Like 9/11, the June 15th announcement of the new policy of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was, for me, one of those moments when something so shocking happens that you remember forever where you were and what you were doing. I have so much invested, professionally and personally, in meaningful immigration reform that my reaction… continue reading
Deferred Action: Half a Loaf is Way Better Than None, But It Is Still Half a Loaf
November 26, 2012 by
Dorothy Day Prayer Card Inspires Migrant
September 27, 2012 by
Caleb is a student at the University of Notre Dame. He spent several months living and working at Casa Juan Diego this summer. Three months ago I was fully initiated into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation at my school, the University of Notre Dame. That day I was surrounded by… continue reading
Dreamers Brought As Children Can Apply
September 7, 2012 by
Monica is a Catholic Worker in Houston. Since the Obama administration announced a plan to defer the deportation of some undocumented immigrants while granting them permission to work, we’ve been receiving calls at Casa Juan Diego about the details of how to apply to the so-called Deferred Action for DREAMers program. Some inquiries have even… continue reading
US To Stop Deporting Many Undocumented Youth
June 15, 2012 by
The Associated Press reported this morning that the Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to many young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives. The policy change, announced Friday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who… continue reading
What Dorothy Day Has Meant To Me
April 18, 2012 by
By Dawn McCarty, Ph.D., LMSW Almost every day I hear and read about the problems caused by undocumented workers. They take our jobs, overcrowd our social services, take away resources from our children and get away with breaking the law with complete abandon! You would think they are some powerful alien group who threaten the… continue reading
The Perilous Intersection of Immigration Enforcement and the Child Welfare System
March 30, 2012 by
by Mark and Louise Zwick A national tragedy is taking place. While we argue about whether people should be here or not, families are being torn apart without any recourse. Children are being separated from their parents and may never see them again. A new study from the Applied Research Center, entitled “Shattered Families: The… continue reading
“For the Worker Is Worthy Of His Hire”: Reflections On Day Laborers
February 18, 2012 by
Biblical scholars have suggested that the day laborers of Jesus’ time were at the very bottom of the working ladder. Even slaves were better off, in the sense that they had someone to protect them – they had value as the owner’s investment. I knew before I came to Casa Juan Diego that the day… continue reading
There Is No Line
February 9, 2012 by
In the presidential debates some of the candidates have insisted that the only answer to the question of undocumented immigrants in the country is to have them deported or to ask everyone to go back home to their countries to “get in line with everyone else.” The problem with this idea is that there virtually… continue reading
Secure Communities? Some Changes in ICE Policies, But What is Needed is Comprehensive Immigration Reform
August 1, 2011 by
In response to widespread criticism across the country of the Secure Communities program of ICE (U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on June 17, 2011 ICE Director John Morton issued a memorandum announ-cing some changes in the way the program is administered. Not only human rights groups, and the U. S. Catholic Bishops, but local… continue reading
A New Mandate for Immigration Reform
August 1, 2011 by
As a social scientist by trade, my tendency to categorize human behavior carries over to my work as a Catholic Worker. I have noticed that there are basically two different types of guests that receive care, support and hospitality at Casa Juan Diego: those newly arrived, and those that have been in the United States… continue reading
