JFI Biweekly Review: November 7-18, 2022 JFI Colleagues, Please see below for the latest updates from JFI. USCCB/MRS Welcomes New Committee on Migration Chairman, Bishop Mark. J. Seitz, D.D.; Expresses Deep Gratitude to Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville USCCB/MRS is indebted and thankful to Bishop Mario Dorsonville for the leadership that he has provided as chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration over the past three years. With his term ending this week, we are excited to welcome Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso as the new chairman of the Committee on Migration. Given his longstanding commitment to the defense of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border and elsewhere, we look forward to the direction that he will provide to the Committee and the new ideas and insights that he will bring to USCCB/MRS. USCCB's Outgoing Migration Chairman Addresses U.S. Bishops at Plenary Assembly While addressing the body of bishops this week for the final time as chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, Bishop Dorsonville discussed Catholic efforts to assist Afghans with resettling in the United States, responding to forced displacement caused by the war in Ukraine, and the status of comprehensive immigration reform. His full written remarks are available here. USCCB Reiterates Migration-Related Priorities for Remainder of 117th Congress On November 10, 2022, Mario Dorsonville sent a letter to all members of Congress, asking them to pass a series of urgent priorities in the last few weeks of the current Congress. These priorites included: The Afghan Adjustment Act; Permanent relief for Dreamers; The Farm Workforce Modernization Act; Anti-trafficking legislation; A permanent extension of the non-minister special immigrant portion of the Religious Worker Visa Program; and Robust funding for agencies and programs that serve immigrants, refugees, asylees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied migrant children, survivors of torture, and victims of human trafficking. U.S. Bishops’ Migration Chairman Joins Other Catholic Leaders in Requesting the Extension and Redesignation of TPS for Multiple Countries On November 16, 2022, Bishop Dorsonville joined with Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), in a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a number of countries, including Haiti and Venezuela. They also expressed gratitude for the recent designation of Ethiopia for TPS and the extension and redesignation of Burma, as well as “deep appreciation for the Administration’s decision to extend TPS for those countries whose designations were at issue in the Ramos v. Nielson and Bhattari v. Nielson cases.” NEW USCCB/Migration and Refugee Service Initiative: Welcome Circles The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Department of Migration and Refugee Services, together with dioceses across the country, is helping to welcome Ukrainian refugee families in the United States through Welcome Circles. The goal of the program is to facilitate the creation of Welcome Circles for Ukrainian families, providing them with the tools, connections, information, and financial support they need to become self-sufficient and settle into American communities. Find out how you can participate and help! Virtual National Catholic Briefing on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act As the United States grapples with labor shortages, supply chain challenges, and high inflation, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Department of Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) hosted a briefing on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603) on November 10, 2022, cosponsored by United Farm Workers (UFW), the UFW Foundation, and American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) Action. Watch the recording to 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. Additional resources mentioned during the briefing are available below: Slides used during the briefing Justice for Immigrants action alert USCCB talking points Details of H.R. 1603, including the bill text Summary of H.R. 1603 Section-by-section breakdown of H.R. 1603 Special Edition of Catholic Current Features Both USCCB’s Migration Chairman and Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop Borys Gudziak A special episode of the USCCB’s weekly news program, Catholic Current, was released on the second day of the U.S. bishops’ Fall 2022 Plenary Assembly. Both Bishop Dorsonville and Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia touched on different aspects of the war in Ukraine and the resulting refugee situation, among other issues. Reminder: Complete and Share JFI’s Current Action Alerts The lame duck session of Congress has officially begun. The time left to pass critical legislation before the end of this Congress is quickly running out. Any bills 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 Encourage Your U.S. Senators to Pass Critical Agricultural Reform 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 17 CMS Migration Update, which includes: US District Court Decision Blocks the Federal Government from Using Title 42 to Stop Migrants from Entering the United States DHS Extends TPS Status and Employment Authorization for Certain TPS Beneficiaries under Designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Haiti, and Sudan USCIS Announced Certain Affirmative Asylum Applicants Can Now File Their I-589 Application Online Cuba Agreed to Accept US Deportation Flights Transporting Cuban Deportees for the First Time Since the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker Requested Aid from the Federal Government to Provide Resources to Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the State 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 17 de noviembre, que incluye: La decisión del tribunal de distrito de EE. UU. impide que el gobierno federal utilice el Título 42 para impedir que los inmigrantes ingresen a los Estados Unidos DHS extiende el estado de TPS y la autorización de empleo para ciertos beneficiarios de TPS bajo designaciones para El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Haití y Sudán USCIS anunció que ciertos solicitantes de asilo afirmativo ahora pueden presentar su solicitud I-589 en línea Cuba acordó aceptar vuelos de deportación estadounidenses que transportan deportados cubanos por primera vez desde el inicio de la pandemia de COVID-19 El gobernador de Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, solicitó ayuda al gobierno federal para brindar recursos a los refugiados y solicitantes de asilo en el estado Migration-Related Stories, Op-Eds and Interviews by Catholic Bishops and Agency Executives Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop Emeritus of Brooklyn: It’s time to pass the DREAM Act Sister Attracta Kelly, O.P., J.D., Director - Immigration Assistance Office, Adrian Dominican Sisters: Congress should enact meaningful immigration reforms Notable New Publications, Reports, Films, Articles, Etc. Hope Border Institute (HBI): Abandoned at the Border: The Impacts of the Expansion of Title 42 to Venezuelan Nationals HBI interviewed over forty asylum seekers, primarily Venezuelans, who shared their experiences traveling to the US-Mexico border where they were detained and expelled to Mexico under Title 42. This policy change left over 83,000 Venezuelans stranded at the border with no access to asylum protections. This report highlights the direct impact that the Title 42 expansion has had on Venezuelan nationals and their families in need of safety. Migration Policy Institute: Apprenticeship Programs are a Promising Solution to Bring More Multilingual Workers into Early Childhood Field A new paper from the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy outlines how apprenticeship programs could bring more multilingual workers into the early childhood field. It offers recommendations that early childhood systems and workforce and educational providers should consider to ensure that ECEC apprenticeships live up to their promise. Jill Marie Gerschutz-Bell, University of Dayton Law School: Root Causes of Migration, Development, and US Aid to Northern Triangle States For decades, governments have sought to deter migration by investing in the development of migrant-sending communities, despite macroeconomic data that shows that development can increase emigration. However, emerging research suggests that well-designed aid can promote rootedness in home communities. The US Agency for International Development has increasingly attempted to use development to deter migration from the Northern Triangle states of Central America. Is this policy sound? This paper argues that development should not be instrumentalized to discourage people from migrating. It examines migration and development policies from the lens of Catholic social teaching, which recognizes the need for states to respect the agency of individuals. This is particularly important when it comes to complex and consequential decisions like whether to migrate. The Catholic Church recognizes both a right to migrate, when necessary, and the responsibility of states, particularly wealthy nations, to help people realize the right not to migrate; that is, to thrive in their home communities. The Vatican's Migrants and Refugee Section: New Bulletin: The Climate crisis’ impact on labour migration Migrant workers often have to accept unsafe and unfair work and must live in precarious conditions. They are exposed to various forms of slavery and lack a welfare system protecting them. They are among the victims of the widespread “culture of waste”, which - Pope Francis reminds us - is at the origin of the inequality that afflicts the world. In this Bulletin, we will look at solutions that might help build a new future for work, offering decent and dignified working conditions, in which the most vulnerable are not left behind. A future that strives to provide proper work everywhere, for those staying in their homeland and for newcomers too. A world where all workers are treated equally, without discrimination or exploitation and with due regard for their rights. Other Upcoming Events, Opportunities, and Resources Virginia Immigrants Advocates Summit (Virtual), November 19, 2022 at 10 AM Eastern. Summit Participants will engage with speakers on important topics for immigrant communities in Virginia. We will also be discussing 2022 Legislative wins and current policy advocacy goals for the upcoming 2023 Virginia General Assembly. More information is on the event website. First Friday (December 2, 2022) Bilingual Celebration of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at Our Lady of the Greenwood Church, Greenwood, IN. Join us for Mass at 5:45 PM followed by adoration until 9 PM. Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available. Call 317-750-7309 for more information. Beatitudes Center (CA) Webinar: Nonviolent Resistance in the World Today, December 3, 2022 at 11 AM Pacific. The Russian war on Ukraine continues to sadden us all and stir people to support militarism. But many people in Russia and Ukraine, and around the world, practice nonviolent resistance and non-cooperation with tyranny and militarism. We rarely hear about this, much less about the power of organized nonviolent resistance as it spreads. In this webinar, presenters will speak on the methodology of Gandhian/Kingian nonviolence and resistance as it is being used around the world today. Please register and join us. ONGOING: Broadview Detention Center Online Friday Rosary. The Rosary prayer is conducted every Friday at 7:15 AM Central for our immigrant sisters and brothers in detention, deportation and their families. The prayer is led by Sr. JoAnn Persch, RSM and Sr. Pat Murphy, RSM. If you are interested in participating, send us an email to be added to the emailing list. In solidarity, Tony Cube Stay Connected 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.     USCCB | 3211 Fourth Street NE, Washington, DC 20017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!