MIGRATION UPDATE

U.S. Urged to Offer 'Compassionate and Sustainable' Response to Humanitarian Crisis in Central America

Jesuit Refugee Service USA (October 22, 2014)

Jesuit Refugee Services USA and more than 50 other organizations sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging  the U.S. government to respond, in a compassionate and sustainable way, to the influx of refugees from Central America.  In the letter, the organizations request Congressional leaders to retain provisions of the 2015 Fiscal Year State and Foreign Operations bills that seek to address some of the factors driving children, families, women, and men to abandon their homes in the Central American region.  Noting that many families and unaccompanied children are fleeing Central America because of violence from gangs and organized crime, the faith-based, human rights, and labor organizations called for investment in programs that strengthen the judicial systems in Central America that in turn will help reduce impunity and permit governments to protect the human and labor rights of its citizens.  The organizations assert that aid and policies that help the Central American governments protect their citizens and open up educational and job opportunities will address the refugee exodus in a sustainable way. 

To read more, visit http://www.jrsusa.org/campaign_detail?TN=PROJECT-20141022082728&PTN=PROMO-20100826120437&utm_source=November+Newsletter&utm_campaign=CC_NOV_Dispatch_All&utm_medium=email.

Obama’s Gamble on Immigration

Politico (November 5, 2014)

Earlier in the year, President Obama promised to announce by the end of summer a plan to take executive action to help undocumented immigrants in the United States. In order to protect vulnerable Senate Democrats in “red” states (i.e., states that have a history of voting predominantly Republican), Obama delayed the announcement until after the November 4th mid-term elections.  Obama’s decision, however, did not appear to influence the election.  In the end, the Republicans gained control of Congress and Obama may have alienated some of his Latino and pro-immigrant rights constituencies.  Obama, however, appears to be moving forward with executive action.  The administration is considering two key factors in determining whether immigrants here illegally should be spared from deportations through executive action: how long they have been in the United States and their family ties.  In addition, the administration is considering tweaks to the 2012 administrative directive to halt deportations of certain undocumented immigrants, which could broaden the number of immigrants who qualify under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

To read more, visit http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/obama-immigration-gamble-backfire-elections-112628.html.

Pilgrims and Native Americans Share Similarities with Migrants of Today

Kino Border Initiative (November 6, 2014)

Before giving thanks for surviving their first winter and planting season, the European settlers of Plymouth Plantation endured a two-month trans-Atlantic journey to escape persecution and find a better life.  Only 50 of the original 100 survived to the time of what is now considered to be the first “Thanksgiving” celebration.  Migrants today must similarly go through long arduous and dangerous journeys in order to escape persecution and/or to seek a better life for themselves and their families in often inhospitable lands. The author asserts that migration today is not a new phenomenon but instead a continuation of human movement to seek safety, security, and well-being.

To read more, visit https://www.kinoborderinitiative.org/pilgrims-progress-legacy-thanksgiving/.

Thousands of Child Migrants Still Lack Lawyers

Politico (November 6, 2014)

Recent data from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the umbrella federal administrative agency within the U.S. Department of Justice that oversees all the immigration courts in the United States, shows that thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America who are currently in removal proceedings lack attorneys to represent them.  From July 18, 2014 to October 21, 2014, 11,392 master calendar hearings have been held.  Of the 1,542 removal orders issued in the same time period, 94 percent involved children without counsel.  Many of these children are under age 14 and do not speak English.  In an effort to deter future migrants from crossing the border, the U.S. government is trying to expedite the deportations of unaccompanied children back to Central America.  Because of accelerated procedures, however, children do not have time to find attorneys and do not have the ability to articulate defenses.  Without legal representation, children are also more likely to miss court hearings.

To read more, visit http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/child-migrants-lawyers-112654.html.

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