins by contextualizing the current crisis through a sociopolitical and economic analysis of the origins of the Venezuelan migration phenomenon. Venezuelans are not officially and legally recognized as refugees by the UNHCR. Refugee status is considered on a case-by-case basis at the country level. The regional coordinating bodies tasked with promoting safe, orderly, and legal migration of Venezuelans to host countries have given uneven attention to education.

Catholic Charities USA Video: From Disaster to Disaster Relief: An Afghan's Journey

This video shares the journey of Khaibar Shafaq, a recent Afghan arrival to Owensboro, Kentucky, who was resettled by the USCCB/Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Owensboro and stepped up to help those in need during the tragic regional weather events in 2021.

Webinar: Resettling “Special Populations”: Striking the Right Balance between Urgency and Equity

We look forward to you joining us for this webinar on April 26, 2022 at 2 PM Eastern. Please share the webinar flyer (below) and link with your networks.

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources

NETWORK Virtual Event: White Supremacy and American Christianity, April 9, 2022 at 12:30 PM ET. Join this conversation on social and racial justice which will include Fr. Bryan Massingale, S.T.D., author of Racial Justice and the Catholic Church. Pre-registration is required.

Community Conversations: Immigration in the Miami Valley (OH), April 13, 2022 at Noon. Learn about immigration-related issues and more in the Dayton, OH-region with a panel of experts, including Laura Roesch, CEO of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley, in this live and virtual community town hall. Panelists will answer questions from attendees. See the event announcement for more information.

JustFaith Scripture Study: God in the Margins, April 19, 2022 at 3:30 PM ET. Join scripture scholar (and former JFI diocesan colleague!) Tricia Hoyt, for this monthly opportunity to dig into the texts that are pivotal to understanding the scriptural call of love and justice. The study will include a significant amount of time for dialogue and conversation. See the website for more information and to register.

Volunteers needed for the Archdiocese of Seattle Seafarers’ Center. We are seeking volunteers who can provide hospitality and transportation services for international cruise ship crew members visiting our ports this summer. Using our 15-passenger vans, you will transport seafarers to various shopping and tourist destinations while providing a ministry of presence. To volunteer, please email Joe Cotton.

Six-Month Paid Internship with English for Heritage Language Speakers. Applications for a six-month paid internship are now open with English for Heritage Language Speakers (EHLS), which trains advanced English speakers to be effective communicators and strong candidates for federal jobs. Open to native speakers of Pashto, Persian Dari, Ukranian, Arabic, and Somali, to name a few. See the EHLS website for more details.

Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ) Vacancy Announcement: Development Coordinator. ACIJ is a network of individuals and organizations led by immigrants for immigrants. We are seeking a Development Coordinator to implement a wide array of fund development activities including grassroots fundraising, membership, and grant proposals and management. Call (205) 945-0777 for more information.

Refugee Council USA’s Virtual Advocacy Days, May 9-13, 2022. This event is an opportunity for community members, advocates, faith leaders, resettlement staff, and others to show their support for pro-refugee legislation with their members of Congress. Register today!

Holy Week Blessings,

Tony Cube

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