Lord our God, you have made the world and all it holds. You preserve it and bless it.
You rise above every human boundary: of nation and culture, age and status, sex and race.
Lord, shatter in us every barrier of prejudice and of fear that prevents us from acting as disciples of Jesus.
Today we want to unite ourselves with your compassion for those who suffer.
Help us to stand with them in their struggle for liberation. Amen.
Reparation Prayer from "This Day of God," community prayer book of the Priests of the Sacred Heart
Be sure to see Action Resources at the bottom of this page!
Latest News, Analysis and Opinion
Latest Developments
BBC: Migrant caravan: Guatemala blocks thousands bound for US, VP says thanks
WaPo: A big reason so many people arriving at our border are from Guatemala? They’re hungry.
In indigenous communities, as many as 70% of children are chronically malnourished. The brutal combination of the pandemic, climate change-induced floods and storms, and a government that fails to provide services while its elite enrich themselves is driving people out of the country.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has invested money in 28,000 radio ads across Latin America urging people not to make the dangerous journey to the border, messaging with no chance of success in the face of hunger. Biden has also empowered Mexico to continue using security forces to block, detain and deport migrants en route--an approach that we know from recent history has tragic consequences.
BuzzFeed: Photos show dire immigrant conditions at U.S.-Mexico border
Vice: US Companies Are Helping Mexican Cartels Get Rich Kidnapping Migrants
The wave of migration at the border is a boon for kidnappers, human smugglers, and the American businesses that handle their money.
TITLE 42 FUELS FAMILY SEPARATION
The Title 42 policy of expelling families is contributing to the increase in unaccompanied children arriving at the border.
CNN: Deportations and arrests of undocumented immigrants decrease
Arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants have decreased under President Biden. The administration narrowed its enforcement focus to people who may pose a threat or have criminal records. Enforcement has narrowed to focus on those who may pose a threat or who have criminal records.
The Hill: ICE, CBP to end use of offensive immigration terms
The Intercept: Volunteers help migrants dropped off in rural towns
Volunteers, many retirees, are helping migrants dropped off by immigration agents in tiny Arizona border towns, rather than being transported to larger cities with more facilities. The drop-offs in rural areas began during the Biden administration and are justified by immigration officials as a response to capacity and resource issues.
Just Security: Refugee status for Central Americans proposed
Central American asylum seekers must risk their lives to reach the U.S. border and apply for asylum followed by what is often a lengthy examination of their application. Instead, they should be allowed to apply for refugee status, which would allow them to legally enter the United States after being vetted.
POLITICO: After news broke in The New York Times Friday that President Biden would not raise the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2021 — instead maintaining the historic low cap of 15,000 — backlash ensued and the administration later backtracked.
AP News
Foreign-born religious workers will have to return home.
Border Surge?
Media Matters: A new analysis shows no migrant “surge” or border “crisis.” Here’s how often broadcast news has said there is one
Border Report: Unaccompanied migrant minor arrivals began in November
Last November, unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors began streaming to the United States after a federal court ruled they could not be kept out.
CNN: Two big factors are making things worse at the border. But they're not getting much attention
Vox: Migrants are heading north because Central America never recovered from last year’s hurricane
WSJ: Men Looking for Work Drive Surge in Illegal Crossings at the U.S. Border
Mother Jones: What So Many People Are Getting Wrong About the "Border Crisis"
Title 42:
LA Times: Biden promised change at the border. He’s kept Trump’s Title 42 policy to close it and cut off asylum
Intercept: Asylum-seekers expelled by Biden administration say they feel deceived
Central American families arrived in Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez disoriented and disconsolate; many didn’t realize they were being expelled from the U.S.
USA Today: Key change in President Biden's use of Title 42
Title 42 — which allows the expulsion of migrants to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — has been retained by the Biden administration, but with a key change. Under President Trump, children were temporarily housed in hotels and then returned to their home countries. Now, minors are being allowed to remain in the United States.
Reports/Background
Columbus Dispatch: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes yearly
An undocumented immigrant pays thousands of dollars in taxes annually on revenue from his painting company, but he will not receive social security, Medicare or Medicaid because of his legal status. A Congressional Budget Office report says that 50-75 percent of undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes yearly.
Forbes: Illegal Immigration in America Has Continued to Decline
The unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. fell by 12% since 2010. Legal work visas and better asylum access may reduce it more.
ARCHIVES
BBC: Migrant caravan: Guatemala blocks thousands bound for US, VP says thanks
WaPo: A big reason so many people arriving at our border are from Guatemala? They’re hungry.
In indigenous communities, as many as 70% of children are chronically malnourished. The brutal combination of the pandemic, climate change-induced floods and storms, and a government that fails to provide services while its elite enrich themselves is driving people out of the country.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has invested money in 28,000 radio ads across Latin America urging people not to make the dangerous journey to the border, messaging with no chance of success in the face of hunger. Biden has also empowered Mexico to continue using security forces to block, detain and deport migrants en route--an approach that we know from recent history has tragic consequences.
BuzzFeed: Photos show dire immigrant conditions at U.S.-Mexico border
Vice: US Companies Are Helping Mexican Cartels Get Rich Kidnapping Migrants
The wave of migration at the border is a boon for kidnappers, human smugglers, and the American businesses that handle their money.
TITLE 42 FUELS FAMILY SEPARATION
The Title 42 policy of expelling families is contributing to the increase in unaccompanied children arriving at the border.
CNN: Deportations and arrests of undocumented immigrants decrease
Arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants have decreased under President Biden. The administration narrowed its enforcement focus to people who may pose a threat or have criminal records. Enforcement has narrowed to focus on those who may pose a threat or who have criminal records.
The Hill: ICE, CBP to end use of offensive immigration terms
The Intercept: Volunteers help migrants dropped off in rural towns
Volunteers, many retirees, are helping migrants dropped off by immigration agents in tiny Arizona border towns, rather than being transported to larger cities with more facilities. The drop-offs in rural areas began during the Biden administration and are justified by immigration officials as a response to capacity and resource issues.
Just Security: Refugee status for Central Americans proposed
Central American asylum seekers must risk their lives to reach the U.S. border and apply for asylum followed by what is often a lengthy examination of their application. Instead, they should be allowed to apply for refugee status, which would allow them to legally enter the United States after being vetted.
POLITICO: After news broke in The New York Times Friday that President Biden would not raise the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2021 — instead maintaining the historic low cap of 15,000 — backlash ensued and the administration later backtracked.
AP News
Foreign-born religious workers will have to return home.
Border Surge?
Media Matters: A new analysis shows no migrant “surge” or border “crisis.” Here’s how often broadcast news has said there is one
Border Report: Unaccompanied migrant minor arrivals began in November
Last November, unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors began streaming to the United States after a federal court ruled they could not be kept out.
CNN: Two big factors are making things worse at the border. But they're not getting much attention
Vox: Migrants are heading north because Central America never recovered from last year’s hurricane
WSJ: Men Looking for Work Drive Surge in Illegal Crossings at the U.S. Border
Mother Jones: What So Many People Are Getting Wrong About the "Border Crisis"
Title 42:
LA Times: Biden promised change at the border. He’s kept Trump’s Title 42 policy to close it and cut off asylum
Intercept: Asylum-seekers expelled by Biden administration say they feel deceived
Central American families arrived in Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez disoriented and disconsolate; many didn’t realize they were being expelled from the U.S.
USA Today: Key change in President Biden's use of Title 42
Title 42 — which allows the expulsion of migrants to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — has been retained by the Biden administration, but with a key change. Under President Trump, children were temporarily housed in hotels and then returned to their home countries. Now, minors are being allowed to remain in the United States.
Reports/Background
Columbus Dispatch: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes yearly
An undocumented immigrant pays thousands of dollars in taxes annually on revenue from his painting company, but he will not receive social security, Medicare or Medicaid because of his legal status. A Congressional Budget Office report says that 50-75 percent of undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes yearly.
Forbes: Illegal Immigration in America Has Continued to Decline
The unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. fell by 12% since 2010. Legal work visas and better asylum access may reduce it more.
ARCHIVES
Opinion
Parents who send their kids across the border are not heroes or villains. They’re humans facing an impossible choice.
Many migrants and asylum seekers are parents doing their best to make difficult decisions. That recognition should guide our border policies.
What America would look like with zero immigration
Justin Gest writes that if immigration remains at near-zero levels, within decades, the country could be older, smaller and poorer. But if the US government welcomed more newcomers, within decades, the country could be younger, more productive and richer.
WaPo Opinion: The border crisis is about human pain and desperation. Why can’t the media grasp this?
BuzzFlash: “The Republican ‘Crisis’ on the Mexican Border Is a Crisis of Weaponized Racism”
Atlantic: The Real Border Crisis
America has tried to solve its immigration problem for decades through brute force. It doesn’t work.
Catholic Standard: Biblical migration and the quest for immigration reform
A survey shows that 70 percent of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform, but it needs bipartisan support. In the Bible, migration involves faith, hope and love. This puts it squarely in the stream of salvation history.
Newsday/Washington Post: Path to citizenship is no-brainer
The most important provision of President Biden's immigration bill is the path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Years of polling show that this policy is popular, with 67-83 percent of the population favoring legalization.
The Conversation: Change to ‘noncitizen’ in immigration laws recognizes humanity of immigrants
The proposed U.S. Citizenship Act would eliminate the term “alien” from immigration laws, replacing it with “noncitizen.” The change would be a small but critical step in recognizing the humanity of immigrants.
Dallas Morning News: Don't kick immigration reform down the road
The Bush and Obama administrations failed to get comprehensive immigration reform legislation passed, leading to the Trump administration's draconian executive orders. Congress and President Biden need to hammer out reform legislation to keep future presidents from undoing policies through executive order.
The Hill: Let's unclog the immigration courts
Achieving a fairer and more functional immigration enforcement system requires focusing on immigration courts and diminishing the hundreds of thousands of non-priority cases clogging the system. The backlog stands at 1.3 million cases, and the average wait time for a hearing is more than 1,600 days.
America: Catholics should help get Biden's immigration bill passed
President Biden has introduced legislation to greatly restructure the immigration system, providing an opportunity for Catholics to help him achieve immigration reform. The bill supports Catholic priorities, such as a path to citizenship for undocumented workers and strengthening refugee and asylum-seeker protections.
America: Bishops need to support President Biden on immigration reform
With a quick series of executive orders, President Biden has reversed many immigration policies and changed the tone of how the United States deals with immigrants. But legislation and broader reform will require continued support from Catholic bishops and other faith leaders.
Many migrants and asylum seekers are parents doing their best to make difficult decisions. That recognition should guide our border policies.
What America would look like with zero immigration
Justin Gest writes that if immigration remains at near-zero levels, within decades, the country could be older, smaller and poorer. But if the US government welcomed more newcomers, within decades, the country could be younger, more productive and richer.
WaPo Opinion: The border crisis is about human pain and desperation. Why can’t the media grasp this?
BuzzFlash: “The Republican ‘Crisis’ on the Mexican Border Is a Crisis of Weaponized Racism”
Atlantic: The Real Border Crisis
America has tried to solve its immigration problem for decades through brute force. It doesn’t work.
Catholic Standard: Biblical migration and the quest for immigration reform
A survey shows that 70 percent of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform, but it needs bipartisan support. In the Bible, migration involves faith, hope and love. This puts it squarely in the stream of salvation history.
Newsday/Washington Post: Path to citizenship is no-brainer
The most important provision of President Biden's immigration bill is the path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Years of polling show that this policy is popular, with 67-83 percent of the population favoring legalization.
The Conversation: Change to ‘noncitizen’ in immigration laws recognizes humanity of immigrants
The proposed U.S. Citizenship Act would eliminate the term “alien” from immigration laws, replacing it with “noncitizen.” The change would be a small but critical step in recognizing the humanity of immigrants.
Dallas Morning News: Don't kick immigration reform down the road
The Bush and Obama administrations failed to get comprehensive immigration reform legislation passed, leading to the Trump administration's draconian executive orders. Congress and President Biden need to hammer out reform legislation to keep future presidents from undoing policies through executive order.
The Hill: Let's unclog the immigration courts
Achieving a fairer and more functional immigration enforcement system requires focusing on immigration courts and diminishing the hundreds of thousands of non-priority cases clogging the system. The backlog stands at 1.3 million cases, and the average wait time for a hearing is more than 1,600 days.
America: Catholics should help get Biden's immigration bill passed
President Biden has introduced legislation to greatly restructure the immigration system, providing an opportunity for Catholics to help him achieve immigration reform. The bill supports Catholic priorities, such as a path to citizenship for undocumented workers and strengthening refugee and asylum-seeker protections.
America: Bishops need to support President Biden on immigration reform
With a quick series of executive orders, President Biden has reversed many immigration policies and changed the tone of how the United States deals with immigrants. But legislation and broader reform will require continued support from Catholic bishops and other faith leaders.
New Resources & Backgrounders
Forbes: 10 thought-provoking movies about immigration
Visual Capitalist: Video animates two centuries of immigration to the United States
Sanctuary cities, explained
Dehonian Resources for Parishes and Schools
A Path to America, Marked by Dead Bodies
Here's What Happens When An Undocumented Immigrant Gets Detained
The Haunting Answers Migrants Gave When Asked About Their Most Prized Possession
Faith Communities: Discerning How to Welcome Your Neighbors
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Archdiocese of Chicago Resources
Jesuit Social Research Center Immigration Articles and Links to Pro-Immigrant Organizations
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Legal Resources for Immigrants
Visual Capitalist: Video animates two centuries of immigration to the United States
Sanctuary cities, explained
Dehonian Resources for Parishes and Schools
A Path to America, Marked by Dead Bodies
Here's What Happens When An Undocumented Immigrant Gets Detained
The Haunting Answers Migrants Gave When Asked About Their Most Prized Possession
Faith Communities: Discerning How to Welcome Your Neighbors
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Archdiocese of Chicago Resources
Jesuit Social Research Center Immigration Articles and Links to Pro-Immigrant Organizations
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Legal Resources for Immigrants
For Further Study...
Videos of Sr. Norma Pimentel's and Barbara Graham's Presentations at June US Province Assembly
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Ottawa SCJs Welcome Syrian Refugee Family
On Friday, September 23, SCJs in Ottawa welcomed Andre Boulad, a 22-year-old Syrian refugee (he is pictured below with his uncle; Andre is on the left). He is staying at the community house on Daly Street until an apartment is ready for him and his family in mid-October. His mother and sister are expected to join him soon; other family members, including an uncle, are already in the area.
“With the urgent need for Syrian refugees to find a new homeland in view of the unending civil war, each of the Canadian Region’s communities made a commitment to sponsor a Syrian family,” said Fr. John van den Hengel, regional superior of Canada. “With the close of the federal government sponsorship program on February 29 the application by the Ottawa community got in just under the wire for a second wave of privately-sponsored refugee families on March 31.”
Although the community was expecting the family sometime in fall, they didn’t have a specific date until they learned that Andre would be in Ottawa by the end of the week. Then it was a quick scramble to get things organized for the family. The SCJs are working with volunteers, including members of Resurrection parish, in assisting the family.
“With the urgent need for Syrian refugees to find a new homeland in view of the unending civil war, each of the Canadian Region’s communities made a commitment to sponsor a Syrian family,” said Fr. John van den Hengel, regional superior of Canada. “With the close of the federal government sponsorship program on February 29 the application by the Ottawa community got in just under the wire for a second wave of privately-sponsored refugee families on March 31.”
Although the community was expecting the family sometime in fall, they didn’t have a specific date until they learned that Andre would be in Ottawa by the end of the week. Then it was a quick scramble to get things organized for the family. The SCJs are working with volunteers, including members of Resurrection parish, in assisting the family.
Highlights from March 30, 2016 Panel Presentation on the
Immigration and Refugee Crises
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Insights into the Middle East Refugee Crisis
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Delving More Deeply into Root Causes of the Crises
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What Can Individuals, Parishes and Religious Leadership Do?
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Related Issues
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Interviews with children in detention centers
