The separation of children
from their parents at the border has thrown our country’s immigration problems
into high relief. Many Americans responded to the administration’s policy
change with outrage. Though the president signed an executive order on June 20
that nominally ends this family separation policy, the crisis is not over.The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), know this from our long experience working with immigrants and from the witness of our 330 affiliates across the country.
Every day we aim to ensure
the dignity of all newcomers under an onslaught of attacks on humanitarian and
family immigration.
Here is what you can do to
help us and our many partners in this effort.
1. Educate yourself and keep informed
This latest spectacle at
the border did not appear out of thin air. The termination of Temporary
Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of people, the abandonment of DACA
recipients, and the slashing of the refugee resettlement program are all part
of a plan to limit all forms of immigration. Although there’s been no increase
in the number of asylum seekers trying to present themselves at ports of entry
along the U.S.-Mexico border, many have been turned away or made to wait in
line for a week or longer. With no end in sight, some feel the risk is
necessary and cross illegally.
Even if this type of
family separation is “ended,” family detention is not a solution. Detention
centers cause serious irrevocable harm to a child’s health and development.
If you are angry over
about what has happened in recent weeks, there are plenty of reasons to stay alert.
Family separation was an egregious example of our nation’s unjust immigration
policy, but it is not unique. Follow organizations like CLINIC, the Kino
Border Initiative, the Hope Border Institute, and Justice
for Immigrants, a campaign of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops, to stay aware of the latest developments in immigration and how you
can help.
2. Contact your representatives: Demand
oversight and a plan to reunite these families
Much damage has been done.
It isn’t over until every child is reunited with their family in a safe
environment. Demand that the Department of Homeland Security release a plan to
fix their mistakes. Call on Congress to provide oversight and investigate what
is happening. Remind your representatives that the administration’s decision to
separate families increased costs to the taxpayer. In addition the money for
the facilities the administration tossed together to hold these children, those
kids will now be in separate immigration proceedings from their parents, adding
duplicative cases to an already overburdened system.
Finally, ask for a
legislative solution that does not pit one group of immigrants against
another—family reunification, refugee resettlement, asylum and skills-based
immigration are equally important forms of migration that benefit our country
and reaffirm our values.
The USCCB has long worked
for immigration reform that would accomplish those goals. Past failed
legislative proposals have come close to these goals and won the support of the
U.S. bishops. You can see a breakdown of specific principles the USCCB and
other Catholic agencies have supported here.
Financially support organizations
like CLINIC and our affiliates
An immigrant represented
by a trained lawyer or accredited representative is far more likely to see a
positive outcome of their case. U.S. immigration law is incredibly complex.
Imagine trying to file your taxes on your own—no help from TurboTax!—in a
language that isn’t familiar and after suffering a life-changing trauma. On top
of that, your life and the lives of your children depend on this one chance. No
one should have to do that without help.
3. Financial donations are especially
important right now. Detention centers are usually located in rural areas that
are difficult to reach. Programs need extra funds to get their staff and
volunteers where they are needed in order to make sure as many people as
possible have access to the above representation.
Consider donating to one
of our affiliates near you (find one at cliniclegal.org/directory)
or give directly to CLINIC. We are raising $30,000 to
help send volunteers from our affiliates directly to problem areas to bolster
local efforts.
In the first wave, we will
be sending people to a nonprofit along the U.S.-Mexico border or the South
Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, where they will provide
in-person, in-depth advising and orientation for people in Mexico about what to
expect when they attempt to seek asylum in the United States or work with
families being detained in Dilley.
4. Organize screenings and Know Your
Rights presentations
The border is more than a
physical place. It exists right in your own neighborhood. You do not need to
travel to Mexico to find immigrants who need help. Organize Know Your Rights
presentations and screenings to help immigrants in your own community
understand their options.
Know Your Rights
presentations explain the rights people have, regardless of immigration status,
when interacting with law enforcement, at their workplace, and in public
schools. Free resources are available in nine languages to
help you host these presentations.
Screenings, meanwhile, are
community events that help immigrants understand the immigration benefits
available to them. A screener will ask an immigrant a series of questions and then send them to a lawyer
or accredited representative for a final eligibility assessment. If they
qualify for aid, organizers can then refer them to quality legal representation
and they receive help in applying.
A recent study CLINIC helped conduct found that as
many as two million undocumented immigrants qualify for some type of
immigration relief but don’t know it. The study also found that many people who
identified as “immigrants” were actually U.S. citizens!
5. Pray
In response to the current
situation at the border, many groups are organizing prayer events, like Break
Bread Not Families. Take a moment to say CLINIC’s prayer for migrants or a
rosary with Our Lady of Guadalupe to pray for the dignity of
migrants around the world.
The issue of immigration
demands a long term, prayerful approach. It takes careful consideration to
understand how we can work with the immigrants in our community to find
solutions and offer aid. Turn inward and ask God to show you your strengths and
the strengths of your community. We all have the capacity to help. To learn
about discerning how to welcome your neighbor, visit cliniclegal.org/welcome or
use our digital devotional to host a small group at your
parish and talk about this issue.
For
the past 30 years, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., has worked to
improve access to affordable immigration legal services. Better known as
CLINIC, we are the largest network of community-based nonprofit immigration
legal programs, with 330 affiliates in 47 states and the District of Columbia.
CLINIC’s services include legal and management training for our affiliates,
advocacy for humane immigration policies, representing foreign-born religious
workers, and leading several national projects to protect the rights and
promote the dignity of immigrants.
By Michelle Fordice
From: http://www.uscatholic.org/
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