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.
Migrants
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.
Advocates: Trusting Smugglers Could End in Death, Not Freedom
Father Pat Murphy remembers a family that for six months stayed and worked at La Casa Del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico, and was on the verge of humanitarian parole before they fell susceptible to a smuggler and tried to enter the U.S. illegally.
San Antonio Archbishop Says Exploitation of Poor, Migrants Is ‘Carnage’
San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller in a recent homily railed on smugglers as well as the injustices toward immigrants, referring to the June 27 deaths of 53 people in a sweltering cargo section of an abandoned semitruck near San Antonio as they were being smuggled into the country.
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.
Federal Judge Orders Title 42 Measure Must Remain in Place at Border
The much-anticipated May 23 deadline on Title 42 came and went at the U.S.-Mexico border without any changes allowing migrants in, including asylum-seekers, after a federal judge blocked the government from lifting the health measure instituted during the pandemic.
Immigration Reform Cannot be Delayed, Pope Francis Says in Message
Countries around the world must get serious about reforming their immigration policies to respect the rights of migrants and refugees and establish orderly procedures for welcoming newcomers, Pope Francis said.
Haitians Head to Mexico-U.S. Border; Church Seeks Humanitarian Help
A Mexican border diocese has issued an urgent appeal for assistance as hundreds of Haitian migrants arrive in the oft-violent city of Nuevo Laredo, hoping to apply for asylum in the United States.
Hispanic Catholic Leaders Emphasize Bipartisanship in Immigration Reform
In a meeting with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on April 27, Gloria Mancilla explained the challenges she faces as a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, including bi-annual background checks, inability to get loans, and uncertainty of status from administration to administration.
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.