JFI Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

Catholic Faithful Invited to Encounter Those Living on the Existential Peripheries During National Migration Week and World Day of Migrants and Refugees 

The Catholic Church in the United States marks National Migration Week (September 19-25) as an opportunity for the faithful to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking, among others. The week-long observation customarily concludes with the Vatican’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) on the last Sunday of September. 

Ahead of National Migration Week, Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, issued a statement. You can also read and reflect on Pope Francis’ message for the 108th WDMR. 

See our special NMW newsletter for more information about the annual celebration. 

You can still participate in National Migration Week 2022 by sending on our NMW action alert and asking Congress to pass legislation protecting Dreamers. 

World Day of Migrants and Refugees/National Migration Week 2022 

We at USCCB/MRS would like to thank everyone who was involved in this year’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees/National Migration Week 2022. This celebration provides an opportunity to reflect and pray on the issue of migration and come to terms with what concrete steps each of us can take to help those who are on the margins. If you are holding an event and have not yet let us know about it, please email Tony Cube at [email protected] about it. Also forward any resources that you created for the week. We would love to help uplift your work.

Reminder: Complete and Share JFI’s Action Alert in Support of the Afghan Adjustment Act 

With the bipartisan introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act (H.R. 8685/S. 4787) in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, JFI has launched an action alert in support of the bill. If you have not done so already, please demonstrate your concern for our new Afghan neighbors and at-risk Afghans abroad by completing and sharing this action alert. The action alert also includes various resources related to the Afghan Adjustment Act, such as a section-by-section breakdown of the bill. 

If you are not already signed up to receive action alerts from JFI as soon as they become available, you can sign up on the Justice for Immigrants website.  

Also related to the Afghan Adjustment Act, the international research firm More in Common recently conducted a survey to determine public support for the bill. The polling of 1,500 adult U.S. citizens found that a majority of Americans across the political spectrum support the Afghan Adjustment Act and feel the United States should resettle vulnerable Afghans. A full breakdown of the survey results is available here. 

Biden Administration Sends Annual Report to Congress on Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023 

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of State sent its annual report to Congress on the Refugee Admissions Program, looking ahead to the new federal fiscal year, which begins on October 1. The report is mandated by the Immigration and Nationality Act. The report anticipates a Presidential Determination—the annual ceiling for the number of refugees that can be admitted to the United States—of 125,000. It also discusses Administration’s desire to increase the United States’ refugee resettlement capacity through new community sponsorship models, including a new private sponsorship pilot launching at the end of 2022. The full report can be viewed here. 

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 September 21 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

• DHS Issued a Final Rule Clarifying Public Charge Grounds of Inadmissibility to Reduce Fear and Confusion among Immigrants 
• DC Declared a Public Emergency as the District Continues to Receive Immigrants Bused There from Arizona and Texas 
• DHS Published the Federal Register Notice Providing an Extension of TPS for Venezuelans 

View the September 9 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

• USCIS Extends Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) and Expands Eligibility for Employment Authorization for Liberians 
• Biden Administration Announced It Will Refocus Efforts to Resettle Afghans in the United States Through a New Long-Term Program, Operation Enduring Welcome 
• USCIS Will Resume the Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) Program 

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 21 de septiembre, que incluye: 

• El DHS emitió una regla final que aclara los motivos de inadmisibilidad por carga pública para reducir el miedo y la confusión entre los inmigrantes 
• DC declaró una emergencia pública mientras el distrito continúa recibiendo inmigrantes transportados en autobús desde Arizona y Texas 
• DHS publicó el Aviso del Registro Federal que proporciona una extensión de TPS para venezolanos 

Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS de de 9 de septiembre, que incluye: 

• USCIS extiende la salida forzada diferida (DED) y amplía la elegibilidad para la autorización de empleo para los liberianos 
• La administración de Biden anunció que reenfocará los esfuerzos para reubicar a los afganos en los Estados Unidos a través de un nuevo programa a largo plazo, Operación Perdurable Bienvenida 
• USCIS Reanudará el Programa de Parole de Reunificación Familiar Cubana

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

United Nations International Migration for Migration: Global Estimates of Modern Slavery Forced Labour and Forced Marriage 

According to the latest IOM Global Estimates of Modern Slavery Report, 50 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021. Twenty-eight million were in situations of forced labor and 22 million were trapped in forced marriages. The latest estimates show that the number of people in modern slavery has increased by 10 million in just five years. Modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world, and more than half of all people in modern slavery can be found in upper-middle- and high-income countries. The latest Global Estimates show that millions more men, women, and children have been forced to work or marry in the period since the previous estimates were released in 2017. 

Amnesty International: Race and migration-related torture and other ill-treatment of Haitians seeking safety in the USA 

One year after images emerged from Del Rio, Texas, in which US Border Patrol officials mounted on horseback used excessive force against Black Haitians asylum seekers invoking associations with slavery, this report details the on-going arbitrary detention, mass expulsions and race and migration-related ill-treatment carried out by US authorities towards Haitians seeking international protection.

USCCB/Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) Vacancies

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: USCCB/MRS Assistant Director of Communications - This position oversees and manages communications strategies that effectively describe and promote MRS' mission and services. The incumbent plays an integral role in developing communications plans and initiatives representing MRS to its networks, stakeholders, the media, and the public. Please apply today!

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: USCCB/MRS Migration Policy Advisor - A policy advisor within the USCCB’s Department of Migration and Refugee Services provides the Conference, bishops, and other parties with policy analysis and recommendations on a range of migration-related policy issues. Please apply today!

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources

• JustFaith Ministries (JFM) Information Session, September 28, 2022 at 7:30 PM Eastern. Jack Jezreel, M.Div., founder of JustFaith, and Leila Oakley, M.T.S. will introduce the justice education programs of JFM. For many years, JustFaith Ministries programs addressing topics ranging from racial justice to environmental care to poverty and nonviolence have impacted the lives of participants and their congregations, leading to deeper commitment and a more vibrant faith. Join us to learn what programs JustFaith is offering this year and how to get started. 

• Patriotic Rosary at the Marian Shrine, Stony Point, NY, October 1, 2022 at 11 AM. The Marian Shrine will host a Patriotic Rosary for America on Sat., Oct 1, at 11:00 AM. The day will include a Rosary, Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration. Confessions are also available. Contact Fr. Steve Shafran, SDB for more information. 

• Jesuit Social Research Institute Book Talk: Corrections in Ink: A Memoir, October 3, 2022 at 6 PM. Hear author Keri Blakinger tell the story of her journey—from the ice rink to addiction and a prison sentence, to the newsroom—and how she emerged with a fierce determination to expose the broken system she experienced. The event is at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Please see the website for more information. 

• Catholic Charities USA Webinar: Financial Empowerment Resources, October 4, 2022 at 3 PM Eastern. Join Consumer Financial Protection Bureau staff to learn about the variety of multilingual resources available to promote financial conversations with the people we serve. These resources are designed to help social services providers with Financial Empowerment tools for Spanish speakers and other Limited English Proficiency communities to achieve goals and work through challenges. The webinar is free but registration is required. 

In solidarity,

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.