Undocumented K through 12 Children. As schools in Georgia re-open, keep in mind that they cannot require proof of immigration status for admission to grades K through 12. If children are denied admission, parents must be encouraged to demand admission so that their children can receive the education which will help them progress.

Pope Francis Has Texas Immigrants on His Mind. “Always look towards the horizon, don’t let life put walls in front of you.” As Pope Francis departed from Rome for World Youth Day, he sent a message to young immigrants in Texas who were unable to travel to Poland. Read the whole story: https://cruxnow.com/world-youth-day-krakow/2016/07/27/pope-francis-leaves-poland-hes-thinking-texas/.

Refugees or Asylees Seeking Answers About Citizenship. Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) has made available an innovative way for refugees and asylees to learn about obtaining citizenship – through texting on their telephones. #text4refugees  Get more information at https://cliniclegal.org/citizenshipnavigator/texting.

Case Backlog Affects Immigration Court Cases.  The case backlog in Immigration Court continues to increase despite efforts to recruit and train new judges and court personnel http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/20/federal-immigration-court-backlog-tops-500000-pending-cases.html.  Delays can hurt the prosecution of cases but may also help some who continue to wait with no resolution. Cases may languish for seven or eight years and, by then, the character of the case may have changed. Over 500,000 cases are now waiting action.

ICYMI -Attorneys for Immigration Court.  When it is necessary to appear in Immigration Court (or any court), the potential for success is much, much better if you have a qualified attorney. Here, however, is guidance created in Spanish for the Immigrant Justice Corps to distribute at the New York City Immigration Court to the Central American asylum-seeking mothers and children in deportation proceedings. This guidance is helpful for all. https://cliniclegal.org/sites/default/files/cara/EL%20PROCESO%20EN%20LA%20CORTE%20DE%20INMIGRACI%C3%93N.pdf

U.S. vs. Texas – DAPA and Expanded DACA Still Await Supreme Court Action. The Supreme Court’s decision regarding the implementation of DAPA and expanded DACA will likely come in the next two weeks. What are the options for those who may be affected? Look at this useful flow chart from the National Immigration Law Center for a summary of options: http://www.nilc.org/how-to-prepare-for-us-v-texas/. Pay particular attention to suggestions to protect yourself: http://www.nilc.org/protectyourself/.

Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey Continues to Resonate. Read this interesting reflection in the June edition of St. Anthony’s Messenger: http://ht.ly/FkSb30134fv.

Law Students and Young Lawyers. Legal training can benefit immigrants. The chances of a favorable outcome in immigration court are immeasurably increased when a client has qualified legal assistance. Read a success story at https://cliniclegal.org/news/detention-asylum-undocumented-immigrants/guest-blog-more-grade-how-our-salvadoran-asylum-client.

DACA Anniversary. It has been four years since U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, initiative so that unauthorized immigrants who came to the country before age 16; were under age 31 at the time of the announcement; and had been in the country for five years when the initiative was announced are eligible to apply for a two-year reprieve from deportation and a work permit. More than 728,000 people have received DACA, out of an estimated 1.16 million people who are currently eligible to apply. The ongoing Supreme Court case does not affect the original DACA program. If you know anyone eligible for DACA, encourage them to apply as soon as possible.

Pope Francis has a Dream. Evoking the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope Francis said “I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime, but a summons to greater commitment” to help those in need. The Holy Father has been a consistent and visible advocate for migrants even in the face of widespread migration in Europe, a situation which is much more extensive than undocumented immigration in the United States https://cnstopstories.com/2016/05/06/pope-tells-struggling-europe-he-has-a-dream-for-its-future/.

H-2B Visas. Congress members from states that rely on immigrant labor are seeking to include language in this year’s federal funding bills to renew controversial provisions from last year’s omnibus spending measure that effectively quadrupled the number of low-skilled worker visas. The provisions may not help those already in the United States but may provide a secure though temporary path for some seeking work in the United States. Any expansion that affects foreign workers will be controversial in Congress http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/h2b-riders-222737#ixzz47ssaJv5D.

Graduation … Then What? Graduation from high school, college or any other program always brings joy as well as apprehension for students as they prepare for the next stage of their lives. For undocumented students or even those on student visas, the planning is complicated by their status under immigration law http://thedailycougar.com/2016/04/27/immigrants-have-a-reason-to-fear-a-republican-president/. As with all planning, it is important to face issues head-on and get solid advice. In the case of non-citizens residing in the United States, that advice should include legal advice to seek ways of avoiding future problems.

Pope Francis. On his short trip to the island of Lesbos, the Holy Father used both words and actions to demonstrate his commitment to a humane resolution to migration issues. As he left the meeting, he arranged to bring twelve refugees to Rome on his plane https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pope-francis-arrives-on-lesbos-in-visit-intended-to-prick-europes-conscience/2016/04/16/b0a66c08-fd09-11e5-813a-90ab563f0dde_story.html. Indeed, the whole trip was a plea for mercy and a moral challenge to Europe and the United States. For Pope Francis, the trip was not about politics but humanitarian values https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pope-francis-to-lay-down-a-moral-challenge-for-europe-in-visit-to-refugee-island/2016/04/15/2f5c86aa-fd09-11e5-813a-90ab563f0dde_story.html. Refugees are a gift, not a problem http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/refugees-are-not-a-problem-they-are-a-gift-pope-says.cfm.

U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of United States v. Texas on April 18. By the end of June, the Court is expected to decide whether the Administration can implement the DAPA and expanded DACA programs. The media expressed many opinions trying to decipher how the Court might rule but, in reality, no one outside the Court knows the answer. Archbishop John Wester of New Mexico, however, put forward the reality of the case in an article describing the people who are behind the legal rhetoric http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/18/opinions/obama-immigration-actions-supreme-court-wester/.

Pope Francis. On April 16, Pope Francis travelled to the island of Lesbos, a central arrival point for migrants and refugees in Greece, to highlight his concerns for those people and others throughout the world. He joined with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens to show the universal importance of caring for migrating people. The trip had a humanitarian, not political, emphasis http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/15/pope-francis-aims-to-cash-in-political-muscle-with-stop-in-greece/ ; http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/popes-trip-lesbos-teaching-moment-europe?utm_content=buffer14538&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer.

Family Detention Center, Dilly, Texas. It seems to have dropped from the headlines but here is a first person account from a volunteer lawyer helping women and children detained in the largest immigrant detention center in the United States. The article gives a real flavor for the place https://medium.com/@clairerthomas/how-to-pack-for-the-other-refugee-crisis-a6c4775a7661#.7bukf2ss5.

Act Locally.   Take inspiration from parishioners of Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City who have answered the plea of Pope Francis to sponsor refugees by adopting a family of 11 fleeing persecution in Myanmar. Read the Georgia Bulletin article http://www.georgiabulletin.org/news/2016/03/plight-refugees-touches-hearts-holy-trinity-church-leading-action/.

Act Internationally. Deacons Bill Hampton and Steve Swope joined others in volunteering with Catholic Relief Services in Athens, Greece, and Belgrade, Serbia, in January http://www.myajc.com/news/news/national-govt-politics/georgians-travel-to-the-front-lines-of-syrian-refu/nq2X9/.

U.S. Supreme Court. The long awaited argument in the case of United States v. Texas will be held on April 18. By the end of June, the Court is expected to decide whether the Administration can implement the DAPA and expanded DACA programs.

Pope Francis. Pope Francis continues to focus the world’s eyes on the refugee crisis around the world. On April 16, the Holy Father will visit the island of Lesbos which is the epicenter of the refugee crisis in Europe http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-visit-the-greek-island-of-lesbos. Care for refugees and migrants is a hall mark of Pope Francis’ ministry.

Protests at Georgia Universities. More than 90 protesters from a dozen colleges — including U.S. citizens and people who were illegally brought here as children — had joined sit-ins at UGA, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University. All three schools are closed to immigrants without legal status under a policy covering state institutions that have not admitted all academically qualified applicants for the two most recent school years http://ht.ly/108qhp.

Holy Week Pilgrimage In Georgia.  For the eighth year, about 40 people joined a pilgrimage to focus on the plight of those in immigration detention. The pilgrimage started in Macon and finished by joining the Good Friday urban ecumenical Stations of the Cross sponsored by the Archdiocese Office of Justice and Peace Ministries http://www.georgiabulletin.org/news/2016/03/eighth-year-holy-week-walk-focuses-immigrants-detention/.

U.S. Supreme Court. During the past week the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected a legal effort to reinterpret the “one person, one vote” constitutional rule by ruling that states may rely on total population when drawing their legislative districts. Plaintiffs sought to reinterpret longstanding precedence to require that only registered voters be included in the population, thus, diluting the significance of non-voting adults, children, non-citizens and others http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/evenwel-ruling-supreme-court/470280/.

Words Are Important. Following a petition by several student groups from Dartmouth College, the Library of Congress has agreed that is will no longer use the terms “illegal” or “alien” to describe immigrants http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/30/politics/library-of-congress-illegal-alien/index.html.

IMPORTANT – ICYMI If You Are Eligible, Become a U.S. Citizen. It can be a long and difficult journey but, if you are eligible, give serious consideration to becoming a citizen of the United States. Read the perspective of someone who see thousands of people arriving in this country every day for a variety of purposes. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article67840232.html