ImmigrationProf Blog

Throwback Thursday: Aftermath by Daniel Kanstroom

It's Throwback Thursday and on deck for today is Aftermath: Deportation Law and the New American Diaspora by Daniel Kanstroom (BC). Published in 2012, here's the pitch for the book:

Since 1996, when new, harsher deportation laws went into effect, the United States has deported millions of noncitizens back to their countries of origin. While the rights of immigrants-with or without legal status--as well as the appropriate pathway to legal status are the subject of much debate, hardly any attention has been paid to what actually happens to deportees once they "pass beyond our aid." In fact, we have fostered a new diaspora of deportees, many of whom are alone and isolated, with strong ties to their former communities in the United States.

Daniel Kanstroom, author of the authoritative history of deportation, Deportation Nation, turns his attention here to the current deportation system of the United States and especially deportation's aftermath: the actual effects on individuals, families, U.S. communities, and the countries that must process and repatriate ever-increasing numbers of U.S. deportees. Few know that once deportees have been expelled to places like Guatemala, Cambodia, Haiti, and El Salvador, many face severe hardship, persecution and, in extreme instances, even death.

Addressing a wide range of political, social, and legal issues, Kanstroom considers whether our deportation system "works" in any meaningful sense. He also asks a number of under-examined legal and philosophical questions: What is the relationship between the "rule of law" and the border? Where do rights begin and end? Do (or should) deportees ever have a "right to return"? After demonstrating that deportation in the U.S. remains an anachronistic, ad hoc, legally questionable affair, the book concludes with specific reform proposals for a more humane and rational deportation system.

I've been thinking about this book since this summer. When I showed up to the housing for my week with the Rhizome program in Guadalajara (I think there's still room in the January program!), this was the only book left out for students to peruse. There were other reports and handouts, but just this one paperback. And it makes sense. Rhizome's mission focuses on deportees from the US rehomed in Mexico.

It also strikes me as relevant to the present political moment when candidate Trump is pledging to undertake "Mass Deportations Now!"

-KitJ

Cardinal: Immigrants are part of the solution, not the problem

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

On the heels of the Vice Presidential debate in which JD Vance blames immigrants for taking U.S. jobs, increasing housing prices, and more, Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles in his op-ed for The Hill writes that too many of our political leaders use immigrants as scapegoats in messaging that is "contrary to the facts":

"One thing you will not hear during this political season is how immigrants to the United States—recall we are all descendants of immigrants—have helped make this nation great through the sweat of their labor and the content of their character.

Immigrants have helped build our cities, our transportation systems and our national infrastructure. They contribute greatly to the country’s economic health by working in important industries that help fuel growth and create jobs.

****

 A modern immigration system which enhances legal avenues for migration, brings undocumented workers out of the shadows, upholds the rule of law, ensures our security and prepares us for the future is achievable.

In short, immigrants are part of the solution to, not the cause of, our country’s social and economic challenges. We forsake them at our own peril."

KJ

Immigration Article of the Day: Agency Entrenchment: Sociological Legitimacy in a Politically Contested Occupation by Dylan Farrell-Bryan

The Immigration Article of the Day is Agency Entrenchment: Sociological Legitimacy in a Politically Contested Occupation by Dylan Farrell-Bryan.

The Article was just published in Law & Social Inquiry, doi:10.1017/lsi.2024.29, and is available here.

Here is the abstract:

This study investigates how agents in contested occupations justify and legitimize their work. It examines Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorneys who prosecute immigrant removal cases on behalf of the federal government, delving into the narrative strategies that attorneys use to attain self-legitimacy within the agency. While existing literature suggests that self-legitimacy stems from either public support or an intrinsic belief in one’s deservingness of power, this study introduces a third pathway to self-legitimacy, agency entrenchment, in which government prosecutors draw on a highly internalized sense of patriotism and a duty to their organizational role, in the face of heightened public protest and changing administrative priorities. Analyzing forty in-depth interviews with ICE attorneys, this study identifies two primary approaches to agency entrenchment. The first is a bureaucratic approach, in which attorneys derive an internalized sense of duty from the existing law. The second is an enforcement approach, in which attorneys derive moral authority from what they see as their protector status. By deploying these narratives of self-legitimacy, ICE prosecutors attempt to resolve perceived conflicts between their legally mandated responsibilities and the ethical and reputational criticisms they encounter. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of the occupational dynamics between political polarization and law enforcement prosecution.

IE

How Trump credits an immigration chart for saving his life — and what the chart is missing

 

Former President Donald Trump reportedly will be returning to Butler, Pennsylvania, where there was an  attempt on his life at a campaign rally in July.  Adriana Gomez Leon for the Associated Press reports on the immigration chart that Trump "credits for saving his life.

Trump was addressing the crowd in Butler about illegal immigration and reviewing a chart that detailed U.S.-Mexico border crossings during his administration and President Joe Biden’s term. He had his head turned to the right to review the graphic on a projection screen when the gunfire began. One bullet nicked his right ear, coming millimeters from maiming or killing him."

The report takes an in-depth look at the immigration chart, what it includes and omits (such as family separation), where Trump shows it, and more.

KJ

California Governor Vetoes Opportunity for All Bill, Lawsuit aims to open UC jobs to undocumented students

A recent study found that, in the University of California and California State University systems, the enrollment of undocumented students has decreased significantly in the last few years as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy has been slowly dismantled.   

A few weeks ago, California Governor Gavin Newsom's vetoed the Opportunity for All bill, which would have allowed California public universities to employ undocumented students.   In vetoing the bill, the Governor cited concerns that state employees could be found in violation of federal laws for employing undocumented students.

The University of California Board of Regents share Newsom’s fear that offering jobs to undocumented students may violate federal law.  Earlier this year, the Board "shelved a plan to open jobs to students who lack legal work authorization, saying UC could be subject to civil fines, criminal penalties and the potential loss of billions of dollars in federal funding.."

In a story ("In Newsom quashed bill. Now lawsuit aims to open UC jobs to undocumented students"), Clara Hunter for the Los Angeles Times reports that, in response to Governor Newsom's veto, a lawsuit has been filed alleging that the University of California (UC) is discriminating against students based on their immigration status. The suit seeks an injunction requiring the UC system to consider undocumented students for on-campus jobs. 

The lawsuit argues that, although the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 bars the employment of undocumented persons, the law does not apply to state employers such as the University of California.  The lawsuit claims that the UC refusal to employ undocumented students violates the California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on immigration status.

The lawsuit is being coordinated by the Opportunity4All campaign, which led the advocacy for the Opportunity for All Act,..

KJ

Harris Border Visit was a Missed Opportunity

When Kamala Harris visited the Arizona-Mexico border last Friday, she did a good job contrasting what her approach to interior enforcement would be with that of Trump, e.g., support for Dreamers, not engaging in massive deportation efforts, and being more open to immigration applications. But her actual discussion of the border was more about increasing enforcement and making it more difficult for asylum seekers--very Trump-like. It was a missed opportunity for Harris to explain that migrants at the border are not coming to do harm and to talk about the violence that the vast majority are fleeing. I've written about the good work that some people on the ground are doing to combat violence in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and how funds from USAID and the World Bank have been misused in those countries. Click here.

bh

Report on the internal displacement situation in Haiti (September 2024)

The human rights crisis in Haiti continues.  The International Organization for Migration concludes

"[o]ver 700,000 people, more than half of whom are children, are now internally displaced across Haiti . . . .

These latest figures show a 22 per cent increase in the number of internally displaced people since June, highlighting the worsening humanitarian situation. Gang violence has so far forced more than 110,000 people to flee their homes in the last 7 months, particularly in Gressier, west of the capital."

KJ

VP Candidates Vance and Walz Debate Immigration

 

 

As expected, last night's debate between the two Vice Presidential candidates, touched on immigration.   While the debate was relatively civil and policy-oriented, the discussion of immigration got a bit tense at times. 

CBS News summarized the discussion on immigration as follows:

"During Tuesday's vice presidential debate, CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent and "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan asked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance about immigration. Ohio Sen. JD Vance claimed immigration policies enacted by Vice President Kamala Harris allowed the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz rebutted Vance and criticized former President Donald Trump for opposing a legislative solution to reforming immigration." 

As expected, Walz mentioned Vance's falsehoods about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.  Vance countered that he was not worried about immigrants eating pets but was worried about the impacts of immigrants on U.S. workers.  Vance blamed undocumented immigrants for rising housing prices.  I must admit that I smiled when Vance talked about the Biden administration as "opening the floodgates" to immigrants, which is a title to one of my books.  To be fair, we have very different views about immigration.  But I worried when Vance deflected a question by blaming Kamala Harris for separating migrant families and refused to condemn the family separation policy pursued by Donald Trump as President.

 

It seems fair to say that the immigration issue got the candidates talking.  Ahead of the debate, CBS News had reserved the right to turn off microphones if necessary.  The moderators exercised that right during the tense exchange between Vance and the moderators on immigration and muted Vance's microphone.

 

KJ

University of Richmond School of Law Public Interest Law Review Symposium: Immigration and Asylum Law

Public Interest Law Review Symposium: Immigration and Asylum Law

Oct. 4, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

University of Richmond School of Law

Join the Public Interest Law Review for its annual fall symposium entitled "Immigration and Asylum Law: Current Trends and Challenges in Virginia and Across the Nation." This symposium will provide a unique glimpse into the changing landscape of immigration and refugee law. The program will consist of several presentations, including an overview on current immigration and asylum law, barriers to language access, special immigrant juvenile status, and immigrant detention. Additionally, the symposium will host a panel of immigration judges and a separate presentation on the impact of the end of Chevron. 

KJ

ICE Program Trains Civilians on Firearms and Surveillance, Documents Show

 

Documented reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has run a "secretive" program -- Citizens Academies -- where ICE agents have trained civilian volunteers on how to operate various firearms, conduct investigations and surveillance of immigrants, and use lethal force on human beings. 

I am not sure how secretive the program is given that it is outlined in a DHS website.

According to Documented, "[t]he Citizens Academies provide role-play scenarios for civilians to conduct raids on immigrants and is active in New York and in more than a dozen cities across the country. The program is run by Homeland Security Investigations, the branch of ICE in charge of intelligence, international affairs, and surveillance.

According to . . . documents obtained from ICE via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request litigation, published on Oct. 1 by a group of civil rights organizations, the program was piloted first in Puerto Rico in 2014 and turned national in 2019."

KJ

Immigration Events at UC Davis

 

The Global Migration Center has a variety of upcoming immigrat6ion presentations.  Some have Zoom capabilities.  Check out the link for details. 

 

The Aoki Center on Critical Race and Nation Studies (UC Davis School of Law) has a series of events that touch on immigration.

 

KJ

RIP Dikembe Mutombo, National Basketball Association Legend, Immigrant from Congo

 

Born in Congo, National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Dikembe Mutombo has died of brain cancer.  He initially came to the United States to attend Georgetown on an academic scholarship.   After playing in college under legendary coach John Thompson, Mutombo played for many years in the NBA.  He was a naturalized U.S. citizen.

President George Bush in the 2007 State of the Union acknowledged Mutombo:

"Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa, amid great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine -- but Coach John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. . . . Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his blessings with others. He built a brand new hospital in his old hometown. A friend has said of this good-hearted man: `Mutombo believes that God has given him this opportunity to do great things." And we are proud to call this son of the Congo a citizen of the United States of America.'"

As the Associated Press reported, "Mutombo was an incredible basketball player — one of the best shot blockers and defensive players of all time,” Barack Obama wrote on social media. “But he also inspired a generation of young people across Africa, and his work as the NBA’s first global ambassador changed the way athletes think about their impact off the court.”

Mutombo "built a hospital in the Congo and that facility — named for his mother — has now treated about 200,000 people. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the Special Olympics, on behalf of UNICEF, on behalf of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He traveled the world, he encouraged NBA leaders to visit Africa, he fought for change. He was the first, and still is the only, person to win the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award twice."

KJ

TONIGHT: Labor and the Carceral State

I just learned about this event, happening tonight. Zoom in to hear historians talk about Labor and the Carceral State. While I don't think they are going to be addressing immigration specifically, I imagine that this would still be of great interest to crimmigration folks--giving fruitful hints about crossover scholarship.

Immigration Article of the Day: Legal Care Work: Emotion and Care Work in Lawyering with Unaccompanied Minors by Luis Edward Tenorio

The Immigration Article of the Day is Legal Care Work: Emotion and Care Work in Lawyering with Unaccompanied Minors by Luis Edward Tenorio. 

The article was just published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and available here.

We know legal representation can improve the likelihood of favorable legal outcomes for immigrants, what some scholars refer to as the ‘representation effect’. But can legal representation affect client's broader integration and resettlement outcomes along the timeline of their legal case? If so, how? Drawing from literature on emotion work, care work, and how attorneys interact with immigrant clients, I propose the concept of legal care work to capture the emotion and care work strategies attorneys undertake to respond to immigrant clients’ broader set of needs. Based on a rich qualitative study of attorneys and Central American unaccompanied minor clients, I show how the legal care work attorneys perform illustrate the need for an expanded conceptualization of the ‘representation effect’ they have on clients, impacting behaviors and outcomes across various dimensions of everyday life. Further, I show how who receives and is denied legal care work—a product of biases and stereotypes, as well as bureaucratic dysfunction—exacerbate disparities along different socio-demographic lines (e.g. race, age, gender). These findings underscore the value of interrogating the role attorneys play in facilitating the transformative effects of the law and advancing social change in complex and hostile legal contexts.

IE

CNN: One thing to watch for at the vice presidential debate -- Springfield

 

CNN lists five things to watch in the debate between Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance tonight in the one and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 election.

The matchup between Minnesota governor Walz and Vance, the Ohio senator, is being hosted by CBS News and taking place in New York, without a live audience.

One of the CNN things to watch is discussion of Donald Trump and JD Vance statements about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio:

"For weeks now, Vance and Trump have been doubling and tripling down on false claims that Haitians in the Ohio city are abducting and eating their neighbors’ pets.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and many others have called the claims outlandish, and no one has provided any evidence to the contrary. Still, Trump and Vance want immigration front and center and, even though the migrants are in the country legally, the Republican ticket has sought to use the debunked rumor to gin up anger over the Biden administration’s handling of the border.  . . .

Pressed on the claims by CNN’s Dana Bash in September, Vance said, `If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.'

It would not be surprising to hear Walz bring up that comment, in particular, in attacking the Republicans’ rhetoric."

It should be an entertaining evening.

KJ

National Immigration Forum Action Fund: The Costs of Mass Deportation: New Resource

 A new resource from the National Immigration Forum Action Fund outlines the extreme human and economic costs — to all Americans — of mass deportation.

The resource lays out the potential impacts to neighborhoods, churches and schools; local law enforcement; the federal government; and individual businesses, larger industries and the economy.

"Mass deportation would upend American life and society," said Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum Action Fund. "Make no mistake: Families would be forced to separate. Millions of Americans live with family members who are unauthorized or have only temporary protections and would be in danger of deportation.

"We recognize that our immigration system is out of date and that we need better ways to address migration’s challenges. The answer is for Republicans and Democrats to work together on pragmatic solutions that re-establish order and compassion. Mass deportation would achieve the opposite."

The conclusion of the resource reads as follows:

"Donald Trump’s announced plans to carry out mass deportation in a second term of office would have far-reaching consequences that go beyond simply removing unauthorized immigrants from the U.S. Carrying out mass deportations would involve massive and costly expansions of immigration enforcement efforts, disruptions to communities, and wide-ranging racial and ethnic profiling. Furthermore, the trauma inflicted on children and the ripple effects on mixed-status households would destabilize entire communities. The removal of millions of workers from essential sectors would severely damage the economy, leading to labor shortages, reduced economic output, and job losses for American citizens.

These broader implications of mass deportation raise serious concerns about its feasibility, legality, and humanitarian impact. It would require unprecedented resources and divert military and law enforcement personnel from all levels of government, undermining military readiness and public safety. It also would be divisive and chaotic, leading to legal challenges and potential public unrest. Ultimately, mass deportation is not only an extreme and costly policy, but one that would have lasting negative effects on the nation’s security, economy, and society."

The full resource is available online.  

KJ

AIC: Unpacking the Supreme Court Immigration Cases in the 23-24' Term and Looking Forward to What's Ahead

On Thursday, I had the chance to attend this American Immigration Council webinar: Unpacking the Supreme Court Immigration Cases in the 23-24' Term and Looking Forward to What's Ahead. That webinar is now available on youtube.

Cases discussed include:

• Arizona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387 (2012)

• United States v. Texas, 144 S. Ct. 797 (2024)

• Dep’t of Homeland Sec. v. Texas, 144 S. Ct. 715 (2024) 

• United States v. Abbott, 110 F.4th 700 (5th Cir. 2024)

• Dep’t of State v. Muñoz, 144 S.Ct. 1812 (2024)

• Campos Chaves v. Garland, 144 S.Ct. 1637 (2024)

• Wilkinson v. Garland, 601 U.S. 209 (2024)

• Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, 144 S. Ct. 2244 (2024)

• Food & Drug Admin. v. All. for Hippocratic Med., 602 U.S. 367 (2024)

• Bourfa v. Mayorkas

• Velasquez v. Garland

-KitJ

Book Event: We Thought It Would Be Heaven: Refugees in an Unequal America by Blair Sackett & Annette Lareau

 

MIGRATION SPEAKER SERIES

Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) in partnership with UCSD’s Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, UCLA’s Center for the Study of International Migration, presents the next talk of Migration
Speaker Series.

BOOK TALK
WITH AUTHOR BLAIR SACKETT
FRIDAY, OCT 25, 2024
12:00 PM PST

COMMENTATOR:
HELEN MARROW, PROFESSOR, SOCIOLOGY, TUFTS
UNIVERSITY

Through the lived experiences of families resettled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Blair Sackett and Annette Lareau reveal how a daunting obstacle course of agencies and services can drastically alter refugees’ experiences of a new life in America. 

Please mark your calendars for this upcoming book event (via zoom) on 10/25/24.  This event may be recorded.  Please note that the time listed is Pacific Time.  Registration links here and here.

The event will discuss We Thought It Would Be Heaven: Refugees in an Unequal America (paperback – August 2023) by Blair Sackett & Annette Lareau.  One of the authors, Blair Sackett, will participate in the discussion.

The publisher describes the book as follows:

"Resettled refugees in America face a land of daunting obstacles where small things—one person, one encounter—can make all the difference in getting ahead or falling behind.

 Fleeing war and violence, many refugees dream that moving to the United States will be like going to Heaven. Instead, they enter a deeply unequal American society, often at the bottom. Through the lived experiences of families resettled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Blair Sackett and Annette Lareau reveal how a daunting obstacle course of agencies and services can drastically alter refugees’ experiences building a new life in America.
 
In these stories of struggle and hope, as one volunteer said, “you see the American story.” For some families, minor mistakes create catastrophes—food stamps cut off, educational opportunities missed, benefits lost. Other families, with the help of volunteers and social supports, escape these traps and take steps toward reaching their dreams. Engaging and eye-opening, We Thought It Would Be Heaven brings readers into the daily lives of Congolese refugees and offers guidance for how activists, workers, and policymakers can help refugee families thrive."

KJ

Statement from Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Securing the Border Final Rule

Official Department of Homeland Security Photo

We are in the middle of the 2024 president campaign and saber rattling about increased immigration enforcement continues to dominate discussions of immigration. The latest is the "Statement from Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Securing the Border Final Rule," which was released earlier today.  Here is a fact sheet on the final rule.

"Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued the following statement on the Department of Homeland Security-Department of Justice joint final rule, following the joint interim final rule that the Departments issued in June. The joint final rule continues to limit asylum eligibility and significantly increase timely consequences for those who cross illegally at our southern border and have no legal basis to remain in the United States:

“In June, the Biden-Harris Administration took decisive action to strengthen our nation’s border security and deter irregular migration. That decisive action – the President’s Proclamation and the Departments’ joint interim final rule that implemented it – has been delivering results: illegal crossings at our southern border have dropped by more than 55 percent. The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice have now finalized the rule, which implements the President’s updated Proclamation. This action has been taken in parallel with other Administration actions that have both increased enforcement and delivered to asylum seekers safe and lawful pathways to humanitarian relief that cut out the ruthless smuggling organizations that prey on the vulnerable.

"In the past year, total removals and returns of people crossing illegally have exceeded the number of removals and returns in any fiscal year since 2010. We have worked with other countries to disrupt and dismantle the smuggling organizations, enhance their enforcement efforts, accept the return of migrants who do not qualify for relief, make irregular migration more difficult, and much more. In parallel, this Administration has taken new and innovative steps to provide humanitarian relief to individuals in need so that they do not have to migrate irregularly at tremendous peril, in the hands of the ruthless and powerful smuggling organizations. This Administration, with its international partners, has built safe mobility offices, increased refugee processing, built new labor pathways, provided new humanitarian relief processes, and increased family reunification.

“Yet, these efforts, impactful as they have been, are no substitute for Congressional action. We cannot provide the greater and more enduring systemic changes that America’s broken immigration system desperately needs because only Congress can do that. Nor can we provide the Department of Homeland Security and the other departments responsible for administering our nation’s immigration system with the personnel, resources, and tools needed to fully meet today’s border security challenges; Congress must do that.

“Our Administration worked closely with a bipartisan group of Senators earlier this year to help craft legislation that would have delivered the toughest and fairest border security measures in decades. It would have, for example, provided funding for 1,500 new Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection officers; 1,200 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel; 4,300 additional asylum officers; and more than 10,000 additional detention beds. To sustain the progress the Biden-Harris Administration has made, and to build on it, Congress must pass the bipartisan border security bill.”

 

As Nick Miroff for the Washington Post summarizes the changes, 

"The Biden administration will expand the asylum restrictions announced in June [and here] that have made it much more difficult for migrants who cross the border illegally to request protection in the United States, Department of Homeland Security officials said [today].

Officials said they will extend from seven to 28 days the length of time that illegal crossings must remain below a daily threshold of 1,500 before people who enter the country illegally will be allowed to request asylum. The amended measures, which will take effect [tomorrow], will also begin counting unaccompanied minors in the daily number of crossings, the officials said."

Rebecca Santana for the Associated Press catches the nub of the final rule in the title to her report:  "Biden administration doubles down on tough asylum restrictions at border"

UPDATE (Oct. 1):  Immigrant advocates are critical of the new policies. Aljazeera reports:

“`This policy bolsters xenophobic and racist rhetoric that falsely portrays immigrants as threats. It will also leave a permanent stain on President Biden’s legacy,' said Eleanor Acer, senior director for refugee protection at Human Rights First.

Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA, accused the administration of `clinging to policies of cruelty when there are solutions on the table.'

`Instead of spending billions of taxpayer dollars to fuel cruel border policies that create heartbreaking human rights and humanitarian crises, the United States must invest in a coordinated welcome and reception system that meets the immediate and long-term needs of people seeking safety,' Fischer said.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also slammed the new rules as illegal."

The asylum law Congress enacted recognizes that people fleeing danger should not be forced to wait and try to secure an appointment to seek asylum.

This restrictive rule is not just immoral but illegal. https://t.co/zUP4tbnkbl

— ACLU (@ACLU) September 30, 2024

KJ

Pope Francis on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Pope Francis urged Catholics to encounter the divine in the vulnerable among us in his message for yesterday’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees. In the National Catholic Reporter, Anna Gallagher of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network reflects on the meaning of the pontiff’s message. "By welcoming migrants and refugees into our communities, we are not merely offering them a haven," she writes. "We are inviting them to enrich our lives and expand our understanding of God's boundless love and mercy." 

KJ