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On October 5, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued its decision in Texas v. United States, affirming a lower court’s ruling that deemed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to be unlawful. This decision did not impact the judicial stay put in place by the district court, which allows continued protection and renewal of DACA for existing beneficiaries. All first-time applications submitted since July 2021 remain unprocessed. The Fifth Circuit has returned the case to the district court to consider the impact of regulations published by the Department of Homeland Security on August 30 to codify the program. Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, responded to the news by “implor[ing] Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to provide a permanent solution for all Dreamers out of respect for their God-given dignity.” Bishop Dorsonville’s full statement is available on the USCCB website.
Support DACA recipients by sending an action alert and asking Congress to pass legislation protecting Dreamers.
Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions Signed Amid Highest Level of Forced Displacement Ever Recorded
Consistent with the report sent to Congress by the Department of State in September, President Biden signed a Presidential Determination (PD) of 125,000 refugee admissions to the United States for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The PD serves as the target for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The number authorized by the President for FY 2023 is the same PD set for FY 2022, which ended on September 30. The number of refugees ultimately resettled in the United States during FY 2022 was 25,465. In response to the announcement of the PD for FY 2023, Bishop Dorsonville released a statement in which he called 125,000 “an ambitious and worthwhile goal for our nation.” On behalf of the U.S. bishops, he also reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to the “centuries-old tradition of welcoming newcomers in this country, especially those fleeing the devastations of war, violence, persecution, political instability, and natural disasters.”
Catholic Leaders Reiterate Support for House-Passed Anti-Trafficking Legislation
After its passage by the House of Representatives on July 26, 2022, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 (H.R. 6552) was sent to the Senate for consideration. However, in the time since, neither the Committee on Foreign Relations nor the full Senate have acted upon the bill. As a follow-up to a similar letter of support sent to the House, Bishop Dorsonville, Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, and Sister Mary Haddad, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, sent a letter to all senators urging them to get the bill passed before the 117th Congress ends on January 3, 2023.
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.
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