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JRS/USA Staff Recommendations for Further Reading:

Guide for practitioners assisting immigrant families
Immigrants come to the United States to build a better future and to unite with family members, some of whom are citizens and some of whom also face the possibility of deportation. Most immigrants have lived in the United States for many years, paying taxes and joining the daily life of their communities. Over time, immigrants buy homes, start businesses, and build personal assets. By reviewing and following the steps outlined in this manual, individuals and families facing deportation may be able to prepare themselves for the financial fallout of being detained, which will allow them more time to focus on the immediate legal issues they face if and when such a scenario arises.

Just Like Us
Helen Thorpe's Just Like Us takes us deep into an American subculture -- that of Mexican immigrants -- largely hidden from the mainstream. We meet four girls on the eve of their senior prom, in Denver, Colorado; two of the four are undocumented. All four hold American aspirations, but only Clara and Elissa have the documents necessary to realize those hopes. Their friendship starts to divide along lines of immigration status. Then a political firestorm begins. An illegal immigrant commits a horrendous crime in Denver, and a local congressman seizes on the act as proof of all that is wrong with American society. Arguments over immigration rage fiercely, and the girls' lives play out against a backdrop of intense debate over whether they have any right to live in the country where they have grown up.

Book examines migration and Catholic social teaching
Woodstock Theological Center, in collaboration with CLINIC and Fairfield University, has produced a new book: And You Welcomed Me: Migration and Catholic Social Teaching. Edited by Donald Kerwin, vice-president for programs at the Migration Policy Institute, and Jill Marie Gerschutz, migration policy director at the Jesuit Conference, the book considers Catholic Social Teaching on immigration from a multidisciplinary perspective. Click the headline for more information and to order the book; for discount information, download this flyer.

And You Welcomed Me aims to reframe perspectives on migration by focusing on the human beings at the heart of this phenomenon. It analyzes trade, immigration, labor, national security, and integration policies in light of the core Catholic commitment to the common good, human dignity, authentic development, and solidarity.

Documentary film about Liberian peace movement
In the award-winning documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell, Liberian women determined to bring dignity and peace back to their country stand up to both their government and rebel warlords, armed only with white t-shirts and courage. Their story has inspired legions of fans during the film’s nationwide theatrical run, multiple festival awards, and international screenings.

Report highlights migrant abuses in Mexico
The National Human Rights Commission of Mexico released a report on the 19th of June documenting the vulnerability of migrants to kidnapping and abuse in Mexico. When realizing the high frequency of kidnappings against migrants and its growing tendency, this national organization started this investigation with the objective of calling attention to authorities so they could put greater emphasis on preventing the problem.The contents of this document are based on migrants testimonies. Download a PDF, translated to English, of the report here.

Report urges immigration reform
"The continued failure to devise and implement a sound and sustainable immigration policy threatens to weaken America’s economy, to jeopardize its diplomacy, and to imperil its national security," concludes a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Independent Task Force co-chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush and former White House chief of staff Thomas "Mack" McLarty. "The stakes are too high to fail," says the report. "If the United States continues to mishandle its immigration policy, it will damage one of the vital underpinnings of American prosperity and security, and could condemn the country to a long, slow decline in its status in the world." For this reason, the report urges: "The United States needs a fundamental overhaul of its immigration laws."

Top Stories

DISPATCHES FROM HAITI
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA National Director Fr. Kenneth J. Gavin, S.J. has been in Haiti during the last several days, and shares his experiences with us.
Posted: Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:48:00 EDT

HAITI: RELIEF EFFORTS LOOK TO FUTURE
JRS/USA National Director Fr. Ken Gavin, S.J. is in the devastated Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince, and says it is moving to see the dedication and hard work of volunteers from the Dominican Republic and other countries who have gathered to help in the recovery efforts after the earthquake of January 12.
Posted: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:38:00 EDT

PANEL DISCUSSES HAITI RELIEF EFFORTS
Georgetown University hosted a panel discussion titled, “Forum on Haiti: From Relief to Recovery.” Panelists discussed the current crisis in Haiti, including relief and recovery efforts going forward and the role of the international community in providing aid and assistance. Representatives of the University, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, the World Food Progamme, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization took part.
Posted: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:33:00 EDT

HAITI RELIEF DONATIONS TAX DEDUCTIBLE
The IRS says that taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 return qualify for this special tax relief provision, enacted Jan. 22. Only cash contributions made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.
Posted: Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:03:00 EDT

PRAYING WITH REFUGEES: HAITI RELIEF EFFORTS
When the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, Jesuit Br. Jim Boynton’s life took an unexpectedly different course. He joined the Jesuit emergency relief response to the quake’s untold number of victims in Port-au-Prince. During the past weeks he has helped to facilitate and support the work of U.S. doctors, nurses and paramedics as they care for the thousands of seriously wounded Haitian people.
Posted: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:01:00 EDT

HAITI: SOLIDARITY IN WAKE OF DISASTER
The impact and consequences of the disaster of January 12 on Haitian society are immeasurable, says a Jesuit in Port-au-Prince. Morally and psychologically, the population has suffered a deep trauma. Despite the shock of the devastation, people have shown an unparalleled solidarity: assisting the wounded, sharing food and water. Without this solidarity, I don’t see how people could survive.
Posted: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EDT

TPS APPLICATION FEE WAIVER INFO
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has released a fact sheet on the process of requesting a waiver of fees for applicants seeking Temporary Protected Status.
Posted: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT

HAITI: DIFFICULT CONDITIONS, RESILIENT SPIRITS
We are still seeing seriously wounded people who have yet to see a doctor. We are seeing tent cities that have thousands of people living in a crowded space with no water, food, or sanitary conditions says Br. Jim Boynton, S.J.
Posted: Monday, 25 Jan 2010 21:28:00 EDT

HAITI: TPS AND RELIEF INFO ONLINE
In the wake of designating that Haitians in the U.S. are eligible for TPS, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has several pages of information available for people interested in learning more about applying for Temporary Protected Status.
Posted: Monday, 25 Jan 2010 21:27:00 EDT

107 IMMIGRANT DETAINEES DIED WHILE IN DETENTION
Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the American Immigration Lawyers Association obtained a list of the 107 immigrant detainees who died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody from October 2003 to the present.
Posted: Monday, 25 Jan 2010 21:26:00 EDT

TEMPORARY PROTECTION FOR HAITIANS: A FIRST STEP
Temporary Protected Status will give Haitians in the U.S. the ability to remain here during the crisis, and to work and live in the United States legally. Their remittances will allow more than $1 billion in aid to be sent to family members still suffering in the shattered island nation, thus playing a much needed role in the present relief effort.
Posted: Monday, 25 Jan 2010 21:25:00 EDT

SAVE THE CHILDREN ON ADOPTIONS IN HAITI
Save the Children says the situation in the earthquake-affected areas of Haiti places many children at risk and without adequate care. A large number of children may be separated from their parents or extended families due to death, injury or the sheer chaos created by the disaster.
Posted: Monday, 25 Jan 2010 21:24:00 EDT

HAITI: EMERGENCY RELIEF AND FUTURE REBUILDING
While Jesuit Refugee Service is still responding to the immediate needs of Haitian survivors of last week’s earthquake, JRS is analyzing the situation to predict future needs as the nation faces the daunting task of rebuilding much of its capital city and surrounding towns. Also, Congress has passed a bill making any donations to Haitian earthquake relief efforts by March 1 tax-deductible on 2009 returns.
Posted: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:08:00 EDT

JRS A LEADER IN HAITI RELIEF
Jesuit Refugee Service has become one of the leading organizations in providing emergency food and medical aid to the suffering people of Haiti. Fr. Kawas Francois, S.J., coordinator of the Jesuit response to the disaster, says that as of Thursday morning, food aid from the wider international community has not reached the many of the people who need it most. However, Jesuit Refugee Service has been able to drive trucks of food and other supplies across the frontier from the Dominican Republic.
Posted: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:34:00 EDT

HAITI: JRS SERVES 16,000 QUAKE VICTIMS
Jesuit Refugee Service has provided emergency relief in the form of food, medicine, tents and debris-removal tools to about 16,000 citizens of Port-au-Prince to aid their recovery from last week’s devastating earthquake. Additionally, in coordinated efforts with partner organizations in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, JRS has set up several locations throughout the countries to deliver aid to more people suffering from the effects of the earthquake in an efficient and organized manner.
Posted: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:39:00 EDT

HAITI: CONCERN GROWS FOR CHILDREN AFTER QUAKE
United Nations independent experts Monday voiced concern about the impact of the Haitian earthquake’s impact on the country’s children, who are always the most vulnerable to any disasters. “Children are always deeply affected by major disasters of this type, and almost half of the Haitian population are children,” the experts said in a news release. Although the international community’s initial response to the quake is encouraging, the Committee called for special attention to be paid to the needs of children.
Posted: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:26:00 EDT

VOICES FROM HAITI
Two days after the powerful earthquake brought more devastation to the island of Haiti, eyewitness accounts from Jesuits and JRS workers in the country are being shared.
Posted: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:35:00 EDT

BISHOPS SUPPORT IMMIGRATION REFORM
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced steps to push for the enactment of immigration reform legislation in 2010. Jesuit Refugee Service/USA believes the necessity of comprehensive immigration reform flows from a broken immigration system that separates families and has crippled our ability to regulate immigration adequately. JRS/USA seeks to respond to the call of Christ who is present among those who are suffering from the consequences of current immigration policy and the reality of undocumented migration, apprehension, detention and deportation. In 2003, the USCCB and the Catholic Bishops of Mexico published a joint statement, "Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope," which states that regardless of their legal status, migrants, like all persons, possess inherent human dignity which should be respected. Government policies that respect the basic human rights of the undocumented are necessary.
Posted: Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:23:00 EDT

DISPATCHES FROM SRI LANKA
Father Kenneth J. Gavin, S.J., the Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, is in Sri Lanka this week for a meeting of JRS Regional Directors. He will be writing daily updates on the current situation in Sri Lanka, seven months after the end of a devastating civil war that left tens of thousands dead, and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Posted: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 00:10:00 EDT

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Spotlight on Issues

Spotlight on Colombian Refugees in Panama
Refugees who have fled from the on–going conflict in Colombia to the neighboring country of Panama find themselves lost in a legal limbo. Granted Temporary Humanitarian Protection, they are not permitted the legal and social benefits afforded to refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention, which is supposed to define who is a refugee, their rights and the legal obligations of states.

Fifty years ago, when borders were more fluid, people moved between the Darién province of Panama and the Chocó department of Colombia freely. Mainly populated by people of African and indigenous descent, the two regions share strong cultural ties, and families span both sides of the border. However, all that changed when the armed conflict in Colombia began to ravage Chocó in the late 1990s.

Spotlight on Iraq
The situation of Iraqi refugees remains a crisis, one that calls for redoubled efforts to achieve a durable solution to their situation. Two million Iraqi refugees and three million internally displaced Iraqis add up to a vast displacement that will take years to resolve. It is important that within Iraq, immediate efforts focus on assisting the increasing number of internally displaced Iraqis to return to their homes. Reintegration programs established now can equally well benefit those returning from overseas, as their basic needs will be similar.

Spotlight on South Africa and Zimbabwean Refugees
As the government of Zimbabwe fails, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have fled to neighboring countries, with the majority coming to South Africa. Fleeing the chaos of their native land, more than 11,000 refugees have passed through the Jesuit Refugee Service Limpopo project in South Africa since April. The JRS staff of eight help the refugees to find food, clothing and housing, and accompany them during a period of immense transition in their lives.

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