Vonetta Edwards, Committee Co-Chair
Shari Shea, Committee Co-Chair
Articles, Facts & Fiction,
Refugee Camp Information Aids
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10 Myths About Immigration
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DC Visitation Detention Network
Action Alert
Refugee Resettlement Action Alert from Jesuit Refugee Service
As Christians, we are connected to those on the margins. This includes the immigrants and refugees in our midst.
Recent news reports have indicated that the annual Presidential Determination (PD) for Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020 will be 18,000.
This is the third reduction in three years and the lowest number of refugees to be resettled in the U.S. since the modern resettlement program began in 1980.
We must oppose these barriers to allowing those fleeing violence and trauma to find security and hope.
Let your policymakers know that you oppose these efforts to limit the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. and that you support greater U.S. involvement in refugee protection efforts.
What You Can Do Right Now to Help Immigrant Families Separated at the Border?
We’ve been hit with this question from our parishioners – “What on earth can we do to try help the families that have been separated?…and what can we do to protest in order to stop this atrocity?”
We came across the following article in The Cut magazine To find out how the general public can fight this horrific policy. The Cut reached out to various organizations that advocate for immigrants’ rights. The attached article with links will direct you on how to volunteer, donate, contact representatives, and protest. Have at it!
Protect Immigrant Children & Families
Since October 2017, over 700 children have been separated from their parents and rendered “unaccompanied,” including over 100 children under the age of four. On May 4, 2018, DHS stated that it will refer all individuals who cross the border without authorization for criminal prosecution, including adult members of family units. If implemented, this policy will undoubtedly lead to a drastic increase in incidences of family separation.
As people of faith we are called to stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters, to stand for families, to stand for the inherent dignity of all people. Join us in taking action!
DACA Action Alert from Ignatian Solidarity Network
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives successfully passed the Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), which aimed to provide DACA recipients, TPS holders, and DED holders a pathway to citizenship.
We now ask you to contact your senators and ask them to follow the example of their colleagues in the House and bring the Dream Act of 2019 (S.874) to the floor for a vote.
There are 800,000 current DACA recipients living in the United States. DACA recipients who graduated from Jesuit universities are currently working as EMTs, teachers, attorneys, and more.
For many, the United States is the only home they have ever known and to suddenly uproot them would be detrimental to both them and our nation.
On November 12th, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. With the outcome of the Supreme Court debate uncertain, now more than ever is the time for Congress to pass a legislative solution to provide permanent security for the DACA recipients.
This bill, which has bipartisan support, will provide much-needed protection and stability for the young, productive, and undocumented members of our society. Join us in calling on the U.S. Senate to bring to the floor for debate and pass a clean Dream Act of 2019.
JRS Advocates
A vital part of the Jesuit Refugee Service’s mission is to defend the rights of refugees and migrants throughout the world.
JRS advocates for just and generous policies and programs for the benefit of victims of forced displacement, so people made vulnerable by exile can receive support and protection, and so a durable solution to their plight can be achieved.
JRS/USA works with an international network of JRS programs in more than 45 countries, and with other human rights and refugee assistance organizations to tell the story of the “forgotten” refugee.
By bringing field-based accounts of needs that too often do not make the headlines to the attention of policymakers in the United States, and by proposing specific actions to meet these needs, JRS advocacy seeks to make a direct and lifesaving impact on the well-being of refugees and forced migrants.
Stand in Support of Dreamers
The Dream Act of 2017 (S 1615 / HR 3440) was introduced in Congress as a bipartisan effort earlier this year.
It is intended to protect immigrant youth who entered the United States as children and know America as their only home.
The bill offers qualifying immigrant youth “conditional permanent resident status” and a path to full lawful permanent residency and eventual citizenship.
This bill would protect numerous youth, including the estimated 780,000 individuals who received temporary relief from deportation and employment eligibility through the Department of Homeland Security’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Resources on Family Separation
Please visit the Justice for Immigrants site to find resources on Family Separation. Learn about the policy and what you can do to help stop Family Separation whether you are a parishioner, an advocate or a social worker.