Dear Member of Congress:

We write to you today as members of a national network of Jesuit institutions, inspired by Pope Francis’s prophetic global leadership.

This month Pope Francis will make his first official trip to Mexico, which includes an historic visit to the U.S.- Mexico border. His presence there will highlight the violence, extreme poverty and human rights violations that have forced so many people to flee their homes on a perilous search for safety and freedom abroad. The Pope’s visit to the border will serve to remind the U.S. of the inherent dignity of the 11 million humans living in our country without documentation. These are our neighbors—people who make invaluable contributions to our communities and economy, but who are nonetheless forced to live in the shadows of society.

In solidarity with Pope Francis, we ask that you commit to humane policies that respond to the realities of our hemisphere. We urge you to support legislative actions that:

• Use U.S. influence for good in Mexico and Central America by insisting on the protection of human rights, accountability, good governance, anti-corruption mechanisms, and fair trade and labor standards;
• Ensure that U.S. policy respects the right to family unity, which would mark a major step toward overhauling our broken immigration system;
• End U.S. support for Mexico’s interceptions of Central Americans fleeing violence and require Mexico to uphold its international and domestic legal obligations to refugees;
• End border militarization and inhumane immigration enforcement actions, including the recent nationwide raids conducted by the Obama Administration that have harmed vulnerable children and families.
  

In the Jesuit tradition of serving those in need, we call on you to respond to Pope Francis’s historic action by working for migration policies that respect the rights and dignity of both immigrants and refugees.