My name is Sandra Lidia (actually not my real name) and this is my story. I was born in Amarillas, a small town in the province of Matanza in Cuba. Also, like so many Cubans, I had to live with hardships and limitations of every kind, with dreams that at the moment seemed impossible…. continue reading
Vulnerable Migrant Groups Should Not Be Detained
June 14, 2015 by
WASHINGTON—The U.S. immigrant detention system, which treats vulnerable immigrant detainees as criminals, needs extensive reforms, said representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Center for Migration Studies as they released a report and policy recommendations. They urged Congress and the administration to build a system that affords due process protections, honors… continue reading
DACA, DAPA, and the poor outside our door
March 10, 2015 by
Since 9/11, our nation has become more and more afraid, in exact proportion to our fevered attempts to disconnect ourselves from the poor and huddled masses of the earth. The more troops we send to stamp out Evil, the more Evil seems to grow. The higher the fence at our border, the more we fear… continue reading
Help Refugees Created By the Aftermath of the Iraq War
November 18, 2014 by
People have been asking us to write about how the United States should respond to the terrible violence of ISIS, or the Islamic state. The images and examples, of their cruelty, especially towards Christians, are barbaric. There must be a response. As we have pondered this question, we have been unable to forget some of… continue reading
Babies in the River – Urgent Humanitarian Situation, Part 2 – Breaking News and St. Basil
August 14, 2014 by
Commenting here on a breaking news story such as the children from Central America in custody at the Texas border runs the risk that the situation may have changed drastically by the time you read this. On the other hand, it is fascinating to look at current events “with a Bible in one hand and… continue reading
Action Alert to Congress Take Action! Protect Vulnerable Unaccompanied Children and Restore Critical Funding for Refugees and Other Vulnerable Populations
July 18, 2014 by
From Justice for Immigrants from the US Bishops Conference: Immediate Action Needed: Please urge your Senators and Representative to oppose legislative efforts to strip protections away from unaccompanied children who are fleeing from violence in Central America and seeking refuge in the United States. This includes, among others, efforts to reduce protections by changing the… continue reading
Humanitarian Crisis – Where Are the Children? Here Is A Number to Call
July 4, 2014 by
At Casa Juan Diego we are receiving phone calls from the families of the children who are coming alone to the United States. They ask, How can I find my children? One man asked, How can I find my little girl who is three years old? She was separated from her aunt who accompanied her… continue reading
Babies in the River: “Urgent Humanitarian Situation,” Part I
July 1, 2014 by
President Obama recently called the explosion in the number of migrant children crossing our southern border without parents or caretakers an “urgent humanitarian situation.” Ninety thousand children this year, some as young as five years old, making a journey alone that is incredibly dangerous even for adults, many of them beaten, robbed, forced to sell… continue reading
Border Deaths in Texas: No Effort Made to Bury Deceased Migrants With Dignity
June 26, 2014 by
On Saturday, May 18, a small group of people from Houston Unido, a coalition of community-based organizations and activists working to promote immigrant rights, traveled to Falfurrias, Texas to participate in a community forum on migrant deaths. Last year, 129 migrants perished while crossing the harsh, desert brush near Falfurrias as they attempted to walk… continue reading
Dangerous Manner Of Deportation Denies Human Dignity
March 29, 2014 by
By Very Rev. Thomas H. Smolich, S.J., president of the Jesuit Conference of the United States. As President Obama’s administration approaches a record-setting two millionth deportation, an immigration enforcement “accomplishment” never achieved by any other president, many faith leaders are rightly focusing on the hardship that each of these deportations inflicts on families and communities… continue reading
