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Migration & Refugees Press Release
- Legislation Undermines Commitment To Refugees, Makes Nation Less Safe (05-026)
December 30, 2004
The nation's bishops have designated January 2-8 as National Migration Week, and have asked Catholics to mark the week with special prayers and activities that highlight the contributions of immigrants, migrants, refugees and people on the move to the United States and the Church's mission of welcoming them.
- National Migration Week set for January 2-8 (04-255)
December 30, 2004
The nation's bishops have designated January 2-8 as National Migration Week, and have asked Catholics to mark the week with special prayers and activities that highlight the contributions of immigrants, migrants, refugees and people on the move to the United States and the Church's mission of welcoming them.
- Bishop To Meet With Florida Farmworkers (04-204)
October 22, 2004
Bishop John R. Manz will travel October 31 to November 4 throughout South Florida ministering to the needs of migrant farmworkers and hearing firsthand about the hardships they face in their work, made especially difficult this year following the four hurricanes which damaged the state.
- Legislation Goes Beyond 9/11 Commission Recommendations, Threatens Immigrants And Asylum-Seekers (04-189)
September 29, 2004
Legislation implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission contains a number of provisions "extremely harmful to immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees," according to the chairman of the bishops' migration committee, who urged that the language be dropped.
- Official Recommends Changes In Refugee Program (04-181)
September 21, 2004
The dramatic drop in U.S. refugee admissions is beginning to reverse but the nation should do more to alleviate a grave worldwide refugee situation, according to an official of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who offered several recommendations today to a Senate subcommittee.
- Immigration Policy Violates Rights, Creates Conflict Of Interest
(04-151)
August 11, 2004
Expansion of a federal program which returns some recent undocumented immigrants to their countries of origin without a hearing fails to "protect the basic rights of victims of persecution" and creates a conflict of interest for Border Patrol agents, the Chairman of the bishops' Migration Committee said in a statement released today.
- Catholic Bishops Urge Senate To Protect Children Exploited By Human Trafficking In United States (04-129)
June 7, 2004
A representative of the U.S. Catholic Bishops called on the Senate to protect children exploited by human trafficking in the United States.
- Church Leaders Commend President Bush For Remarks At Faith-Based Conference
(04-105)
June 4, 2004
Representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops commended President Bush for his remarks in support of refugees made at the 1st annual White House conference on Faith-Based and Community initiatives held earlier this week.
- Media Advisory: Free Conference to Address Human Trafficking: Federal Government
Targeting Philadelphia for Enforcement, Education (04-090)
May 17, 2004
The U.S. State Department estimates that approximately 20,000 people are trafficked into the United States annually. A modern form of slavery, human trafficking forces men, women, and children into pornography, prostitution and other sexual exploitation, as well as labor exploitation.
- Chairman Endorses Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill (04-084)
May 4, 2004
Legislation introduced today "will help create legal avenues for migrants to come and work and join their family members in the United States in a safe, legal, orderly, and dignified manner," according to the chairman of the bishops' Migration Committee, who offered his endorsement of the bill.
- Bishop Articulates Principles for Responding to Possible Haitian Refugees (04-033)
February 24, 2004
Should international efforts to stabilize the volatile situation in Haiti fail, the United States should ensure the protection of any refugees who flee the island nation, according to standards articulated today by the Chairman of the Migration Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- Bishop's Testimony Calls For Comprehensive Immigration Reform (04-026)
February 12, 2004
President Bush's proposal for a temporary worker program for immigrants is a welcome development, but it falls short of the standards articulated by the U.S. and Mexican bishops last year, according to congressional testimony submitted today.
- Chairman Welcomes Immigration Reform Proposal, Voices Concern That It Is Insufficient (04-007)
January 8, 2004
Immigration reforms announced yesterday by President Bush are "an important first step," according to the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration Committee, who called for comprehensive reform "that will truly address our current immigration crisis."
- Bishop Urges Acceptance of Mexican Identity Cards: Change in Treasury Department Rules Opposed (03-161)
August 5, 2003
U.S. Treasury Department rules which permit banks to accept identification cards issued by Mexican consulates should remain unchanged, according to the chairman of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, who said the cards allow immigrants to cash checks, open bank accounts, and build self-sufficiency.
- Media Advisory -- Conference to Address Human Trafficking (03-156)
July 28, 2003
An estimated 850,000 people are trafficked annually worldwide, according to the U.S. State Department, 20,000 of them into the United States. A modern form of slavery, human trafficking forces men, women, and children into pornography, prostitution and other sexual exploitation, as well as labor exploitation.
- Father Anthony Chinh Quang Dao Named to Head Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees (03-140)
July 7, 2003
Father Anthony Chinh quang Dao, OP, pastor of Our Lady of Lavang church and Vicar for the Vietnamese in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, has been named Executive Director of the Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
- Advocacy Day, Children of War Production, Will Highlight Next Week's National Migration Conference (03-136)
July 3, 2003
Over 700 refugee and immigrant advocates will meet with their members of Congress and witness Children of War, a documentary theater production in which several refugee teenagers from war-torn countries share their personal experiences, at the National Migration Conference, July 6-10 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel here.
- Training Set On "Welcoming the Stranger" (03-125)
June 13, 2003
A better appreciation for ethnic and racial diversity and a greater capacity for welcoming immigrants and refugees into Catholic communities are goals of the seventh regional "unity in diversity" training scheduled for June 25-27 in Seattle.
- National Migration Conference Set For July 6-10 In Washington (03-121)
June 11, 2003
Hundreds of immigration advocates will be on hand July 6-10 in Washington for the National Migration Conference 2003 to learn the latest on the U.S. response to the world's 15 million refugees, to plan strategies for their advocacy efforts, to hear internationally respected immigration and refugee experts, and to see the moving presentation Children of War.
- 'Flawed' Border Policy Contributed To Migrants' Deaths; Bishop Renews Call for Reform (03-101)
May 16, 2003
The tragic deaths of 18 migrants smuggled into Texas this week are the result of a "flawed and inhumane" border policy which must be reformed, according to the chairman of the bishops' Committee on Migration.
- Bishop Critical Of Ashcroft Decision in Asylum Case (03-095)
May 8, 2003
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's decision to detain a Haitian asylum seeker as a means to deter future migrations is a "dangerous precedent," according to the chairman of the bishops' Committee on Migration, who called the decision "troubling."
- American Bishops Outline Eight Pastoral Strategies (03-067)
March 24, 2003
Bishops from Canada, Latin America and the United States, meeting in Quebec, Canada, in late February, outlined eight pastoral strategies for the Americas.
- Automatic Detention of Selected Asylum Seekers Is 'Discriminatory' (03-066)
March 20, 2003
The automatic detention of asylum seekers from selected countries under a new federal policy known as "Operation Liberty Shield" is "discriminatory, violates accepted norms of international law, and undermines our tradition as a safe haven for the oppressed," according the chairman of the Migration Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- Media Advisory - Forum on Trafficking in Persons (03-045)
February 28, 2003
According to a 2000 CIA report, 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States each year for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor.
- Migration Committee Urges Citizenship Recognition for Tohono O'dham Nation (03-036)
February 21, 2003
U.S. citizenship for members of the Tohono O'dham Nation, whose ancient lands straddle the U.S.-Mexico border, would remove "insurmountable barriers to celebrating their faith, visiting their family members and practicing their culture," according to the chairman of the bishops' Migration Committee.
- National Migration Week Set For January 5-11 (03-003)
January 3, 2003
The nation's bishops have designated January 5-11 as National Migration Week, and have asked Catholics to mark the week by recognizing the gifts and talents contributed to communities by immigrants and refugees.
- Migration Chairman Urges Respect for Haitians' Human Dignity (02-217)
October 30, 2002
Lack of political stability and human rights violations in Haiti led more than 200 refugees to seek protection in the United States, according to the Chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Migration Committee, and the U.S. government should allow the Haitians to request asylum.
- Bishops' Agenda Includes Historic Mexican-U.S. Joint Statement On Migration (02-194)
October 4, 2002
An unprecedented joint pastoral statement on migration by the Mexican and U.S. bishops will come before the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for a vote at their semi-annual meeting here November 11 to November 14.
- Catholic Bishops Strengthen Commitment To Serve People On The Move (02-174)
September 11, 2002
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Migration and Refugee Services, through its Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees, will conduct the fourth in a series of seven regional trainings on the implementation of the bishops' pastoral statement, Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, September 18-20, in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. |