JFI Colleagues,

Please see below for the latest updates from JFI.

USCCB Chairmen Call for “Radical Solidarity” and Congressional Action Supporting Women and Families 

Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, joined with three of his fellow chairmen in a letter to Congress on October 26 emphasizing the Church’s vision for an authentically life-affirming society that prioritizes the well-being of families. The letter calls for “‘radical solidarity’ with mothers, babies (born and preborn) and families throughout each person’s entire lifespan” and included specific policy recommendations to uphold and advance this vision in legislation. Among the letter’s stated principals was inclusion of immigrant and mixed-status families in social programs and a specific mention of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act as an example of a bill that would respect the lives and dignity of noncitizens.

ICYMI: USCCB/MRS Statement Regarding New Process for Venezuelans 

Following reports that the first Venezuelans arrived under the parole program announced in October by the Department of Homeland Security, USCCB/MRS expressed some concerns about the program.



National Catholic Briefing on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act

As the U.S. grapples with labor shortages, supply chain challenges, and high inflation, join the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Department of Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) for a briefing on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603), cosponsored by United Farm Workers (UFW) and the UFW Foundation.

Learn more about the critical need for bipartisan legislation that grants legal status to farm workers and reforms the agricultural guest worker program, as well as the status of H.R. 1603 and how you can help get it across the finish line.

English-Spanish interpretation will be provided.

Speakers:

-Bishop Mario Dorsonville, Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration

-Teresa Romero, President, UFW

-James O'Neill, Director of Outreach, ABIC

-David Spicer, Senior Policy Advisor, USCCB/MRS

-Agricultural voices, including a worker and employer

By registering for this event, participants agree to have their email address added to USCCB/MRS' mailing list. Registrants can unsubscribe from this list at any time. Here is the webinar flyer for more information.

Reminder: Complete and Share JFI’s Current Action Alerts 

Following the midterm elections next week, we will enter a “lame duck” session before a new Congress comes into session in 2023. The time left to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, permanent protection for Dreamers, and anti-trafficking legislation, among other measures, before the end of this Congress is quickly running out. Any legislation not passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the President by January 3, 2023, the last day of the 117th Congress, will need to be reintroduced and the whole process begun anew for each outstanding bill. If you have not done so already, please demonstrate your concern for these issues and the populations impacted by completing and sharing these action alerts:

• Urge Congress to Pass the Afghan Adjustment Act
• Show Your Support for Dreamers
• Urge Your U.S. Senators to Pass Bipartisan Anti-Trafficking Legislation

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 November 3 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

• USCIS Announced That the Department of Education’s Decision to No Longer Recognize ACICS Accreditations May Affect the Status of Certain Foreign Students Who Are or Will Enroll in Certain English Language Study and STEM OPT Extension Programs
• Mexico’s Foreign Ministry Formally Ended the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) “Remain in Mexico” Program There 
• DHS Announced the Arrival of the First Venezuelan Nationals under Its New Humanitarian Parole Process

View the October 26 CMS Migration Update, which includes: 

• DHS Designates Ethiopia for Temporary Protected Status for 18 Months 
• USCIS Issued Policy and Form Updates to Remove Barriers to Naturalization for Applicants with Disabilities 
• New York City Opens Emergency Humanitarian Relief Center on Randall’s Island to Shelter the Influx of Migrants That Were Bused There from Southern Border States

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 3 de noviembre, que incluye: 

• USCIS anunció que la decisión del Departamento de Educación de no reconocer más las acreditaciones de ACICS puede afectar el estado de ciertos estudiantes extranjeros que se inscriben o se inscribirán en ciertos programas de estudio del idioma inglés y de extensión STEM OPT
• Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de México puso fin formalmente al Programa “Quédate en México” de los Protocolos de Protección al Migrante (MPP)
• DHS anunció la llegada de los primeros ciudadanos venezolanos bajo su nuevo proceso de libertad condicional humanitaria

Ver la Actualización de Migración del CMS de 26 de octubre, que incluye: 

• DHS Designa a Etiopía para el Estatus de Protección Temporal por 18 Meses
• USCIS emitió políticas y actualizaciones de formularios para eliminar las barreras a la naturalización para los solicitantes con discapacidades
• La Ciudad de Nueva York abre un Centro de Ayuda Humanitaria de Emergencia en Randall's Island para albergar la afluencia de migrantes que fueron transportados allí en autobús desde los estados fronterizos del sur

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

Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville of Washington, DC: Migration and the Judgement of the Nations

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

Congressional Research Service: The Biden Administration’s Immigration Enforcement Priorities: Background and Legal Considerations 

This legal sidebar provides an overview of the Biden administration's immigration enforcement priorities, as reflected in DHS's new immigration enforcement guidelines, and the legal considerations that they raise.   

National Immigration Forum (NIF): Explainer: Venezuela Parole Program and Title 42 Expansion 

This NIF documents describes the elements, policies, likely impact, and some concerns related to the recent Venezuela Parole Program and Title 42 expansion to Venezuelans. 

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): Southwest Border: Challenges and Efforts Implementing New Processes for Noncitizen Families 

This GAO report highlights that Border Patrol encountered 1.7 million noncitizens between ports of entry in FY 2021, a 300% increase over FY 2020. To help deal with this increase, Border Patrol created two processes to release families (parents and children under 18) into the U.S. without initiating immigration removal proceedings. This reduced their time in Border Patrol custody. Border Patrol told the families to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to start their immigration court proceedings. The report notes that as of March 1, 2022, about 75% of these family members had reported to ICE as required. The report also notes that ICE conducted several operations to try to identify and locate those who did not report.

SAVE THE DATE:

JFI Webinar: The U.S. Catholic Church's Efforts on Afghan and Ukrainian Resettlement

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 2:00 PM Eastern. Please register in advance.

Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources

• JustFaith Ministries Virtual Event: Grief, Gratitude, and Everything In Between, November 10, 2022 at 7 PM Eastern. We live in topsy turvy times. You may be witnessing and feeling ripples move through you and your community from the midterm elections, political turmoil, COVID, inflation, the global rise in authoritarianism, climate change, war, division, separation, uncertainty. You may also be aware of the places of light, joy, courage, cooperation, and integrity that are alive in your community and in you. Join us to explore how your interior landscape reflects external realities and how you can continue to orient toward healing and wholeness. Register today!

• TPS Clinic – Columbus, OH, November 12, 2022 at 11 AM-3 PM. This FREE TPS legal clinic in Columbus, OH will be hosted by the Cameroon Advocacy Network, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and Ohio Immigrant Alliance. Sign up and bring all of your paperwork. Lawyers will be on hand to see if you qualify for TPS and to help you apply. Northside Branch of the Columbus Public Library, Meetings Rooms 1 and 2 (1423 N. High St, Columbus). Reserve a space to attend now. 

• Pax Christi USA Webinar: Exploring White Nationalism, November 19, 2022 at 11 AM Eastern. White nationalism is a dangerous ideology that has seen an exponential rise in prevalence across the U.S. since 2017. The threat of white nationalism gained new attention after the insurrection on January 6, 2021, where many members of the mob attacking the U.S. Capitol displayed white nationalist symbols and slogans. Join us for this webinar led by Rev. Joseph A. Brown, S.J., Ph.D., priest, educator, scholar, artist and “drum major for justice.” Preregistration is required.

• Prison Ministry Volunteers Needed - Archdiocese of Miami (ADM). The Office of Detention Ministry of the ADM is looking for priests and lay volunteers for one of the 30 correctional facilities in Miami-Dade. For more information, please email Deacon Edgardo Farias. 

• CLINIC On-Line Training: Completing the Application for Naturalization Form N-400 (self study). This 90-minute training covers an overview of the Form N-400 and the requirements for naturalization; steps to complete each part of the form and prepare the naturalization application for mailing; and steps in the naturalization process, including preparing for the naturalization interview. The course is interactive and incorporates text, images, audio and video along with opportunities for the participant to check his or her progress in the course through quizzes and a final test. Grants are available to reduce the cost. Get started now and complete the course on your timeline.  

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.