King is a student at the Univ. of Notre Dame. He spent eight weeks at Casa Juan Diego this summer. One fateful day on September 18th 2002, I – King Fok – and my family of five left our apartment in Hong Kong and settled into a small suburban home right outside of Portland, Oregon…. continue reading
Court Rules Against Detaining Mothers and Children, But What About the Fathers?
September 2, 2015 by
On Friday July 24th 2015, Federal Judge Dolly Gee of California ruled that the “deplorable conditions” in several detention centers in Texas that house women and children violate the minimum legal requirements for institutions that house children. She declared that the families should be released as soon as possible. She gave the Obama administration… continue reading
Cuban Guest of Casa Juan Diego Survives Journey, Most Terrible Moments
July 9, 2015 by
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
