Texas Refugee Ban: Jesuits Speak Out
Three Jesuit superiors, leaders of their local Jesuit communities in Texas, sent a letter on Thursday, January 16 to Texas Governor Greg Abbott denouncing his decision to ban refugees from the state.
Our Call
We stand with the United States Catholic Bishops and the U.S. Jesuit Provincials in asking for immigration policies that: create a process for undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship; keeps families together; and respects the rights of workers; protects those most vulnerable, especially women and children.
Further, we call on Congress to oppose legislation that devalues immigrants and the contributions they make to our communities and economy including: opposing bills proposing the elimination of funding for sanctuary cities and other welcoming programs; ending programs and protocols such as Operation Streamline, the detention bed mandate, and family detention; and protecting and upholding DACA as we wait for legislative solutions to our broken immigration system.
The Reality
Catholic Social Teaching tells us that it is our “duty to welcome the foreigner out of charity and respect for the dignity and rights of the human person.” Currently there are 36 million foreign-born immigrants living in the United States, 11 million of whom are undocumented. Under current legislation there is no pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who consider the United States home and who are are contributing to society, making up 5.2% of the labor force and contributing over $10 billion annually to state and local tax revenues. Additionally, for every day that there is inaction on immigration reform, families continue to be ripped apart by deportation. In 2013, 369,000 undocumented immigrants were deported, costing the American taxpayers $20,000 per deportation and stripping immigrant families of the opportunity to be united. As violence escalates and poverty remains endemic in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, over 45,000 unaccompanied children, many under the age of 12, have surged the United States-Mexican border seeking asylum. At present, most of the children wait for their cases to be heard, relying on the judgement of immigration courts to dictate whether they will receive the protection of refugee status.
Current U.S. Policy
The Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), the body of law governing current immigration policy, provides for an annual worldwide limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants, with certain exceptions for close family members. Congress and the President determine a separate number for refugee admissions. Historically, admittance of immigrants to the United States has been based upon three principles: the reunification of families, admitting immigrants with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy, and protecting refugees. [Source: Immigration Policy Center]
President Trump’s Executive Actions (2017)
FEATURED RESOURCE: Understanding President Trump’s Executive Actions Webinar
The President’s January 25 executive action related to immigration:
- “takes all appropriate steps to immediately plan, design, and construct a physical wall along the southern border”;
- calls for hiring an additional 5,000 CBP officers, construction of additional immigration detention centers, and hiring of an additional 10,000 immigration officers;
- prohibits sanctuary cities from receiving federal money;
- prioritizes the deportation of criminals who have committed criminal offenses, or who are determined by immigration officers to be a risk to public safety or national security
[Source: The White House]
The President’s January 27 executive action related to refugees and migration:
- Bars the entry of any refugee who is awaiting resettlement in the U.S. for 120 days;
- Indefinitely bars the entry of any Syrian refugees;
- Bans the entry (on any visa category) of citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries—Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen;
- Caps the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. in FY 2017 at 50,000;
- Upon reinstatement of refugee resettlement program, prioritizes “refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality.”
[Source: The White House]
Former President Obama’s Executive Action (2014)
The former President’s executive action:
- Allows undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who’ve resided in the country for at least five years to temporarily remain in the country. The measure requires parents to pay taxes, pass a background check, and reapply for status every 3 years;
- Expands the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program;
- Expands work authorization for high-skilled workers;
- Modifies federal immigrant detention procedures;
- Increases security at the border.
[Source: The White House]
Join The Response
1. Find out who represents you and where where they stand on immigration.
An important first step of advocacy is making sure you know who represents you. There are a number of tools that can help you by simply asking for your home address. Here is one resource (Common Cause) that will list both your federal and state officials. The next step is to find out what your elected officials’ position is on immigration. One place where you can find this information is on their individual websites. Below you can find additional links to helpful resources.
- Vote Smart | Tool that lists positions, voting records, ratings and speeches of elected officials
- GovTrack.us | Tool that lists committee membership, voting records and bills and resolutions
- House.gov | The United States House of Representatives Official Website
- Senate.gov | The United States Senate Official Website
2. Meet With Your Members of Congress
Establishing and continuing relationships with your Senators and Representatives is crucial to advocating for justice. As both representatives and members of your communities, every Senator and Representative has an office–often multiple offices–in their home states. Visits to these offices are an impactful way to speak, neighbor to neighbor, with representatives and let them know why and how the laws and policies pertaining to immigration reform impacts your community.
Learn More
Immigration Action Priorities
Schedule Legislative Visits With Your Members of Congress
Featured Resource
The virtual teach-in invites the Ignatian family across the U.S. together digitally for dynamic speakers, prayer, and reflection opportunities as we explore the realities of migration—both on the border and in communities across the country. While the broadcast took place live on March 2, 2019, you are invited to utilize each of the three sessions below for your own learning and reflection.
At A Glance
11 million
people without documentation are currently living in the U.S., seeking access to a pathway to citizenship
$21.6 billion
Estimated cost of President Trump’s border wall
65,000
undocumented students graduate from American high schools. Many hope to pursue higher education, join the military, or enter the workforce, but their lack of legal status places those dreams in jeopardy and exposes them to deportation.
News from the Network
From the Blog
If we are so lonely, why don’t we answer the door?
As a state, we do not want people arriving at our front door, most notably the desperate, although as a society, we feel lonely and instead turn to social media, our favorite streaming service, or substances to appease this desolate feeling.
In the News
- Immigration Agencies Share Vague Plans to Reunite Migrant Parents and Children (Los Angeles Times, 7.18.18)
- Dozens of Infants Ordered to Appear in Immigration Court: Report (The Hill, 7.18.18)
- Church ‘Detains’ Holy Family in Response to Trump’s Immigration Policy (The Indianapolis Star, 7.3.18)
- Trump Immigration Policies Lead to Decline in Visas to Muslim, African Countries, Rise for Europeans (Newsweek, 7.3.18)
- How Trump is Changing the Face of Legal Immigration (The Washington Post, 7.2.18)
- Agents Seek to Dissolve ICE in Immigration Policy Backlash (The New York Times, 6.28.18
- House GOP Leaders Abruptly Postpone High-Stakes Vote on Immigration Bill (The Washington Post, 6.21.18)
- Trump Retreats on Separating Families, but Thousands May Remain Apart (The New York Times, 6.20.18)
- Trump’s Executive Order on Family Separation: What it Does and Doesn’t Do (NPR, 6.20.18)
Kristen Lionetti, Policy Director of the National Advocacy Office of the Jesuit Conference, and Giulia McPherson, Director of Advocacy and Operations for Jesuit Refugee Service/USA offer insights on President Trump’s January 2017 executive actions on immigration and refugees.
Georgetown University alumnus Senator Dick Durbin shares story of University of Detroit Mercy alumna, former Jesuit volunteer, and former Jesuit Volunteer Corps Program member Maria Ibarra- Frayre.
STAY CONNECTED:
Sign up now to connect with the Jesuit network and learn how you can learn, educate, pray, and advocate for justice year-round.
About:
The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) is a national social justice network inspired by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. ISN was founded in 2004 and is a lay-led 501(c)3 organization working in partnership with Jesuit universities, high schools, and parishes, along with many other Catholic institutions and social justice partners.
