As the Pope makes his way through Mexico this week, let’s join him in raising up the needs and concerns of those who are victimized by violence, poverty, corruption, or forced migration. On Wednesday, February 17, he will journey to Ciudad Juarez to visit the Mexico-U.S. border and celebrate Eucharist with the border community of Juarez/El Paso. Let us join him in lifting up the needs and concerns of those for whom our Southern Border is symbol of both life and death.
Take Action
· Send a message to your members of Congress.
Dear Member of Congress:
We write to you today as members Justice for Immigrants, inspired by Pope Francis’s prophetic global leadership.
This week Pope Francis makes 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.
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.
Sincerely,
· Call you members of Congress on Wednesday, February 17. When you dial 202-224-3121 you are directed to an operator at the Capitol switchboard which can direct you to both senators as well as representatives.
Today Pope Francis makes his first official trip to Mexico, which includes an historic visit to the U.S.- Mexico border. 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 and fair trade and labor standards;
· Ensure that U.S. policy respects the right to family unity;
· End U.S. support for Mexico’s interceptions of Central Americans fleeing violence;
· End border militarization and inhumane immigration enforcement actions, including the recent nationwide raids that harm families.
· Get the message out on social media. Tweet and Post everyday leading up to the Pope’s Wednesday trip to the border.
o Join Pope Francis’s call for dignity of migrants. Sign a letter to Congress: http://igsol.net/pope2border #Pope2Border
o Stand w/@Pontifex in solidarity w/our migrant neighbors | http://igsol.net/pope2border #Pope2Border
· Use social media images.
o “When the stranger in our midst…” Picquote:
o “Migrants & Refugees are not pawns…” Picquote:
o Pope2Border with Pope Francis image:
’s on your hands and share the photo on Facebook or Twitter to raise awareness about human trafficking. Don’t forget to tag @ECPATUSA and use the hashtag #enditmovement.
