15 February 2019 – Today, President Trump declared a national emergency in order to free up funding to construct a border wall at the U.S./Mexico border. Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director of JRS/USA, issued this statement in response:

“JRS/USA urges all policymakers to support policies that prioritize compassion and respect for the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. We must recognize those trying to make a better life in a new place as our brothers and sisters and not as a crisis. From our work in Mexico, the United States, and around the world we know that people cross borders to find safety, security, and opportunity and are often fleeing from violence and persecution. We urge all branches of government to work together to recognize the dignity of those who seek safety and security in our country. As Pope Francis reiterated during his recent remarks at World Youth Day in Panama City, Panama, our faith compels us to recognize this human dignity and to be builders of bridges and not walls.”

To learn more about those seeking safety and security in the United States, check out these stories of individuals and their families who have come to the United States in search of a better life.

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