Persistent Insecurity: Abuses Against Central Americans in Mexico

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (October 21, 2013)

This report on a statistical analysis of surveys of Central Americans deported from Mexico and the United States details the increasing trend of abuses against Central Americans (El Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans) who are migrating through Mexico to the United States.  Even though reports over the past several years indicate that the number of Mexicans immigrating to the United States has decreased, the number of Central Americans has not decreased. These migrants are often vulnerable to abuse “by organized crime, drug cartels, Mexican officials, and opportunistic criminals.” 

For more information, visit: https://www.jrsusa.org/Assets/Publications/File/Persistent_Insecurity.pdf.

Sahara deaths: Niger to Close Illegal Migrant Camps

BBC News Africa (November 1, 2013)

Many people die while emigrating to other countries in an effort to better the situation for themselves and their families.  92 migrants were found dead from thirst in the Sahara Desert in Niger.  They were found on a well-known route for migrants between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.  The government of Niger blamed the deaths on criminal trafficking networks and has announced its intent to shut-down illegal migrant camps created by these networks. 

For more information, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24780383?print=true.

Responding to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: 

A Conversation with T. Alexander Aleinikoff, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees

Migration Policy Institute (MPI) (November 2013)

Since the civil war in Syria started more than two years ago, five million Syrians are internally displaced within Syria and almost 2.2 million Syrians have sought refugee in nearby countries.  This is considered the “largest humanitarian emergency” since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.  Not only is this posing a challenge to those entities that help host countries with refugee crisis-response but it also presents an opportunity for these same entities to create models for long-term emergency response and development as opposed to focusing only on short-term solutions. 

For more information, visit: http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=971.

Jesuits Respond to the Problem of Statelessness in the Dominican Republic (In Spanish)

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (November 2013)

Fr. P. Mario Serrano, S.J., National Director of the Social Sector of the Society of Jesus in the Dominican Republic, analyzes -- in a brief video -- the recent decision by the Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court finding that certain people born to undocumented foreign nationals in the Dominican Republic are not Dominican citizens. This decision could take away Dominican citizenship to thousands of current Dominican citizens, making them stateless in their own country.

For more information, visit: http://vimeo.com/78555604.

President Obama Should Exercise His Executive Authority to Protect Immigrants while Congress stalls on immigration reform

Letter to the Editor (New York Times, November 4, 2013)

While Congress remains inactive on immigration reform, President Obama should take this opportunity to implement his policies on prosecutorial discretion and not detain or deport immigrants who have strong ties to the United States and who do not pose a threat to our communities. 

To read the letter from the Executive Director of the National Immigrant Justice Center, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/opinion/immigration-reform.html?emc=edit_tnt_20131104&tntemail0=y.

Immigration Reform: The Politics of the Possible

The Christian Science Monitor (November 6, 2013)

Rebecca Tallent, Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Immigration Task Force, gives an analysis of the current state of immigration reform in Congress and points out the need for immigration reform advocates to convince Republican members of the House of Representatives -- particularly those who appear unlikely to be affected by immigration reform -- about the merits of immigration reform. 

To read more, visit: http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Common-Ground/2013/1106/Immigration-reform-the-politics-of-the-possible

Cardinal Timothy Dolan Presses House on Immigration Reform

The Huffington Post (November 7, 2013)

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), wrote to fellow Catholic and Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, urging the House of Representatives to act on immigration reform before the end of the year because it is “a matter of great moral urgency that cannot wait any longer for action.”  He reiterated the USCCB’s position that immigration reform must include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as well as protections for future migrant workers, and provisions for family reunification and the restoration of due process rights to immigrants. 

For more information, visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/timothy-dolan-immigration_n_4236325.html?utm_hp_ref=politics. 

To read the actual letter from Cardinal Dolan to Speaker Boehner, visit: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/upload/immigration-letter-to-house-dolan-2013-11-07.pdf.

Immigration Vote Unlikely This Year Lawmaker Says

The New York Times (November 8, 2013)

Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the Majority Whip in the House of Representatives, stated earlier this week that the House of Representatives does not have time this year to take up immigration reform but that he is committed to addressing it next year. 

For more information, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/09/us/politics/immigration-vote-unlikely-this-year-lawmaker-says.html?emc=edit_tnt_20131108&tntemail0=y. 

Lessons on Immigration in Two Governors’ Races

The New York Times (November 6, 2013)

Republican Governor Chris Christie beat Democrat Barbara Buono to be re-elected as Governor of New Jersey and Democrat Terry McAuliffe beat Republican Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II to win the election for Governor of Virginia on November 5th.  Chris Christie and Terry McAuliffe invested resources in getting out the Latino vote and have come out with some pro-immigration-reform stances whereas Ken Cuccinelli made little effort to reach out to Latinos and has taken some pro-enforcement stances against immigrants.  For Latino voters in New Jersey and Virginia, the Republican candidates’ positions on immigration “strongly influenced” their voting.  There are lessons to be learned for the national Republican party about the strategic importance of Latino voters. 

To learn more, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/us/politics/lessons-on-immigration-in-two-governors-races.html?emc=edit_tnt_20131106&tntemail0=y.