Happy New Year! 2020 was a difficult year in many ways for all of us. The pandemic was particularly difficult for immigrants and refugees, but the problems were made more difficult for them as the administration made oppressive regulatory changes. We offer prayers that the new administration will bring relief through more reasonable regulations.

Webinar – Immigration Policy for the Incoming Administration. In anticipation of the incoming Biden administration, Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) has developed policy recommendations and justifications that would reverse policies of the current administration and benefit immigrants and refugees. Join CLINIC experts for a free webinar explaining these policy recommendations on Thursday, January 21.

Immigrant families have benefits in the recently signed stimulus bill. The new bill allows payments of $600 for an individual U.S. citizen and $600 for each dependent child in households with an undocumented spouse. Families may also  recover the COVID-19 relief check denied in the spring 2020 first round of stimulus payments — $1,200 for each U.S. citizen taxpayer and $500 for each U.S. citizen child — when they file their 2020 taxes in the spring. Read more.

Elections do have consequences. Newly elected Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor announced that the county would no longer participate in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) program, under which local law enforcement are deputized to carry out immigration enforcement responsibilities typically performed by ICE agents. This constitutes a significant change for law enforcement in the county, which has one of the state’s largest populations of people who are living in the country illegally.

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!

DACA restored! A federal court has ordered the Trump administration to fully restore DACA, instructing DHS to open the Obama-era program to new applicants for the first time since 2017. Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, welcomed the court’s decision and expressed hope for even greater progress in finding a path to citizenship for these young people.

New administration on the horizon. Immigration advocates are anticipating changes benefiting immigrants and asylees after the Biden administration takes office in January. Early action is expected for restoring the DACA program and the ban on travel from majority Muslim countries. Additional changes are still needed to fix the broken immigration system, not the least of which are legislative changes.

In the midst of pandemic, foreign medical personnel are needed. Hospital administrators and medical advocacy groups are seeking support from the Biden administration to loosen procedures so that necessary medical personnel from other countries can enter the United States when the need is so great.

ICYMI – One Church, Many Cultures. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, chaired by Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia, has published its fall/winter newsletter filled with informative and current articles.

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!

ICYMI — Advocacy in 2021. Most elections are over, but the work of advocacy lies before us. Learn why we advocate, how we advocate and on what issues we advocate in a webinar offered by the Archdiocese of Atlanta Justice and Peace Ministries and the Georgia Catholic Conference on Thursday, December 10, at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome. See further information here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe. Sunday, December 12, is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. It is not too late to make preparations for your celebration. See resources from Justice for Immigrants here.

One Church, Many Cultures. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church chaired by Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia has published its fall/winter newsletter filled with informative and current articles.

Human trafficking. Pope Francis teaches “Human trafficking is a crime against all humanity. We must unite our efforts to free victims and stop this crime.” In these turbulent times of pandemic and economic stress, we must continue vigilance against human trafficking that goes on in our midst and around the world. Justice for Immigrants offers resources. 

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!

Advocacy in 2021. Most elections are over, but the work of advocacy lies before us. Learn why we advocate, how we advocate and on what issues we advocate in a webinar offered by the Archdiocese of Atlanta Justice and Peace Ministries and the Georgia Catholic Conference on Thursday, December 10, at 7 p.m. All are welcome. See further information here.

New administration will bring changes to immigration. As the Trump administration leaves office and the Biden administration takes over the executive branch there will be changes to immigration law and practices. The media is full of speculation, but the landscape is by no means clear. Help those in need of legal assistance find competent immigration attorneys and see CLINIC’s resources for avoiding notarios and other scammers.

Journey with black immigrants. Advent is a time to reflect on holy journeys.  Join Interfaith Immigration Coalition for weekly devotionals that include scripture, a short reflection, stories and opportunities to take action and engage in further reflection.

“Border Protection and Migrant Realities.” Listen to direct service providers on the southern border as Justice for Immigrants presents a webinar on Monday, November 30, at 3 p.m. Use the direct link: http://bit.ly/Border_Realities

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!

Civic participation. The voting may be over for 2020, but civic participation is an important element for integrating immigrants and refugees into political and social life. Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) has developed a toolkit gathering resources from past and current CLINIC initiatives along with many other resources from the field. See the topical sections here.

#CivilizeIt2020 – Take the pledge. While the voting is completed, it seems even more important that we take the #CivilizeIt2020 pledge for civility, clarity and compassion. No matter how emotions react to the electoral results, pledge to remember the humanity of all persons and the need for surrender to the Lord in all things. “May all Americans recall the necessity of dialogue, civility and humility in this election [and post-election] season,” USCCB Election Intention. 

COVID-19 infections increase. Infections are increasing in Georgia and across the world. Low-income populations are more susceptible to COVID-19 than the general population. Justice for Immigrants maintains a resource page that is helpful for advocacy as well as medical and social guidance for everyone.

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!

Notice: There will be no immigration report on Monday, for November 16.

Congratulations to Cardinal-elect Wilton Gregory! While archbishop of Atlanta, Cardinal-elect Wilton Gregory was a member of the Georgia Catholic Conference and never failed to support the Conference, particularly in advocating for the benefit of migrants and refugees.

Elections are here. Election day is Tuesday, November 3. By the time you are reading this report, early in-person voting will have ended. Mail-in ballots must be received by November 3, thus, it is too late to mail a ballot with the hope having delivered on time. If you have not mailed your ballot, you must deposit it in a ballot drop box or plan on voting in person on Tuesday.

Cap on refugees set. The Trump administration has slashed the number of refugees it will allow to resettle in the United States in the coming year, capping the number at 15,000, a record low in the history of the country’s modern refugee program. The number is divided among refugees fleeing religious persecution, Iraqi refugees who assisted the United States, and refugees from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. While there are thousands in the pipeline, the 2021 cap is the lowest in years. Canada has replaced the United States and the number one country for settling refugees fleeing religious persecution.

Immigration reform is complex. Nevertheless, principles of Catholic social teaching, rooted in the dignity of every person, provide guidance for elections and continuing advocacy.

ICYMI – Justice for Immigrants webinar series. The JFI fall webinar series continues. Previous programs are available on the website and future programs are available live and after the fact. The most recent title is “The Role of Race in Immigration Policy.”

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org  today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!

Elections are here. Early voting and mail-in voting has begun in Georgia. Get up to date information in English and Spanish thanks to St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Alpharetta. Early voting ends on Friday, October 30. Election day is Tuesday, November 3.

Novena for election. In preparing for the election, the United States Conference for Catholic Bishops is offering prayer intentions and an opportunity to join in prayer for the national election. Sign up here.

Justice for Immigrants webinar series. The JFI fall webinar series continues. Previous programs are available on the website and future programs are available live and after the fact. The most recent title is The Role of Race in Immigration Policy.

Comprehensive immigration reform and the path to citizenship. The Catholic bishops of the United States have long supported comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship (not “amnesty”) for undocumented immigrants. Comprehensive reform, however, has fallen from the headlines and certainly no reform will come in the waning days of the current Congress. The fear and pain of the undocumented has not gone away and the issue will need to be addressed in the next Congress. Forbes recently commented on the need to finally fix this longstanding problem. The road to real reform will not be easy but the Catholic bishops will applaud any positive activity, which will alleviate the suffering of many in our midst.

ICYMI — Good research for voting. Elections have consequences in public policy. Prepare for voting with the Civic Participation Toolkit from Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC).

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!

Elections are here. Early voting and mail-in voting has begun in Georgia. Get up to date information in English and Spanish thanks to St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Alpharetta.

Faithful Citizenship. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has again revised and published Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship to guide all people of good will in preparing to vote. The Archdiocese of Atlanta has produced videos on selected Faithful Citizenship issues. Catholic Charities Atlanta CEO Vanessa Russel’s comments on immigration are here.

Good research for voting. Elections have consequences in public policy. Prepare for voting with the Civic Participation Toolkit from Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC).

Prayer for refugees. For forty years, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) has had a mission “to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, that they may heal, learn and determine their own future.” Join JRS in prayer with a downloadable prayer card in three languages.

ICYMI – How can you support migrants in time of COVID-19? COVID-19 affects migrants and refugees in the United States and around the world. Justice for Immigrants (JFI) has shared ways to support them. See their archives for this and other webinars saved for continued use.JFI also continues updating its COVID-19 resource page.

Get more information directly from Justice for Immigrants. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org today and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get the Week in Review, updates on webinars and much more!