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National Migration Week 2014: Out of the Darkness December 20th, 2013
The Missionary Oblates JPIC Office will join the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and its Justice for Immigrants Campaign in celebrating National Migration Week, January 5-11.
The theme for the 2014 National MigrationWeek is “Out of Darkness”. This theme is an invitation to the faithful community to reflect and recommit in its support of migrants, especially the most vulnerable: the undocumented, refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of human trafficking. These migrants are the most vulnerable and run the risk of violence and exploitation on the daily basis.
As part of the National Migration Week celebration, the USCCB Justice for Immigrants initiative will launch a postcard campaign, a national call-in day and a social media day. We encourage you and your local community to use the resources at the National Migration Week website at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Texas-Mexico Border Bishops Publish Pastoral Letter on Family Immigration December 3rd, 2013
In a new pastoral letter “Families Beyond Borders,” the Catholic bishops of the border region of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico humanize the immigration debate by placing it in a moral context with specific illustrations of struggling children and families.
“One of the Archbishops spoke emotionally about undocumented immigrant children, some as young as 5 years old, who brave the dangers of the desert and coyotes and hide from authorities as well as human traffickers in an attempt to reach the safety of a new home of hope.”
Video (link) and Pastoral letter available here…
The bishops who worked on “Families Beyond Borders” represented the leadership of these dioceses and archdiocese: (From Texas) Amarillo, Brownsville, El Paso, Lubbock, San Angelo, and San Antonio (From New Mexico) The Diocese of Las Cruces. (From Mexico) Chihuaha, Ciudad Juárez, Cuahteoc-Madera, Matamoros, Monterrey, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Nuevo Laredo, Piedras Negras-Catedral Mártir, and Saltillo.
Immigration Call-in day and November Webinars November 4th, 2013
The following is adapted from an article in the November-December 2013 issue of the Maryknoll NewsNotes, and is used with their permission.
On Wednesday, November 13, the feast of St. Frances Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who became the first canonized U.S. citizen, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is sponsoring a national call-in day to Congress. On that day, callers from the U.S. using the toll-free number (855-589-5698) will hear a short recording instructing them to give the following message to their member of Congress: “Support a path to citizenship and oppose the SAFE Act.” After the recording, callers will then be prompted to enter their zip code on their telephone keypad and will be connected directly to their representative’s D.C. office.
[The Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act, HR 2278, passed the House Judiciary Committee on June 18. Among other things, it would permit state and local law enforcement officers, untrained in federal immigration law, to issue an immigration hold and detain an individual indefinitely, resulting in prolonged detention for U.S. citizens and lawfully permanent residents. The proposed detention policy calls for an increased number of detention facilities, an increase in the population to be detained (including all individuals awaiting a decision for removal) and an increase in funding for state and local governments to detain individuals in local jails, at a total cost of nearly $1 billion per year. Provisions in the SAFE Act would criminalize religious leaders and houses of worship that provide humanitarian assistance to all persons regardless of immigration status. Section 314 of the SAFE Act would make it a crime to transport undocumented immigrants and “encourage or induce a person to reside in the United States” if that person lacks immigration status. The penalties for engaging in any of these activities are steep, ranging from three to 20 years in prison.]
The USCCB and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) will host a series of free webinars held the first four Fridays in November, 2-3:30 pm Eastern/11 am-12:30 pm Pacific.
These webinars are for immigrant and social justice advocates, legal service providers, faith leaders, community organizers, and others working with and on behalf of immigrants and will address the following important issues:
The first webinar was on November 1: Comprehensive immigration reform 2013-2014: The road forward from the Church’s perspective, Nov. 1: This webinar looked at the legislation and politics which will shape the debate on immigration reform in the House of Representatives, explaining the Church’s position on individual bills.
Recent trends in state and local immigration enforcement, Nov. 8: This webinar will provide an overview of collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement agencies through the Criminal Alien Program, 287(g) Partnerships, and Secure Communities as well as the use of ICE detainers to identify potentially deportable individuals in state or local custody.
Immigration detention: Perspectives from D.C. and the field, Nov. 15: This webinar will address immigration detention, including the federal mandate requiring the detention of certain immigrants, the recent rise of immigration detention, and alternatives to detention. Additionally, the panel will include local perspectives on the effects of detention facilities on communities and how local stakeholders can help combat this national phenomenon.
State and local immigration laws: Recap of 2013 and outlook for 2014, Nov. 22: This webinar will review some of the anti-immigrant and pro-immigrant laws passed by states in 2013 on topics including state-issued identification and driver’s licenses, refugee resettlement, immigration enforcement, and access to higher education. Panelists will also address the state-level immigration policy outlook for 2014.
JPIC Report Fall/Winter 2013 Issue Available October 24th, 2013
The Fall/Winter 2013 issue of JPIC Report is now available on line as a PDF. It is also available in print form. Please contact Mary O’Herron in the JPIC Office if you want to be added to the mailing list.
You can find all issues of JPIC Report on this website in the Resources section. (Download a PDF of the latest issue)
WOLA Researchers Question Border Security Rhetoric February 20th, 2013
In a talk sponsored by the University of Chicago Human Rights Program, Adam Isacson and Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America, a non-governmental organization which the Oblates support, said the voices in Washington calling for further buildup of border security mechanisms as part of comprehensive immigration reform are wrong. Their year-long study has shown them that what those voices call a “crisis” on the border, a “war-zone” with violent criminals, “illegal aliens” and terrorists streaming over the border into the U.S. does not exist on the U.S. side. The people in actual and terrifying danger are undocumented migrants passing through Mexico and crossing the border.
Read more about their findings here.
