JFI Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

Catholic Leaders Welcome Supreme Court Ruling in Biden v. Texas 

On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Biden v. Texas, finding that the Secretary of Homeland Security’s termination of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) was lawful. Earlier this year, the USCCB, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, which supported the Secretary’s decision to terminate MPP. Responding to the Court’s decision, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of CCUSA, and Anna Gallagher, executive director of CLINIC, stated, “Today’s decision recognizes and preserves the executive branch’s ability to reverse untenable, illegal, and immoral policies, regardless of who is in office. The implementation of MPP has obstructed due process and subjected people to the very dangers that forced them to seek refuge in the United States in the first place. With this ruling, we welcome the end of MPP.” You can read their full statement here. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a brief statement in the wake of the ruling, affirming that it will continue its efforts to terminate the program “as soon as legally permissible.” It is not yet clear if DHS will resume its previous program for processing those who had been enrolled in MPP. 

U.S. Bishops’ Migration Chairman Mourns Migrant Deaths in Texas 

On June 29, after nearly fifty migrants were found dead in an abandoned tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas, Bishop Dorsonville released a statement in which he urged governments and civil society “to promote access to protection, including asylum, develop new pathways for those compelled to migrate, and combat human trafficking in all its forms.” He also joined with Pope Francis in praying for the Lord to “open our hearts so these misfortunes never happen again.” You can read Bishop Dorsonville's full statement on the tragic event here. 

Reflecting on World Refugee Day, USCCB’s Migration Chairman Encourages Proactive Response to Forced Displacement 

Following the twenty-second annual celebration of World Refuge Day, at a time when the United Nations estimates there are more forcibly displaced persons in the world than any other point in history, Bishop Dorsonville released a statement urging “a more robust use of the Refugee Admissions Program.” He also renewed the U.S. bishops’ call “for Congress to pass legislation that would provide a pathway to permanent legal status for our new Afghan neighbors.” You can read the full statement here.  

New Resources Added to Ukraine Resource Page 

Please visit the Ukraine Resource Page on the JFI website for new resources, including information about the recently launched Welcome Connect platform, which helps potential American sponsors connect with Ukrainians seeking to avail themselves of Uniting for Ukraine.  

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 June 28 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

• USCIS and DHS Announced the Expansion of the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program and Opening of the Grant Application Period 
• The Rhode Island State Senate Passed Legislation That Will Allow Undocumented Immigrants to Apply for a State Driver’s License 
• Florida Governor Asked the Florida Supreme Court to Impanel a Statewide Grand Jury on Immigration Issues 
• DHS and DOS Announce Exemptions for Eligible Afghan Allies to Qualify for Protection and Immigration Benefits 

View the June 21 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

• The Supreme Court Ruled that Detained Noncitizens Who Are Awaiting Their Immigration Court Hearing Are Not Entitled to Bond Hearings 
• The Supreme Court Dismissed a 13-State Effort to Revive the 2019 Public Charge Rule 
• Texas District Court Vacated DHS Enforcement Priorities Issued in a September 2021 Memorandum 
• Massachusetts House and Senate Passed a Bill that Will Allow Undocumented Immigrants to Apply for a State-Issued Driver’s License 

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 Actualización de Migración del CMS de 28 de junio, que incluye: 

• USCIS y el DHS anunciaron la ampliación del Programa de Subsidios de Ciudadanía e Integración y la apertura del período de solicitud de subsidios 
• El Senado del Estado de Rhode Island aprobó una legislación que permitirá a los inmigrantes indocumentados solicitar una licencia de conducir estatal 
• El gobernador de Florida pidió a la Corte Suprema de Florida que impusiera un gran jurado estatal sobre cuestiones de inmigración 
• El DHS y el DOS anuncian exenciones para que los aliados afganos que reúnan los requisitos puedan optar a beneficios de protección e inmigración 

Ver la Actualización de Actualización de Migración del CMS de 21 de junio, que incluye: 

• El Tribunal Supremo dictaminó que los no ciudadanos detenidos que están a la espera de su audiencia en el Tribunal de Inmigración no tienen derecho a audiencias de fianza 
• El Tribunal Supremo desestima un intento de 13 estados de revivir la norma de carga pública de 2019 
• El Tribunal de Distrito de Texas anuló las prioridades de aplicación del DHS emitidas en un memorando de septiembre de 2021 
• La Cámara y el Senado de Massachusetts aprobaron un proyecto de ley que permitirá a los inmigrantes indocumentados solicitar una licencia de conducir emitida por el Estado 



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

Statement of Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, regarding the deaths of 53 migrants in San Antonio. 

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

The Ethics of Encounter: Christian Neighbor Love as a Practice of Solidarity 

Author Dr. Marcus Mescher is an Associate Professor, Xavier University, Theology Department. The Ethics of Encounter provides an ethical framework for the “culture of encounter” that Pope Francis calls us to build. This book serves as a creative and constructive proposal for what it would take to build a “culture of encounter” in an American context marked by rising individualism, racial tensions, class segregation, hyperpartisanship, and echo chambers online. The work of Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, provides a case study for overcoming fear, hatred, and trauma in order to practice Christian neighbor love that aspires for solidarity.

UNHCR Video: Seeking safety at the United States-Mexico border 

Narrated by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller and UNHCR high profile supporter Mindy Kaling, this animated series looks at the rights of people forced to flee and the responsibility we all have to protect them.

Women Engaging the Catholic Social Tradition: Solidarity toward the Common Good 

This collection of essays point out that the Catholic Social Tradition has concentrated on the labor of white males and assumes a patriarchal structure. They ask where are women in most papal documents and commentaries on them? Where is the home? Where are women of color, and where are women who toil in non-unionized sectors such as domestic work? Where are the women in the teachings aimed at achieving justice for migrants? The essays use the framework of Catholic Social teaching as a context for broadening the understanding of the Church’s teaching and of scholarship.

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources

• St. Columban Mission for Justice, Peace and Ecology Webinar: Confronting Racism: What People of Faith Can Learn from the Experience of Haitian Asylum-Seekers at the US-MX Border, July 12, 2022 at 3 PM Central. For months, Haitian asylum-seekers have been coming to the US-Mexico border seeking safety. The immigration policies of the U.S. government are denying them this fundamental right and are forcing them to remain in Mexico in life-threatening conditions. The Missionary Society of St. Columban is witnessing these injustices as they accompany the Haitian community in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, TX. Join this webinar and learn more. 

• Catholic Charities USA Webinar: Lessons Learned – A Collection of Reflection on Sustainable Career Pathways Development and Programming, July 13, 2022 at 2 PM Eastern. Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico has spent the last few years facilitating career training opportunities in heavy equipment operations through its center for adult education services. Join a conversation to share significant learning moments and solicit attendees’ experiences with integrated education and training. Register in advance.

• Diocese of Orange (CA) Catholic Charities Citizenship Information Sessions, Every Wednesday 10 AM and 4:30 PM. Call (714) 347-9610 to register.

• Reminder: Less than a month remains before the 2022 Social Action Summer Institute (SASI) at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN. You can still register for SASI 2022. The chairman-elect of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, will be one of the keynote speakers. Hope to see you there later this month, July 20-22!

• Reminder: 2022 Human Trafficking Academy (In Person & Remote Options), July 25-29 in Miami, FL. The Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking (CCOAHT) is cordially invites you to attend the 2022 Human Trafficking Academy – Migration and Human Trafficking: Tracing Root Causes & Seeking Solutions, on July 25-29 in Miami (remote option also available). Please see the flyer below for more information.

• Save the Date: Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice 2022. Inspire leaders for social justice in your school, university, or parish at the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ). Hosted annually by the Ignatian Solidarity Network, the IFTJ brings together upwards 2,000 Catholics seeking to build a just world through social action. Come to Washington, DC on October 22-24, 2022 for three days, or learning, networking, prayer, reflection, and action. Learn more and register today. 

Have a wonderful Independence Day weekend,

Tony Cube

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.