DACA is nine years old! President Obama instituted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012 by executive order so that individuals brought to the United States at an early age could obtain deferral of deportation. The executive order was issued with the expectation that Congress would enact legislation these individuals. Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, issued a statement marking the anniversary. The bishop also noted the need for congressional action to protect DACA registrants on a permanent basis.

Solidarity with seafarers as key essential workers. Sailors, fishers and their families live as people vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and human trafficking.  See the Solidarity with Seafarers toolkit, which includes background information, prayers, social media and other materials for knowledge and advocacy.  

Immigrant integration. Every immigrant has a personal story and those stories can extend to following generations. Laura Niño, a project coordinator with CLINIC, shares her story as a second-generation descendant of immigrants from Colombia.

ICYMI – Do you want more? Immigration news and policy modifications are coming from the government daily. Do you want migration more action alerts, weekly reviews, updates on webinars, backgrounders and much more? Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org, scroll to the bottom of any page and fill out the form. Justice for Immigrants stays on top of changes for you.

The Asian Pacific American Heritage month is being celebrated in May.

Special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS): SIJS is an immigration status that allows children who have survived parental abuse, neglect or abandonment to apply for permanent residency in the United States. Congress created SIJS — with its direct pathway to a green card — to provide young people with tools to achieve stability: eligibility for federal financial aid for college, work authorization and protection from deportation. Applicants, however, face multiple years waiting for administrative processing. A group of 400 professionals and child protection organizations, including Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), has written to senior immigration officials requesting action to eliminate the backlog. Read the statement from CLINIC and follow the links to learn more.

Future of DACA. All agree that the Obama administration program for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was a temporary measure which has remained in effect since 2012 and that Congressional action is needed. The Trump administration tried unsuccessfully to halt the program and the Biden administration has continued it by executive order. Felicia Escobar Carrillo, chief of staff in the office of the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, spoke in the annual convening of CLINIC and outlined additional proposed administrative action. Ms. Carillo acknowledged the logjam of actions due to staff reductions and COVID-related issues, but assured attendees that the administration was committed to preservation of DACA and had increased budgets for staff. Nonetheless, only Congress can institute real reform. Read more here.

Irwin County Detention Center. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that it will cancel its contract with a private contractor for detention of immigrants. The cancellation follows allegations of mistreatment of detainees, including hysterectomies for which women had not given consent.

ICYMI – Do you want more? Immigration news and policy modifications are coming from the government daily. Do you want migration action alerts, weekly reviews, updates on webinars, backgrounders and much more? Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org, scroll to the bottom of any page, and fill out the form. Justice for Immigrants stays on top of changes for you.

What can the Pope teach about immigration? From the earliest days of his pontificate Pope Francis has called the human family to solidarity with migrating people. See a summary of what the pope is teaching.

Fratelli Tutti and immigration.  Fratelli Tutti, the encyclical of Pope Francis, extensively addresses the needs of immigrating people and the opportunity of all to love and care for them. See resources and study guide for exploring the issues from a Gospel perspective.   

Is there a “Crisis” at the border? Politicians characterize the situation at the border to fit their own narrative. Read an enlightening interview with the new executive director of the Hope Border Institute, a grass-roots organization sponsored by the Jesuits and guided by the tenets of Catholic social teaching. 

Human Trafficking. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr have actively supported anti-human trafficking efforts in Georgia. See the recent public service announcement they have released. In addition, see the resource page on human trafficking from Justice for Immigrants.

ICYMI – Do you want a “deep dive” into current immigration law and practice? Every year CLINIC offers a comprehensive set of seminars and courses analyzing the current state of the law. Never has it been more important to keep up to date as the new Biden administration makes changes instituted by the Trump administration. The annual convening will be virtual this year. See registration information at https://cliniclegal.org/training/convening.

New Americans Campaign. In 2011, a diverse nonpartisan national network of respected immigration organizations, legal services providers, faith-based organizations, immigrant rights groups, foundations and community leaders, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), founded the New Americans Campaign. Now ten years old, the campaign educates and informs those eligible for naturalization. See the benefits of naturalized citizenship and an introduction to the naturalization process here.

Border patrol processing specialists. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is, for the first time, fielding teams of social service workers to relieve some of the agents from non-enforcement duties. The first class of coordinators has graduated and will be assigned to give humanitarian services to detainees. Read more here.

Task force on Black immigrants needed. A group of over 100 advocacy groups, including CLINIC, are requesting that the Biden Administration establishes a high level task force on Black immigration issues. “Examining and addressing issues affecting Black immigrants in the U.S. immigration system is necessary to meaningfully address systemic, anti-Black racism in America, as the Biden administration has pledged to do. Accordingly, a Task Force and dedicated resources are needed to begin this crucial work.”

ICYMI – Justice for Immigrants.  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sponsors the Justice for Immigrants campaign. Make sure that you are not missing out on any of the new materials we are putting on the @USCCBJFI  website. See JFI transition documents and the new FAQs on recent executive actions. Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org and scroll to the bottom of any page and fill out the form.

Who cares for the “unaccompanied children” after they cross the southern border? When children cross the border without adult accompaniment, Catholic Charities from the border dioceses and throughout the United States reach out with shelter and assistance in family reunification.

ICYMI – Do you want a “deep dive” into current immigration law and practice? Ever year CLINIC offers a comprehensive set of seminars and courses analyzing the current state of the law. Never has it been more important to keep up to date as the new Biden administration makes changes instituted by the Trump administration. The annual convening will be virtual this year. See registration information here.