Congress Passes Ukraine Supplemental Funding Bill

On May 19, 2022, the U.S. Senate voted 81-11 to pass H.R. 7691, the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022. The legislation, which was passed by the House on May 10, appropriates over $40 billion in funding to support Ukraine and those impacted by the ongoing conflict there. The measure includes: $350 million for the State Department’s Migration and Refugee Assistance account to provide humanitarian support for refugee outflows from Ukraine (including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program); $900 million for the Department of Health and Human Services to provide refugee support services (such as housing, English language classes, trauma and support services, and case management), for those resettled in the United States; and $4.365 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The bill also authorizes Ukrainians granted humanitarian parole to enter the United States, such as beneficiaries of Uniting for Ukraine, to receive many of the same services and benefits provided to those with formal refugee status. The authorization excludes the Reception and Placement (R&P) Program and the ability to adjust to a permanent legal status. Previously, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, and Sr. Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), sent a letter to congressional leadership asking Congress to address several urgent needs within the context of supplemental funding for Ukraine. While the letter included a request for legislation that would streamline the process for Afghan nationals to pursue permanent legal status in the United States, this was not added to the bill. A section-by-section summary of the bill is available here. 

Thanks! and Reminder: Request for World Refugee Day 2022

Many thanks to our dedicated colleagues at Catholic Charities, Office of Social Concerns of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for organizing a wonderful World Refugee Day (WRD) activity. Here is a description of their event, Chalk Your Walk:

Each year on June 20, the world celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.This year, we invite people of ALL AGES to show your support for refugees in your community by spreading messages of solidarity, support and celebration through sidewalk chalk at your home, parish, school or business, and sharing your photos to social media with the hashtag #ArchIndyWorldRefugeeDay. Some ideas include: "We stand with refugees;" "Refugees welcome here;" “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

Please see the Archdiocese’s Facebook page at @CatholicSocialConcerns for more information and check out their event flyer:

As a reminder, please send Tony Cube or Todd Scribner an email with events you have planned for World Refugee Day 2022. And use #WRD2022 or #WorldRefugeeDay on June 20th.

Webinar Recording:

MPP in the Courts: Examining the Consequences of the Policy’s Litigation

Thank you to the presenters and attendees of this webinar on May 17, 2022. A recording of the webinar is now available on the JFI website..



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 May 17 CMS Migration Update, which includes:

• More than 20 States Press Judge to Continue Migrant Expulsions
• DHS Approved Approximately 6,000 Ukrainians to Enter the United States through the Uniting for Ukraine Program
• United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants in Chile

View the May 10 CMS Migration Update, which includes:

• USCIS Increases the Automatic Extension Period for Certain Employment Authorization Renewal Applicants
• Children 12 Years or Younger in Connecticut Will Qualify for Medicaid Coverage Regardless of Their Immigration Status Starting January 1, 2023
• United States and Mexico Enter Agreement to Allow Limited Expulsions of Cubans and Nicaraguans under Title 42

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 17 de mayo, que incluye:

• Más de 20 estados presionan al juez para que continúe con las expulsiones de migrantes
• El DHS aprobó la entrada de aproximadamente 6.000 ucranianos a Estados Unidos a través del programa “Unidos por Ucrania”
• Estados Unidos anuncia asistencia humanitaria adicional para refugiados y migrantes venezolanos en Chile

Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS de 10 de mayo, que incluye:

• USCIS aumenta el período de extensión automática para ciertos solicitantes de renovación de la autorización de empleo
• Los niños de 12 años o menos en Connecticut tendrán derecho a la cobertura de Medicaid independientemente de su estatus migratorio a partir del 1 de enero de 2023
• Estados Unidos y México llegan a un acuerdo para permitir expulsiones limitadas de cubanos y nicaragüenses en virtud del Título 42



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

Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS): A Path Forward: Building a Future For Refugee Students Through Post-Secondary Education

A Path Forward: Building a Future for Refugee Students Through Post-Secondary Education summarizes the challenges that prevent access to post-secondary opportunities and highlights programs and people that are increasing refugee participation, including students supported by JRS.

Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology: Data-Driven Deportation in the 21st Century

This report by Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating a surveillance infrastructure that enables the agency to access extensive personal information of individuals it is investigating. The report highlights that ICE has amassed personal data from the vast majority of people living in the country by accessing the digital records of state and local governments and buying databases with billions of data points from private companies. The report estimates that the agency has spent approximately $2.8 billion between 2008 and 2021 on new surveillance, data collection, and data-sharing initiatives.

American Immigration Council: Temporary Protected Status: An Overview

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status provided to nationals of certain countries experiencing problems that make it difficult or unsafe for their nationals to be deported to those countries. TPS has been a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of individuals already in the United States when problems in a home country make their departure or deportation untenable. This fact sheet provides an overview of how TPS designations are determined, what benefits TPS confers, and how TPS beneficiaries apply for and regularly renew their status.

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources

• Center for Migration Studies of New York Report Webinar: Climbing the Ladder: Roadblocks Faced by Immigrants in the New York City Construction Industry, May 23, 2022 at 2 PM Eastern. The report is based on CMS research that examined immigrants’ essential role in the construction industry in New York City, their vulnerability to exploitation and dangerous conditions, and the discrimination and disadvantages they face due to their immigration status. The report’s co-authors, Jacquelyn Pavilon and Vicky Virgin, will share key findings and policy recommendations. Registration required.

• Migration Policy Institute Virtual Presentation: Seeking Safety: Regional Protection Options for Central Americans, May 24, 2022 at 11 AM Eastern. Fleeing gang-related violence, human-rights violations, and socioeconomic problems exacerbated by natural disasters in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, thousands of Central American asylum seekers have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border and have been left in limbo while they await the resolution of their cases. While refugee resettlement programs are an option to avoid undertaking dangerous journeys, they have been deployed on a very limited basis in the region to date. Seeking a solution to this growing challenge, U.S. policymakers in Canada have begun to reconsider whether resettlement should play a larger role in addressing regional protection needs, and how resettlement and humanitarian pathways could be scaled up. Register today and join us in a discussion on possible solutions to this situation.

• Global Ministries (The United Church of Christ) Webinar: “Pal’ Norte” – A View of Migration in the Central American Northern Triangle, May 25, 2022 at 4:30 PM Eastern. The goals of this webinar are: to reflect on the causes that cause migration in the area of the Northern Triangle in Central America; to present the alternatives and work of Global Ministries partners (Christian Commission for Development in Honduras, the Salvadorian Lutheran Synod, and the Christian Ecumenical Council of Guatemala), and to respond to questions and concerns of the participants. More information is available on their website. 

• Our Lady of Guadalupe Pilgrimage at the Marian Shrine at Port Chester, NY, May 28, 2022 at Noon. Westchester County residents are invited to join in this procession followed by a bilingual Mass. Call 845-947-2200 ext.302 for more information.

• Catholic Charities USA’s 2022 Virtual O’Grady Leadership Institute, June 6-10, 2022. This program offers a unique opportunity to gain a foundational understanding of the knowledge and skills essential for effective Catholic Charities leadership and integrates leadership and management with theology and spirituality. Content will explore Catholic social and moral teaching, ethical decision-making, public policy and the Church, racism and poverty, and how to understand one’s leadership as a person with a role within a system. Register by May 31, 2022.

• Reminder: Social Action Summer Institute (SASI), July 20-22, 2022 at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN. Registration is still open for SASI’s 2022 gathering. This year's theme is The Spirituality of Justice and will feature speakers and programming that highlights why social ministers do the work that they do.