USCCB and JRS/USA Call for Safety and Security of Asylum Seekers
BY ISN STAFF | June 27, 2019
“The cry of a father and his baby daughter who drowned crossing the Rio Grande reaches heaven itself. This unspeakable consequence of a failed immigration system, together with growing reports of inhumane conditions for children in the custody of the federal government at the border, shock the conscience, and demand immediate action.” [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 26, 2019]
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, have released a joint statement calling on the federal government to hear the cry of the poor and vulnerable after the deaths of Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his 23-month old daughter Valeria as they attempted to cross the Rio Grande River in hopes of seeking asylum in the U.S. [See full statement below.]
In a separate statement, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (JRS/USA) has called for the safety and security of asylum seekers. “Witnessing this at our own border shines a light on the risks that millions of displaced persons are forced to take each day and the dire outcome when appropriate protection mechanisms are not in place,” reads the statement.
“We stand in solidarity with all refugees and migrants who are forced to flee their homelands in search of safety and security. No mother or father would risk the death of their children if not compelled by untenable conditions in their country of origin” said Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director, JRS/USA. JRS/USA also released a statement earlier this week urging compassionate treatment of children at U.S. immigration detention centers.
Read the full statement from the USCCB:
When I was homeless and a stranger – you welcomed me, says the Lord.
INFORMATION RECEIVED. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
ALL THIS WAS OBVIOS TO THE POLITICIANS.