Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees

(to be celebrated on January 19, 2014)

Migrants and Refugees: Towards a Better World (August 5, 2013)

The Holy Father chose the theme of Migrants and Refugees: Towards a Better World for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees in response to the growing interdependence and interaction of countries on a global level trying to improve the living conditions for humanity. Pope Francis calls on us, in our efforts to make a better world, to aim to create “an authentic and integral development . . . to provide dignified living conditions for everyone, . . .[to] finding just responses to the needs of individuals and families, and . . . [to] ensuring that God’s gift of creation is respected, safeguarded and cultivated.”  This is all aimed at helping human beings, including migrants and refugees, in their efforts “to be more.”

For more information, visit: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20130805_world-migrants-day_en.html.

Save the Date!  2014 National Migration Conference:  In Faith, In Solidarity, In Service

(Washington, DC, July 7 through July 10, 2014)

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) will host the National Migration Conference in Washington, DC from July 7-10, 2014.  The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) is also be assisting with the conference.  Registration is scheduled to open before Thanksgiving. 

To get more information, visit: www.nationalmigrationconference.org. 

The National Migration Conference has also put out a call for workshop proposals.  More information can be found here: http://www.csi-dc.com/uploads/file/Call_for_Workshop_Proposals.pdf. 

Also, people can follow the National Migration Conference on Twitter @migrationconf and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NationalMigrationConference.

White House Seeks Republican Immigration Help

Politico (November 10, 2013)

Back in June, the Senate passed a bi-partisan immigration reform bill. The bill moved on to the House of Representatives where it has languished because of Republican opposition.  Immigration reform has not progressed in Congress due in no small part to the rancor between the White House and the Republicans in the House of Representatives.  The White House is reaching out to conservative business leaders and select House members to help develop a message that will convince House Republicans of the importance of passing immigration reform.

For more information, visit: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/white-house-seeks-gop-immigration-help-99640.html.

Congress Seems to Be Done Legislating for the Year

Politico (November 12, 2013)

With less than eight weeks left in 2013 and the House of Representatives scheduled to be in session only 8 days during the month of December, it appears unlikely that Congress will reach a deal this year on immigration reform.

For more information, visit: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/congress-2013-done-legislating-99703.html.

Boehner Rules Out Immigration Reform This Year

CNN (November 13, 2013)

John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives, announced that the House has “no intention ever of going to conference on the Senate bill" referring to the Senate-passed immigration reform bill from June.  Instead of acting on comprehensive immigration reform that can address -- at one time -- multiple problems with the current immigration system, such as border issues, enforcement issues, future immigration flows, and legalization of undocumented immigrants, etc., Boehner intends to have the House move on piece-meal legislation to address problems one bill at a time.

For more information, visit: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/13/boehner-rules-out-immigration-reform-this-year/.

Immigrants Closely Tied to Military Get Reprieve

New York Times (November 15, 2013)

After three years of deliberation and review, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a memorandum permitting undocumented spouses, children, and parents of veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and Selected Reserve or people serving in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces  or Selected Reserve to receive what is referred to as “parole in place,” which is a designation that allows them to overcome a ground of inadmissibility and helps them meet one of the requirements to adjust status to permanent residence in the United States.  In effect, this memo will help certain undocumented family members of U.S. military veterans and people still serving in the U.S. military to get on the path to legalizing their status (i.e., getting a green card).  The USCIS issued this memo in response to concerns from the U.S. Department of Defense that people serving in active duty “face stress and anxiety because of the immigration status of their family members in the United States” and worry about their family members being deported while they are deployed abroad.

For more information, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/16/us/immigrants-closely-tied-to-military-get-reprieve.html?emc=edit_tnt_20131115&tntemail0=y. 

To read the actual memorandum from the USCIS, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/2013/2013-1115_Parole_in_Place_Memo_.pdf.

Dream Boat:

More Than a Thousand Refugees Have Died Trying to Reach Christmas Island.  But Faced with Unbearable Conditions at Home, They Keep Coming

The New York Times Magazine (November 15, 2013)

A writer and photographer pose as Georgian refugees in order to be smuggled with a group of Iranians from Indonesia over 200 miles south to Christmas Island, an Australian island almost 1,000 miles north of Australia. The article gives some insight into not only what some Middle Eastern refugees go through in order to find a better life but also on how the Australian government responds to refugees.

For more information, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/magazine/the-impossible-refugee-boat-lift-to-christmas-island.html?emc=edit_tnt_20131115&tntemail0=y&_r=0.