MIGRATION UPDATE
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
Communications Coordinator
March 17, 2015

Behind the Numbers: Drilling Down on Illegal Immigration

The Wall Street Journal (March 13, 2015)

The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) unveiled a new database that provides estimates and characteristics of undocumented residents in the United States at the national, state, and sub-state levels. The estimates were produced by Robert Warren, senior visiting fellow with CMS and former director of the statistics division for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. According to Mr. Warren, “[These estimates] are unique in just the sheer amount of detail that they show for such small geographic areas. They are also the most up to date estimates available.” The database, which is available at data.cmsny.org, allows users to search by states or by public use microdata sample areas (PUMAs) which are specialized sub-state geography created by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

To read more, visit http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/behind-the-numbers-drilling-down-on-illegal-immigration-1998/.

To access the database, visit http://data.cmsny.org/. 

A Quick Look at Immigration Statuses: The Immigration Hotel  (Video)

LegalEd

Professor Virgil Wiebe of University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis gives a brief explanation of the different legal statuses foreign nationals might obtain in the United States.  From people visiting on temporary visas through individuals obtaining permanent residence (i.e., green cards) to those who attain U.S. citizenship, Professor Weibe provides an easy-to-follow description of the various statuses by drawing an analogy to guests arriving at a hotel.

To see more, visit https://vimeo.com/101908085.

Bishop Mark Seitz: U.S.-led Interdiction Effort in Mexico Breaks International Law

El Paso Times (Opinion) (March 8, 2015)

Last summer, the United States saw a huge increase of children and families from Central America arriving at the southern border seeking refuge. At its highest point, there were 10,000 Central Americans per month arriving in the U.S.. Those numbers have now dropped to approximately 2,500 a month but, the author notes, it is not due to any messaging to those communities on the dangers of traveling north. Instead, the drop in numbers of migrants is due in large part to the Central American and Mexican governments preventing migrants from moving north or intercepting them on their way north. The author writes that this “interdiction” policy pushed by the U.S. government violates international law because the governments are forcing the return of migrants to their home countries without affording them the opportunity to present claims for refugee status or other protection.
 
To read more, visit http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_27668432/bishop-mark-seitz-u-s-led-interdiction-effort.

Signups by Undocumented Immigrant Drivers May Explain 30% Boost in Organ Donors

The Fresno Bee (March 11, 2015)

Since January 2, 2015, undocumented immigrants are eligible to apply for driver licenses in California. When applying for a driver license, individuals can indicate whether they wish to be an organ or tissue donor. Since this law went into effect, more than 147,000 people have obtained driver’s licenses in the state and 56,000 of those chose to be organ and tissue donors. This is the first spike in organ donor registration in several years and many suspect it is the unintended result of permitting undocumented people to obtain driver licenses.

To read more visit http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/11/4421564/undocumented-immigrant-drivers.html#storylink=cpy/.

Iowa Pastor Detained, Faces Deportation to Honduras

Mennonite World Review (March 11, 2015)

On March 3, 2015, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested Mennonite Pastor Max Villatoro at his home. ICE seeks to deport him to his native country, Honduras. Married with four U.S. citizen children, Villatoro has lived in the United States since the early 1990s. According to the article, ICE arrested Villatoro because of prior convictions including a conviction from the 1990s for drunk driving and illegally trying to obtain a driver license. Leaders in the Mennonite church stated that, since those convictions from the 1990s, Villatoro has “turned his life around” and is not a security threat to the United States. For this reason, the article reports, church leaders are calling on ICE to exercise prosecutorial discretion and not deport Villatoro because he is not a high enforcement priority. Instead, they assert, he should remain with his American family.

To read more, visit http://mennoworld.org/2015/03/11/news/iowa-pastor-detained-faces-deportation-to-honduras/.

St. Patrick, St. Joseph and Irish-Italian Harmony (Opinion)

How a shared faith helped overcome a history of rough immigrant rivalry

The Wall Street Journal (March 12, 2015) 

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, newer Italian immigrants competed with already established Irish-Americans for work as laborers. This often led to conflict between the two peoples. The author writes that the once bitter rivalry between Irish-Americans and Italian immigrants played out sometimes in Catholic parishes, where the two groups had different ways of practicing the religion. Nevertheless, the author writes, it was these same Catholic parishes that helped in reconciling the Irish and the Italians.

To read more, visit http://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-moses-st-patrick-st-joseph-and-irish-italian-harmony-1426205358.

Texas #Immigration Appeal:  Clarifying Media Reports Implying Appeals Court Has Rejected DOJ Expedite Request

David Leopold (Blog) (March 13, 2015)

The author, a past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), writes that recent media reports mischaracterize an order issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in response to two motions filed by the Obama Administration. The Department of Justice filed a motion asking the Fifth Circuit to stay the preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen, temporarily halting the implementation of Obama’s new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Administration also filed a motion asking the Fifth Circuit to expedite the Administration’s appeal of Judge Hanen’s preliminary injunction. According to this blog, media reports incorrectly state that the Fifth Circuit has denied the Administration’s request to expedite the review of the preliminary injunction. Mr. Leopold clarifies that the Fifth Circuit merely gave the plaintiffs in the lawsuit (the 26 states) until March 23rd to respond to both motions. The Obama Administration had asked the court to direct the plaintiffs to respond within seven days to the motion to stay the preliminary injunction. Instead, the court gave the plaintiffs an additional three days to respond. The author points out that the Fifth Circuit’s did not reject the Administration’s request to expedite review of the appeal -- as some media outlets incorrectly report.

To read more, visit http://www.immvisa.com/blogs/david-leopold-blog.

Message to the Taoiseach: There are Undocumented Migrants Right Here in Ireland, Too

Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (March 15, 2015)

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Enda Kenny, will visit the White House on St. Patrick’s Day for discussions with the President and Vice President. According to this press release, Mr. Kenny reportedly supports President Obama’s efforts to regularize the status of undocumented people -- particularly Irish nationals -- living in the United States. Through this press release, members of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland remind Mr. Kenny that there are undocumented people also living in Ireland and that he should follow President Obama’s lead and help them become legal.

To read more, visit http://www.mrci.ie/press-centre/message-to-the-taoiseach-there-are-undocumented-migrants-right-here-in-ireland-too/.  See also http://www.thejournal.ie/migrant-rights-ireland-1993668-Mar2015/.

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

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