JFI Biweekly Review: Sept. 26 - Oct. 7, 2022


JFI Colleagues,


Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.



Following Court Decision on DACA, U.S. Bishops’ Migration Chairman Renews Plea for Congress to Provide Legislative Solution 

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.



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 October 5 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

  • The Biden Administration Set the Refugee Admissions Cap at 125,000 for FY 2023 
  • USCIS is Automatically Extending the Validity of Green Cards for 24 Months for Lawful Permanent Residents Who Apply to Renew Their Card 
  • The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Blocked California’s Ban on For-Profit Prisons and Immigration Detention Facilities 
  • California Governor Signed a Bill That Now Allows California Residents to Obtain State IDs, Regardless of Their Immigration Status 


View the September 28 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

  • DHS Announced an Extension and Redesignation of TPS for Burma (or Myanmar) for 18 Months 
  • DHS Published a Final Rule That Will Restore Prior Asylum Regulations That Were in Place Before the Timeline Repeal and EAD Bar Rules Were Issued in June 2020 
  • The United States Will Resume Visa Processing in Havana, Cuba in Early 2023 
  • DOJ Issued a Final Rule to Allow EOIR Registered Attorneys and Representatives to Make Limited Appearances to Assist Pro Se Respondents with Their Removal Proceedings 


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 octubre, que incluye: 

  • La administración de Biden fijó el límite de admisión de refugiados a 125,000 para el año fiscal 2023 
  • USCIS Extiende Automáticamente la Validez de las Tarjetas Verdes por 24 Meses para los Residentes Permanentes Legales que Solicitan Renovar su Tarjeta 
  • La Corte de Apelaciones del Noveno Circuito Bloqueó la Prohibición de California de las Prisiones con Fines de Lucro y los Centros de Detención de Inmigrantes 
  • El gobernador de California firmó un proyecto de ley que ahora permite a los residentes de California obtener identificaciones estatales, independientemente de su estado migratorio 

 

Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS de 28 de septiembre, que incluye: 

  • DHS anunció una extensión y redesignación de TPS para Birmania (o Myanmar) por 18 meses 
  • El DHS publicó una regla final que restaura las regulaciones de asilo anteriores que estaban vigentes antes de la derogación del plazo y las reglas de exclusión de EAD se emitieron en junio de 2020 
  • Estados Unidos reanudará el procesamiento de visas en La Habana, Cuba, a principios de 2023 
  • El DOJ emitió una regla final para permitir que los abogados y representantes registrados de la EOIR hagan comparecencias limitadas para ayudar a los demandados pro se con sus procedimientos de deportación 



Migration-Related Stories, Op-Eds and Interviews by Catholic Bishops and Agency Executives 


Vatican News: Communities hosting refugees need help and ‘a more positive narrative  



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


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / Office Refugee Resettlement:  

Guide: Benefits for Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees 

 

This fact sheet, created by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, provides insight to the benefits that Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees are eligible for.   

 

International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP): More than Words: Making Good on the Promise of the Central American Minors Refugee and Parole Program 


A year and a half after restarting processing in the Central American Minors Refugee and Parole Program, many eligible families are unable to apply to the CAM Program and thousands are left waiting indefinitely to reunite with their families in the United States. This report documents the inadequate status quo of the CAM Program and offers specific recommendations for the Biden administration to improve its speed and scale.



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


  • CLINIC Webinar: Outreach Strategies and Social Media to Connect with and Serve Immigrants, October 19, 2022 at 2 PM ET. This webinar will review key outreach strategies for engaging immigrant populations, including how to successfully use social media to reach this community. Preregistration is required. 

 

  • Diocese of Arlington (VA) Eucharistic Symposium: “Do this in remembrance of me,” October 22, 2022 at 9 AM. Bishop Michael Burbidge cordially invites you to attend a Eucharistic Symposium led by the Most Reverend Charles Chaput, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia, highlighting the Year of the Eucharist of the Diocesan Golden Jubilee. Registration is free; space is limited. 

 

  • Ignation Solidarity Network’s 25th Annual Teach-In for Justice, October 22-24, 2022 in Washington, DC. Very soon the Ignatian family will gather again in DC to be transformed, connect with others who are passionate about faith and justice, and be inspired to take action to build a more just world. Please register now for our 25th annual Teach-In for Justice

 

  • Catholic Charities USA Webinar: Parish Referrals: A Parish Engagement Strategy, October 24, 2022 at 3 PM ET. Discover strategies for parish engagement through the gifts of time, talent or treasure as developed by Catholic Charities Fort Worth. Special emphasis will be placed on their parish referral program, which equips designated parish representatives to make streamlined referrals to Catholic Charities programs, maximizing impact and increasing trust and transparency with parish partners. Webinar participants will learn to develop customized engagement plans for individual parishes and adapt Fort Worth’s referral program for their local needs. Register for the webinar. 


In solidarity,

Tony Cube

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