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January 19, 2022
Check out this week's digest of news, resources, faith reflections, and analysis of international migration and refugee protection, brought to you by the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS)
Haga clic aquí para la versión en español de la Actualización de Política.

Pope Francis: ‘Economy Must Serve People and Planet, Not Profits’

Pope Francis urges participants in a Vatican conference on the post-pandemic future to make concrete commitments to putting the global economy at the service of people and the planet.
Vatican News (January 13, 2022)

Pope Francis called on businesses to measure success as the number of people who move out of extreme poverty rather than defining success in terms of profits at the online conference, “Preparing the Future: Building a sustainable, inclusive, regenerative economy.” The conference brought together leaders in the areas of business, finance, development economics, and academia to discuss new economic models to improve society post-pandemic and to value nature, people, and society over profit. Fr. Fabio Baggio, Under-Secretary of the Vatican’s Migrants & Refugee Section, warned that if governments fail to fully integrate migrants, their countries will lose out on the growth the migrants could bring to their economies. “It is worth making the right choice today,” Fr. Baggio said. He called “for the global governance of migration flows, for multilateral dialogue that is attentive to the needs and opportunities of all countries, for real co-responsibility in responding to humanitarian emergencies, and for building intercultural and cohesive societies.”

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Pope: Parents Who Face Challenges for Their Children's Sake Are Heroes

Pope Francis grants an interview to Vatican Media on being parents during the COVID-19 pandemic and the witness of Saint Joseph, calling him an example of strength and tenderness for today’s fathers.
Vatican News (January 13, 2022)

Parents who flee war with their families and are rejected and excluded at borders are “heroes,” Pope Francis said. Reflecting on the end of a year dedicated to Saint Joseph, the Patron of the Universal Church, he said parents who experience difficulties and suffering in order to take care of their families are not forgotten by the Church. “I see in them the courage of those who risk their lives for love of their children, for love of their family,” Pope Francis said. He compared such parents to Joseph and Mary, who fled to Egypt as refugees after Jesus was born to escape Herod. The Holy Family’s suffering then is similar to the suffering of migrants and refugees today, Pope Francis said. 

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12 Years after Haiti’s Earthquake, Devastation and Doubt Still Remain

Crux (January 15, 2022)

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake followed by at least two strong aftershocks that killed more than 220,000 people, injured 300,000 people, displaced more than 1.5 million people, and caused widespread destruction. Shortly after the earthquake, the United States designated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), permitting Haitian nationals present in the United States to receive temporary protection from deportation and work permits that could be renewed with each extension of the TPS designation. The twelfth anniversary of the earthquake passed last week. Crux interviewed journalist Marcus Garcia who was present in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit. He owns the only radio station in the city that was not destroyed. Much of the money donated to the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti were never used for the intended purpose, Garcia said, and political corruption worsened after the earthquake. Immediately after the earthquake, many Haitians fled their country for South America, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic hardship have migrated again to the US-Mexico border to seek refuge in the United States.

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On America's Obsession with Locking up Immigrants: An Audio Interview with César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández on the Politics of Immigration and the Road Ahead in 2022 

The legal scholar and author of "Crimmigration Law" and "Migrating to Prison" on immigration detention reform, midterm elections, and what he’s watching for in 2022.
The Border Chronicle (January 13, 2022)

In this audio interview, César Cuauhtémoc Garcia Hernandez looks at the first year of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, the promises made and broken. Garcia Hernandez is an author, a professor at Ohio State University, and an expert on the intersection of criminal law and immigration law, sometimes referred to as “crimmigration.”  The Biden administration is not following the enforcement policies of the Trump administration, but instead the policies of the Obama administration. Under the Biden administration, the daily count of immigrants in detention has been around 20,000. The Democratic party, he says, is at a crossroads: Will the party stand strongly in defense of immigrants or cower in the face of unrelenting attacks on immigrants from former President Trump and other conservative candidates for elected office?

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Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See

Vatican (January 10, 2022)

Commemorating the start of the new year, Pope Francis welcomed diplomats to the Vatican and recounted his recent visit to a migrant and refugee hospitality center on the Greek island of Lesbos. The faces of the children and adults there, he said, showed the effort of their journey, their fear in the face of an uncertain future, their sorrow for loved ones left behind, and the nostalgia for their homes they were forced to flee. At a New Year gathering, Pope Francis said that diplomacy is about helping “resolve disagreements arising from human coexistence” and fostering harmony and unity among people. He called on the diplomats to not be indifferent to the plight of people forced to flee and not to hide behind walls or barbed wire ostensibly for security reasons or to protect a way of life. Pope Francis thanked those governments and people who welcome migrants and refugees and who support their human promotion and integration. He called on people to reject the idea that migrants are a problem for others.He added that the shared challenges of our time, the pandemic, climate change, and migration movements are all global and demand “a recovery of our sense of a shared identity as a single human family.”

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NYC Enacts Law Allowing Noncitizens to Vote in Local Elections

Gothamist (January 9, 2022)

At midnight on January 9, a measure passed by the New York City Council permitting legal residents to vote in local elections became law. The measure, Intro 1867, permits lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals with work authorization, including DACA beneficiaries, to participate in New York City municipal elections. New York City residents will be able to vote for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and council members as well as vote in municipal referendums. The law opens the doors to approximately 800,000 New York City residents to register to vote and to vote in city elections if they have lived in the city for at least 30 days before the election. The law does not permit them to vote in state or federal elections. Within sixty days, a five-person advisory group must be established to monitor and give advice during the implementation process of an effective “municipal voter” registration. Non-citizen residents will be able to vote in 2023.

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READ THE LEGISLATION

NEW FROM CMS

Resources for Understanding Biden’s First Year: Immigration Agenda, Policy Changes, Long-term Reforms, and Stark Failures

January 20 marks one year since President Joseph A. Biden’s inauguration. During his presidential campaign, Joe Biden committed to “finish the work of building a fair and humane immigration system–restoring the progress Trump has cruelly undone and taking it further.” This post outlines CMS publications and other resources, which examine the extent to which Biden has delivered on that commitment in his first year in office.

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POLICY UPDATE
 

DOS Restarted Refugee Admissions after a Temporary Pause in November 2021

On January 11, the Department of State (DOS) restarted refugee admissions. Refugees who have undergone all processing and security checks will not be restricted from traveling to the United States. In November 2021, DOS temporarily paused admissions for some refugees to prioritize processing and resettlement of thousands of Afghan evacuees. So far, over 52,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States through the refugee resettlement and Special Immigrant Visa programs and approximately 22,500 are being processed at several military bases. As of November 30, 2021, more than 2,000 refugees have been resettled in the United States for FY 2022. The refugee admissions cap for FY 2022, which indicates how many refugees can be resettled in the US for the fiscal year, is 125,000. This is a significant increase compared to the refugee admissions cap in FY 2021, which was increased to 62,500 after the previous administration set a historically low cap of 15,000 for the year.

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EOIR Postponed Certain Immigration Court Hearings Due to a Surge in COVID-19 Cases

On January 10, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) postponed certain immigration court hearings due to a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide. Immigration hearings scheduled through January 31, for respondents who are not in immigration detention and do not have an attorney or another representative of record, will be postponed and rescheduled. However, immigration hearings for the following individuals will proceed as follows:

  • Detained respondents’ hearings, including bond requests and custody redeterminations, will proceed as scheduled and will be held either by phone or online.
  • Represented non-detained respondents’ hearings will proceed as scheduled and will be held either by phone or online.
  • Hearings for Migrant Protection Protocols enrollees who are not in the United States will proceed as scheduled and will be held in person.
  • Hearings for unrepresented, non-detained respondents who request to proceed by phone or online will proceed as scheduled.

Further updates regarding EOIR’s operations or additional postponements of immigration hearings can be found on the EOIR Operational Status website.

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Senate Democrats Request TPS Designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala

On January 10, 30 Senate Democrats requested that the Biden Administration grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) re-designations for El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua and a new designation for Guatemala. TPS provides temporary protection against deportation and work authorization to nationals of designated countries who cannot return home safely due to armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. In 2019 and 2020, the US District Court of the Northern District of California issued preliminary injunctions in Bhattarai et al. v. Nielsen et al. and Ramos, et al. v. Nielsen, et al. that prevent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from terminating TPS for several countries including Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras. Although current TPS holders can continue to maintain this status under these injunctions, new applicants from these countries will not be able to apply for TPS status until these countries are redesignated by DHS. In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the senators determined that worsening humanitarian conditions in Central America, social and economic crises compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, and multiple devastating natural disasters warrant these TPS designations and redesignations.

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UN UPDATE
 

UN Seeks $5 Billion from International Donors to Prevent Catastrophe in Afghanistan

On January 11, the United Nations (UN) asked international donors to provide over $5 billion to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, the largest appeal for a single country in history. Only five months after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, half the population is now facing acute hunger, over 9 million people are displaced, and the economy is quickly declining. If funded, the UN and partner organizations will deliver life-saving aid to 22 million people in Afghanistan and support the 5.7 million displaced Afghans and their local communities in five neighboring countries. This appeal will be followed by a pledging conference in March 2022. Several countries already announced new funding, including $308 million from the United States.

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The United States Released a Revised Statement on the Adoption of the GCM

On December 17, 2021, the US government released a revised national statement on the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This statement confirms the US government’s recommitment to the GCM after the previous administration withdrew from negotiations and objected to the adoption of the GCM in 2018. The GCM is the first agreement negotiated between member states and prepared under the auspices of the UN to cover all dimensions of international migration and provide political objectives for States to pursue. In its statement, the Biden-Harris Administration endorsed the vision of the GCM and stated its commitment to work toward enhancing cooperation in migration management, protecting vulnerable migrants, and addressing the root causes of migration. In accordance with the objectives set forth in the GCM, the US government committed to provide noncitizens with improved access to legal resources, promote immigrant integration in the United States, eliminate sources of fear and other barriers that prevent noncitizens from accessing government services available to them, combat human smuggling, and eradicate human trafficking.

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ACTUALIZACIÓN DE POLÍTICA
 

El DOS Reanudó las Admisiones de Refugiados Tras una Pausa Temporal en Noviembre de 2021

El 11 de enero, el Departamento de Estado (DOS) reanudó las admisiones de refugiados. Los refugiados que han sido sometidos a todos los procesos y controles de seguridad no tendrán restricciones para viajar a Estados Unidos. En noviembre de 2021, el DOS pausó temporalmente las admisiones de algunos refugiados para priorizar el procesamiento y el reasentamiento de miles de evacuados afganos. Hasta ahora, más de 52.000 afganos han sido reasentados en Estados Unidos a través de los programas de reasentamiento de refugiados y de visados especiales para inmigrantes, y aproximadamente 22.500 se encuentran en trámite en varias bases militares. Hasta el 30 de noviembre de 2021, más de 2.000 refugiados han sido reasentados en Estados Unidos para el año fiscal 2022. El límite de admisión de refugiados para el año fiscal 2022, lo que indica cuántos refugiados pueden ser reasentados en Estados Unidos durante el año fiscal, es de 125.000. Se trata de un aumento significativo en comparación con el límite de admisión de refugiados en el año fiscal 2021, lo que se incrementó a 62.500 después de que la administración anterior estableciera un límite históricamente bajo de 15.000 para el año.

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​​EOIR Pospuso Ciertas Audiencias de la Corte de Inmigración Debido a un Aumento en los Casos de COVID-19

El 10 de enero, la Oficina Ejecutiva de Revisión de Inmigración (EOIR) pospuso ciertas audiencias de la corte de inmigración debido a un aumento en los casos de COVID-19 en todo el país. Las audiencias de inmigración programadas hasta el 31 de enero, para los demandados que no estén en la detención de inmigración y no tengan un abogado u otro representante de registro, se pospondrán y se reprogramarán. Sin embargo, las audiencias de inmigración para las siguientes personas procederán de la siguiente manera:

  • Las audiencias de los demandados detenidos, incluyendo las solicitudes de fianza y las redeterminaciones de custodia, procederán según lo programado y se llevarán a cabo por teléfono o en línea.
  • Las audiencias de los demandados no detenidos representados procederán según lo programado y se llevarán a cabo ya sea por teléfono o en línea.
  • Las audiencias de los inscritos en los Protocolos de Protección a Migrantes que no se encuentren en Estados Unidos procederán según lo programado y se llevarán a cabo en persona.
  • Las audiencias de los demandados no representados y no detenidos que soliciten proceder por teléfono o en línea procederán según lo programado.

Más actualizaciones sobre las operaciones de la EOIR o aplazamientos adicionales de las audiencias de inmigración se pueden encontrar en el sitio web del estado operativo de la EOIR.

APRENDE MÁS
 

Los Demócratas del Senado Solicitan Designaciones de TPS para El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua y Guatemala

El 10 de enero, 30 demócratas del Senado solicitaron a la Administración Biden que se vuelva a designar el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) para El Salvador, Honduras y Nicaragua y una nueva designación para Guatemala. El TPS proporciona permiso de trabajo y previene la deportación a los nacionales de los países designados que no pueden regresar a casa de forma segura debido a un conflicto armado, un desastre ambiental u otras condiciones extraordinarias. En 2019 y 2020, el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos del Distrito Norte de California emitió órdenes judiciales preliminares en Bhattarai y otros c. Nielsen y otros, y Ramos y otros c. Nielsen y otros, que impiden que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) termine el TPS para varios países, incluyendo Nicaragua, El Salvador y Honduras. Aunque los titulares actuales de TPS pueden seguir manteniendo este estatus bajo estas medidas cautelares, los nuevos solicitantes de estos países no podrán solicitar el estatus de TPS hasta que el DHS vuelva de designar a los dichos países. En una carta dirigida al Secretario del DHS, Alejandro Mayorkas, y al Secretario de Estado, Antony Blinken, los senadores determinaron que el empeoramiento de las condiciones humanitarias en Centroamérica, las crisis sociales y económicas agravadas por la pandemia de COVID-19, y los devastadores desastres naturales justifican estas designacionesde TPS.

APRENDE MÁS

The CMS Migration Update is a weekly digest produced 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 – and of the Scalabrini Migration Study Centers, a global network of think tanks on international migration and refugee protection, guided by the values of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo. If you wish to submit an article, blog, faith reflection, or announcement for the CMS Migration Update, please email cms@cmsny.org.
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