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CMS Migration Update is a weekly digest of news and other information related to national and international migration.  It is designed to educate faith leaders regarding vulnerable immigrant populations, developments in the immigration field, pastoral resources and the religious touchstones of diverse faith traditions on migrants and newcomers. It should not be relied upon to provide advice or counsel in immigration cases. The publication is provided by the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS), an educational institute/think-tank devoted to the study of international migration, to the promotion of understanding between immigrants and receiving communities, and to public policies that safeguard the dignity and rights of migrants, refugees and newcomers. CMS is a member of the Scalabrini International Migration Network, an international network of shelters, welcoming centers, and other ministries for migrants.
Thomas J. Shea
Editor
Rachel Reyes
Director of Communications
July 26, 2016

Reflections from the Border: Refugee/Displaced Person Crisis Continues in Tijuana

Fr. Pat Murphy, c.s. (July 26, 2016)
 
Fr. Pat Murphy, Director of Centro Scalabrini - Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, describes the surge of refugees and asylum-seekers arriving on the Tijuana-San Diego border. In a period of eight weeks, Casa del Migrante and four other migrant shelters in Tijuana, have hosted close to 4,000 refugees and asylum-seekers. With shelters at capacity, many migrants have been forced to sleep on the streets. Fr. Murphy describes the six distinct groups in which migrants fall: desplazados (displaced people) from the Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacán; Haitians from Brazil; Central Americans; Africans; Cuban Refugees; and others. He offers a "wish list" of responses needed from governments, faith leaders and private citizens, including financial assistance, volunteers, an additional temporary shelter, US pastoral response and aid, and the creation of a task force to develop short- and long-term solutions. 
 
To read more, visit http://cmsny.org/reflections-from-the-border-refugee-crisis-continues-in-tijuana/. 

'We Are Called to Welcome All People'

National Catholic Reporter (July 21, 2016)
 
In a homily given at St. Philomena Parish in Detroit, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton reflected on the Sacrament of Baptism and what it means “when we become sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus.” He stated that the Scriptures call us to welcome all people as sons and daughters of God; one human family. Recalling Pope Francis’s messages, Bp. Gumbleton stated that millions of people around the world are suffering and dying because they have been forced to flee their homes due to “violence, war, and lack of resources.” He urged society to welcome and care for them – whether they are from other parts of the world or from our own communities.
 
To read more, visit https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/peace-pulpit/we-are-called-welcome-all-people.

You Were Told to Love the Immigrant, But What If the Story Never Happened? Hospitality and United States Immigration Law

Social Science Research Network (May 26, 2016)
 
In this paper, Rev. Craig B. Mousin, University Ombudsman at DePaul University, questions what would happen if US immigration law was imposed at the time of the formation of the biblical narrative to care for the stranger. His conclusion is that every major biblical protagonist would have been either deported or excluded. As a result, the biblical narrative would never have been formed. Rev. Mousin further investigates the losses incurred by imposing immigration laws that leave no room for mercy and no discretion. He examines St. Vincent DePaul’s mission to welcome the stranger, and writes how St. Vincent DePaul and the biblical narrative on migrants call us to challenge an immigration system that arrests, detains, and deports women and children.
 
To read more, visit http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2784951.

Governor Cuomo Launches "Naturalize NY"

Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (July 14, 2016)
 
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced the launch of NaturalizeNY, the first public-private partnership to help low income working immigrants become US citizens. The program is administered by the State Office for New Americans (ONA) in partnership with the New York Daily News, the Robin Hood Foundation, SUNY Albany, Stanford University, George Mason University and non-profits throughout New York. NaturalizeNY will provide comprehensive support through the naturalization process. NaturalizeNY includes a lottery for 2,000 fee vouchers to waive the $680 application filing fee required by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Beneficiaries of the fee waiver vouchers must be lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who are eligible to naturalize but earn too much to qualify for the USCIS fee waiver. Permanent residents can register for the lottery online at http://www.naturalizeny.org/ through September 23, 2016. Winners will be selected this fall. If chosen, winners must receive assistance with their applications at one of the 26 ONA Opportunity Centers and must participate in several short surveys.
 
To read more, visit https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-launches-naturalize-ny-first-public-private-partnership-its-kind-promote-us.

To register for the program, visit http://www.naturalizeny.org.

DACA After United States v. Texas: Recommendations for the President

CIRI Advocacy Working Group (July 15, 2016)
 
On June 23, 2016, the US Supreme Court split 4-4 in United States v. Texas, preserving the nationwide injunction halting the implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of US Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs. In response, the Committee for Immigration Reform Implementation (CIRI) issued a report offering recommendations to improve upon the original DACA program so it can help more undocumented people gain relief. CIRI recommends that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) make DACA more affordable to potential applicants by expanding the categories of beneficiaries that can be exempted from paying the $465 filing fee and by permitting applicants to pay by credit card. CIRI also asks that the government look at the entirety of a DACA applicant’s circumstances. Rather than relying on rigid requirements, the government might waive an eligibility factor if the applicant meets the majority of eligibility criteria. Finally, CIRI recommends that USCIS make its adjudication process more efficient and transparent so that more individuals will be encouraged to apply.
 
To read more, visit http://www.adminrelief.org/resources/item.608862-DACA_After_United_States_v_Texas_Recommendations_for_the_President.

Federal Immigration Court Backlog Tops 500,000 Pending Cases

FoxNews.com (July 20, 2016)
 
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the umbrella federal agency that oversees all the immigration courts in the United States, reported that it has 500,051 immigration cases pending before its courts. According to the article, the backlog of cases has been steadily increasing since 2011. Because of the backlog, non-citizens in removal (deportation) proceedings do not receive a decision on their cases for years. As they wait, factors in their cases can change “for good or bad,” impacting the court’s eventual decision. Immigration judges are calling on the government to provide more resources to help address the backlog and to speed up the adjudication of pending cases.
 
To read more, visit http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/20/federal-immigration-court-backlog-tops-500000-pending-cases.html.

CBP Settles Lawsuit by Woman Over Body Searches

El Paso Times (July 22, 2016)
 
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the bureau within the federal government responsible for monitoring the borders and ports of entry into the United States. CBP has confirmed that it reached a settlement with a New Mexican woman who claimed that CBP subjected her to a strip search and invasive body searches during a 2012 detention at a port of entry in El Paso. The settlement is for $475,000, an amount which American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) groups claim is one of the largest of its kind for violations involving an individual search. The woman also received a $1.1 million settlement from the University Medical Center of El Paso which assisted CBP by subjecting her to “vaginal and anal and other procedures for about six hours without her consent or a search warrant.” The hospital then billed her $5,400 for the procedures. According to the article, no contraband was ever found during the searches. The settlement also requires that CBP officers and supervisors undergo an additional hour of training on screening. Rebecca Robertson, legal and policy director for the ACLU of Texas, commented: “While we are pleased to have obtained justice for our client, this is really a victory for residents of border communities, who shouldn’t have to fear interactions with the thousands of border agents in their midst.” 
 
To read more, visit http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2016/07/21/cpb-settles-lawsuit-nm-woman-over-invasive-body-search/87385222/.

Meet the Refugee Farmers of Cleveland Who Are Actually Making America Great Again

Fusion (July 21, 2016)
 
Many speakers at last week’s Republican National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland delivered speeches opposing the entry of refugees into the United States. One mile from the RNC, however, refugees from around the world are growing produce for the City of Cleveland at the Ohio City Farm. Employed by Refugee Response, a nonprofit organization, refugees use their agricultural expertise to grow and harvest produce sold to 18 local restaurants, a nearby market stand, and Cleveland residents. The eight refugees working the farm include three people from Burma, three from Bhutan, one from Somalia, and one from Burundi. They work one- to three- year stints. Reporter Casey Tolan writes, “The politicians taking the stage at the RNC like to depict refugees as terrorists and a danger to American society. But if they took a short trip to the farm, they could get a very different perspective.”
 
To read more, visit http://fus.in/2aq1wuh.

Canada Expecting Delays In Refugee Arrivals Amid Turkey Unrest

The Huffington Post Canada (July 19, 2016)
 
The Canadian government anticipates that the current delay in resettling Syrian refugees from Turkey to Canada will be aggravated by the recent failed military coup in Turkey. Columnist Stephanie Levitz writes that the eight-month processing time for the Turkish government to issue exit permits to Syrian refugees in the country may become even longer due to the political instability in Turkey. She reports that 549 Syrian refugees in Turkey are awaiting approval by the Turkish government to travel to Canada and that another 3,815 applications are pending.
 
To read more, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/07/19/canada-refugees-turkey-delays_n_11076382.html.

NIJC Director of Policy Position

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) (July 20, 2016)
 
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) is seeking a Director of Policy for its Washington, DC or Chicago office. The Director is responsible for advancing NIJC’s strategic advocacy efforts, primarily at the federal level. In addition, the Director of Policy coordinates the policy reform elements of NIJC’s Detention, Democracy, and Due Process (D3P) Project, a national campaign to reform the immigration enforcement and detention system. The Director of Policy will advance these goals in collaboration with NIJC’s legal and communications staff, immigrant and human rights organizations, advocates, legislators, representatives from administrative agencies, other policy makers, and the media. The position reports to NIJC’s Executive Director and works closely with the Executive Director to ensure that NIJC’s advocacy goals are achieved.
 
To read more, visit http://immigrantjustice.org/careers#Policy%20Director.

WASHINGTON UPDATE


Congress adjourned July 15 until after Labor Day for the national political conventions and summer recess. Before they adjourned, two significant pieces of legislation were introduced. First, The Refugee Protection Act (S. 3241, H.R. 5851) was introduced in both the US Senate and US House of Representatives, sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), respectively. The legislation includes several reforms to the refugee protection and asylum systems. In addition, The Secure the Northern Triangle Act (H.R. 5850) was introduced in the House of Representatives and sponsored by Representative Lofgren. The bill would create a coordinated regional response to address the humanitarian crisis driving migration from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala and to better protect refugees and asylum seekers from these countries. It is the House version of S. 3106, introduced by Senator Harry Reid. After they return, Congress will face a deadline for passing a budget prior to October 1st, and will likely pass a continuing resolution until after the November elections.
 
On July 12, 77 House Democrats wrote to President Obama asking for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The three countries are in the top ten of nations with the highest murder rate.
 
The Obama Administration is stepping up efforts to meet its goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees by September 30. In June, 2,400 Syrian refugees arrived with about 5,200 resettled since the beginning of the fiscal year. Resettlement agencies are bracing for a surge of Syrians in August and September.
 
The Department of State issued its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report in late June, raising Thailand, well-known for the human trafficking trade, from Tier 3 to a Tier 2 category. Tier 3 is the lowest ranking a country can receive in making progress against human trafficking. This comes after Malaysia, another country with a human trafficking problem, was raised from Tier 3 to Tier 2 last year. Some observers claim that the TIP report has become politicized and used as to reward nations for cooperating on other issues, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

NEW FROM CMS


SAVE THE DATE | Center for Migration Studies 2016 Gala


Join the Center for Migration Studies on October 26, 2016 to celebrate another successful year of advancing understanding of international migration and public policies that protect the rights and dignity of migrants, newcomers, and refugees. The CMS Annual Gala will include a cocktail reception, a dinner and a special presentation of awards to individuals who have contributed exceptionally to the field of international migration.
 
To read more, visit http://cmsny.org/2016gala/.

If you are a migrant or pastoral worker and wish to submit an article or reflection to the CMS Migration Update, please email Tom Shea at tshea@cmsny.org
Copyright © 2016 Center for Migration Studies, New York, All rights reserved.


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