In more than 20 years working for the immigration arm of Catholic Charities of New York, Mario Russell has never seen a situation like the one today — what he described as a forcible transfer of people from the U.S.-Mexico border to the city.
Migrants and Refugees
Texas Bishops Call for Immigration Reform After Migrant Deaths in Trailer
The Texas Catholic bishops urged immigration reform, saying it is necessary to prevent what happened to 53 migrants discovered dead and dying inside a trailer June 27 from happening again.
San Antonio Archbishop: Migrants Are Often Abandoned, Stripped of Identity
In many ways, Archbishop García-Siller echoes Pope Francis, who has called out the “indiscriminate trafficking of weapons” and those who treat migrants as “pawns on the chessboard of humanity” following tragedies such as mass shootings and the large-scale death of migrants.
DHS Chief to Migrants: Don’t Give Your Money or Lives to Smugglers
Days after 53 people died while being smuggled in scorching heat in the part of a tractor trailer reserved for cargo, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said those thinking of hiring smugglers to enter the country in a similar manner risk their lives.
Catholic Charities In Washington on Brink of Becoming Overwhelmed
Catholic Charities DC is trying to give a “welcoming, Christ-like response” to migrants arriving in the nation’s capital on buses from Texas, but the head of the organization says there are concerns about a lack of leadership and assistance from the government, and what will happen if the buses arrive through the summer.
Many Roma Refugees Are Stuck in Temporary Shelters, Activists in Poland Say
Lacking documents, fearing violence, and needing a host country, many Roma fleeing Ukraine are not able to leave temporary shelters, said two human rights experts in Poland.
U.N. Official: Ukraine Exodus Is Fastest-Growing Refugee Crisis Since WWII
A top United Nations official said March 6 that the world hasn’t seen a refugee crisis such as the one developing in Eastern Europe, caused by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, since the last World War.
Asylum System in U.S. Broken, Speakers Say
Sister Tracey Horan is noticing that the reality that migrants no longer have access to the asylum process, which is enshrined in international law, is becoming normalized in the United States.
Catholic Students Help Afghan Refugees With Asylum Process
Last month, as Rozita Gerhardt helped Afghan refugees complete their asylum applications, she thought of her mother, who years ago fled Iran, and how this was just the first step of what will be a lifelong process.
Pope Francis Plans Dec. 2-6 Visit to Cyprus and Greece
Pope Francis’ planned trip to the eastern Mediterranean in December will focus on migration, Catholic-Orthodox relations and promoting peace in a region known more for its vacation spots than its ongoing political tensions.