On Friday, May 20, the beautiful new offices of Cabrini Immigrant Services of NY at 701 Fort Washington Avenue were blessed by Fr. Tom Faiola, OFM, Cap. The ceremony was followed by a picnic on the lawn with the Missionary Sisters and staff from CIS-NYC and St Frances Cabrini Shrine.
Compassion Has No Boundaries at US – Mexico Border
~ by Peter Tran and Lisa Elmaleh, Global Sisters Report
AGUA PRIETA, MEXICO – At 1 a.m. on a later October day, Sr. Judy Bourg’s alarm goes off in the School Sisters of Notre Dame house in Douglas, Arizona. She marshals her three guests, who want to know about her ministry, to get ready for the 10-minute drive through the U.S. Border checkpoint and on to Agua Prieta, Mexico.
They arrive at the Centro de Recursos para Migrantes, or Migrant Resource Center, a two-story building just outside the gate of the border wall there, and set to work to ready sandwiches, hot coffee and warm clothes. She shows her guests volunteers the ropes.
Why do she and others perform this daily ritual in the dark of night? Because the center needs to be ready for the fresh group of deportees who will arrive in the acute hours of the day, classified as “returned or expelled.” In the middle of the night, the U.S. Border officials picked them up from holding centers, put them on a bus, transported them and subsequently left them off at the border gate outside Agua Prieta. All had been refused asylum and sent back. Back to the hunger, poverty, threats and violence they fled.
As Sr. Bourg walks out to the border gate at 2:30 a.m., a U.S. Border Patrol bus drops off some 30 returnees on the U.S. side. They step over into Mexico and Bourg moves in to welcome them.
She invites them to the center for food and a warm place to rest. The migrants, all men in their 20s and 30s, shiver in the declining temperatures. A volunteer doles out socks, a blanket or clothing to the men, who wait patiently in line for coffee and food. Later in the day, other groups of expelled migrants, some of whom are women, arrive. The center receives 100 – 200 expelled migrants each day.
Sr. Bourg says she is deeply moved as she greets the migrants at the gate and offers comfort. “It is dark and cold, and they have no idea where they are. To be able to look them in the yes and tell them that they are welcome into a safe place where they can rest, fills my heart,” she says.
Several hours later, as the sun rises, the migrants shed their blankets. Two Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist walk in smiling. Sr. Maribel Lara Hernandez cleans and can offer first aid. Sr. Emma Rias Flores heads to the kitchen.
Sr. Hernandez sets up a makeshift clinic. One man hobbles over to take a seat, presenting his wounded foot to Hernandez. She washes the blisters, applies medication and wraps it with gauze pad. Another migrant takes his turn and then another.
As the day progresses, the center becomes busy with activities. Volunteers work in the vegetable garden on the center’s grounds. Some deportees rush to help till the soil. As a migrant center is a short-term shelter, expelled migrants will leave it soon. A small number will return to their home country, while others will attempt to cross the border again.
Under the Trump and Biden administrations, more than 1.7 million expulsions have been carried out since the pandemic began, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
The Migration Protection Protocols, known as the “Remain in Mexico” program, were suspended in January 2019, but were reinstated in December 2021 by order of a federal judge in Texas They remain in effect despite human rights activists’ warnings about the high risk of violence to those forced to wait in dangerous border areas. To read the entire article please click here
Giving Back…to Help Others Heal
Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY, held a Giving Back Program to help benefit ‘First to Heal,’ a new organization that assists women who are victims of domestic violence and their minor children.
We are so grateful to the St. Faith’s House Foundation for their grant, which allows us to purchase the needed toiletries. We had some of our Cabrini Kids, who are now in high school, return to help with the project as well as some of our current Kids. They were so willing and eager to help fill 100 bags with the different toiletries. We filled the bags with shampoo, conditioner, a comb, a toothbrush and toothpaste, body wash, deodorant and Chap Stick.
A special thank you to Tom Costello, from The Joy of Sox in Pennsylvania. He sent us 100 pairs of socks which we were also able to add to our packets. In addition, a special card was added to the bag which had a positive message such as, “You are beautiful inside and out” “Courage is gorgeous.”
The program was organized by our Social Work Intern, Sarah Flaherty, a senior at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. We are so grateful to all who gave of their time to help so many people.
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy
A demonstrator outside a U.S. Customs and Border Protection building in Brownsville, Texas, wears a necklace that reads “END MPP,” to protest against Migrant Protection Protocols Jan. 12, 2020. (CNS photo/Go Nakamura, Reuters)
~ by Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The justices on the country’s highest court have agreed to hear a case that could decide the fate of a Trump-era immigration policy that Biden administration officials have been trying to end. On February 18, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would hear arguments on whether the Biden administration can put an end to the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, a policy that demands asylum-seekers to the U.S. to stay in Mexico until their cases can be heard in the U.S. immigration courts.
The policy has been a headache for the administration as President Joe Biden promised to end it, but, it proved much more difficult to do so once he took office. As soon as he became president in January 2021, Biden paused the policy, the formally sought to end it a few months later in June.
But in August of that year, a judge with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas told administration officials that they had to continue complying with the policy, saying they had not ended it properly.
The Supreme Court refused a Biden administration request to block that District Court ruling while the government pursued an appeal with the New Orleans-based 5th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In December, the appeals court upheld the lower court ruling.
Subsequent attempts at ending the policy have failed and it looks as if the high court will be the ultimate arbiter when it hears oral arguments of the case Biden v. Texas, in April.
Immigration supporters, including many Catholic organizations, have railed against the Biden administration for not keeping its word on ending the policy, also called “Remain in Mexico.”
In December, just before Biden administration officials restarted the program, a large group of women religious and their supporters demonstrated outside the White House, shouting just a few feet away from the president’s residence to end the policy.
MPP was put in place in earnest in 2019 under the Trump administration. Opponents of the policy say migrants have been put in danger or killed by being forced to stay in dangerous border towns, as well as in unsafe living conditions as they wait for hearing. Biden administration officials said they had made some improvements to MPP, but many advocates for immigrants weren’t convinced.
The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ migration committee, Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville of Washington, said in December that the better way forward was to end it altogether.
The justices could hand down a decision sometime in June or July before summer recess.
To read the entire article please click here
Survey Finds Path to U.S. Citizenship for Migrants has Majority Support
~ by Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service
Though immigration remains a polemic topic in political circles, just 44% of Americans recently surveyed by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) said it was a “critical issue” in the U.S.
A majority favored a path to citizenship for those who are in the country without legal permission.
By and large, Americans had a positive view of immigrants, saying they strengthen the country, with a minority seeing immigrants as a burden to the U.S. the survey found.
Those were among findings released February 3 by PRRI from a survey examining American perspectives on
immigration policy.
The survey conducted in September 2021 interviewed a relative sample of 2,508 adults (ages 18 and up) living in all 50 of the United States. It focused on welcoming views about immigration to the U. S. and whether it is a critical issue at all.
The survey looked at how political affiliation, the kind of media some respondents digested, race, and sometimes age, affected the answers given. It also asked questions about whether respondents viewed immigration favorably or otherwise.
While a majority of Americans “support offering immigrants living in the U.S. illegally a way to become citizens, provided they meet certain requirements” and nearly two thirds support “allowing immigrants brought illegally to the U.S.” as children to gain legal resident status, white evangelical Protestants and Republicans resoundingly do not support those polices the survey found.
It also found that six in 10 Americans, or 62%, “support offering immigrants living in the U.S. illegally a way to become citizens, provided they meet certain requirements.”
And, “only about one in five Americans, or 22% say immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be identified and deported.”
Nearly two-thirds, or 64% of Americans support allowing immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children to gain resident legal status the survey found.
“A majority of Americans (56%) say that in general, newcomers strengthen American society, compared to four in 10 (40%) who say that newcomers threaten traditional American customs and values,” the survey said.
The PRRI survey said the “majorities (61%) of all religious groups say that newcomers strengthen American society because of their hard work and talents.
Cabrini Moms Celebrate, too.
The Christmas Spirit was alive and well at Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY. 
Everyone brought in different dishes from their home countries. After tasting so many delicious foods, we then enjoyed many scrumptious desserts.
The Moms had a Secret Santa. Each person said beautiful words about the person for whom “Santa” brought a gift. It was a wonderful evening and the Moms enjoyed having some “Mom time” to share with friends during the holiday season. There was so much joy and laughter among us. One thing for sure, was that it was great to be back together in person, celebrating such a special time of the year.
Cabrini Kids Having a Very Merry Christmas
There is nothing like the smiles of children, especially at this time of year. On December 13th, Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY had its holiday party for the students who attend the Afterschool Homework Program.
After having some delicious pizza, the children received gifts from Santa. A special thank you to Bonnie Burke, Vice President of Operations/Nursing Home Administrator at St. Cabrini Nursing Home, for having a Giving Tree for our Cabrini Kids.
When the children received their gifts, there was so much excitement in the room. We heard them saying, “I love it,” “I’ve wanted this my whole life,” “It’s my favorite color,” etc.
Thank you to all those who helped make the holidays extra special for our Cabrini Kids.
Nutrition Fit and Feeling Proud!
Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY, was filled with a lot of excitement as nine of our clients were preparing to complete their 8 week nutrition program. On December 6th, our participants received their Certificates of Completion from Lucy Diaz, a Nutrition Program Educator with Cornell C
ooperative Extension of Westchester County. The course, ‘Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program’, taught the participants about how to read and understand labels on different food and drink items and the importance of looking for the ‘hidden sugars’ and sodium.
She also offered suggestions of alternatives to certain foods such as whole milk vs. skim milk. They also learned about the effects that food has on diagnoses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The importance of refrigeration, sanitizing food areas to prevent cross contamination was also discussed. The participants were so happy with all that they learned. In addition to reading materials they also received an insulated bag filled with many goodies such as a meat thermometer, refrigerator thermometer, hand sanitizer, etc.
Because of social distancing, we had to limit the number of attendees. We had so many people interested in attending that we will be offering the nutrition program again in January.
Congratulations to all our ‘graduates’ of the nutrition program. We are so proud of you.
Mothers of the Disappeared Migrants Plead for Help
Mothers of Disappeared Migrants Plead for Help
~ by Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON – A group of women looking for sons and daughters who were never heard from again after migrating to the U.S. traveled in mid-to late October throughout the country to plead for better immigration laws.
Caravan of Mothers of the Disappeared, a project backed by Pax Christi USA and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, helped spotlight the plight of the group of women, who made a stop in Washington on October 19 to meet with members of Congress.
On October 20, the mothers, often only giving their first names, participated in an online event and talked about their family members, how and why their sons and daughters left their home countries, their last whereabouts, and the last time they spoke to them. They also shared how they had dropped off samples of their DNA with authorities at the border in hopes of one day finding out what happened to them.
Many of the stories mirrored the one told by Aracely, a mother from El Salvador,
last heard from her son, Edwin Alexander Colindres, more than nine years ago. He had set off for the U.S. to find work. He was in communication with his mother through part of the journey north, then she never heard from him again.
A woman named Bertila said she found her son, “but not the way I had hoped. …I never expected to find him among the dead,” she said. He was kidnapped by drug cartels in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and his remains were later identified in a mass grave.
“I’m here to support the mothers,” she said. “All along the border, there are thousands and thousands of remains. I had to fight for years for the remains of my son. I asked everyone for help, but no one wants to help the poor.”
Like many of the other mothers, she had seen her son leave, looking for work he couldn’t find at home. She called for better paths to enter the U.S., ones that won’t put people in danger.
“We look for them because we love them,” shouted one of the women in the caravan.
“As I listened to them, the women, it’s heart-wrenching,” said Mercy Sr. Anne Marie Miller in an interview with Catholic News Service. “It touches you to hear the suffering.”
“We have to do something…use our voices as women religious,” she said, adding that organizations such as the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) have long advocated for justice in such situations. To read the entire story please click here
Faith Groups Band Together to Help Haitians Camped at US-Mexico border
~ by Nuri Vallbona, Global Sisters Report
Ciudad Acuña, Mexico – Recent images of immigrants crammed under the international bridge and officers on horseback trying to grab and corral them drew outrage across the political spectrum. The threat of deportation left many migrants in limbo, too afraid to take their chances with the asylum process but stuck in Mexico without work permits to a means to support themselves.
As the number of Haitian arrivals at the border swelled, Catholic sisters, religious organizations, nonprofits and churches banded together with a common goal: provide basic services and restore human dignity.
If God has allowed these different religions, then we all need to support each other. We are all God’s children. We were all created equal, so we need to treat each other with respect,” said Sr. Ursula Herrera, a Benedictine Sister of Boerne.
On September 22, the sister joined a team of volunteers from Casa Hogar Getsemani, a Baptist orphanage in Morelos, Mexico, to pass out lemonade and more than 130 plates of hot dogs, rice, beans, tortillas and pork stew to the migrants milling around an immigration camp in Ciudad Acuña.
Throughout September, Matt Mayberry, a pastor at the Southern Baptist City Church Del Rio said he was inundated with calls from churches across the country offering to support his congregation’s efforts to feed those camped under the bridge. He estimated that volunteers handed out more than 16,000 sandwiches and snacks to immigrants and border officials until the federal government stepped into provide food.
“Our understanding of Scripture is that we were made in God’s image – all humans,” he said. “And so, regardless of our ethnicity or nationality, every human is worthy of human dignity and value. Our church and all the churches who have joined us believe the same thing.”
To read the complete article please click here
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 22
- Next Page »