Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Debbie Northern reflects on the dignity owed but denied migrants at the U.S./Mexico border
Migration
Maryknoll missioners have worked with migrants and people on the move for decades. They have served Burmese refugees in Thailand, Filipino and Thai workers all over Asia, Burundian and Rwandan refugees in East Africa, and have accompanied Guatemalans, who, after years in Mexico, returned home to start anew in a more peaceful country. Our faith compels us to stand in solidarity with migrants.
In the United States, we are profoundly affected by the contribution of migrants in our society, and we have a responsibility to treat them, like all the rest of God’s creation, with dignity and respect. Maryknoll missioners work in ministries serving migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border. In our work on U.S. migration policy, we focus on access to asylum and humanitarian protection, refugee aid and resettlement, and access to citizenship.
Maryknoll Joint Leadership Statements on Migration: Toward Global Solidarity (2006) and Statement on the Migrant Caravan (2018)
Policy Brief: Justice for Immigrants and Refugees in U.S. Policy
Maryknoll OGC Asks for a Human Rights-focused Root Causes Intitiative
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined 32 other religious and humanitarian groups in calling on the White House for a Root Causes Initiative that uses diplomacy to “combat corruption, promote respect for human rights, worker rights, and the rule of law, and encourage inclusive governance.”
Press Statement: End of Title 42
Maryknoll Missioners respond to the end of Title 42 and the asylum restrictions that take its place.
Tell Congress to Oppose H.R. 2 – Extreme Immigration Bill
The extreme Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2) is a sweeping immigration bill that would fundamentally weaken our nation’s decades-long commitment to humanitarian protection
Maryknoll OGC Asks Congress to Vote NO on H.R. 2
Maryknoll’s Office for Global Concerns joined Catholic organizations in opposing the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which would, among other things, undermine essential partnerships with Catholic care and respite centers, deport unaccompanied children, and eliminate parole authority.
Tell Congress to Support Humanitarian Protection!
Join us in calling on our representatives in Congress to pass meaningful legislation for the welcome and protection of refugees. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns participated in the Refugee Council…
U.S.-Mexico Border: What’s Next for Asylum
With the end of Title 42 on May 11, the political fight over the right to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border is expected to heat up, with poor and vulnerable people caught in the fire.
Maryknoll OGC joins in asking for Nicaraguan TPS
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns was among the 120 national and local faith-based organizations to cal on President Biden to redesignate TPS for Nicaragua.
Catholic Groups Ask Pres. Biden to Reconsider Deterrence Immigration Policies
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined fourteen other Catholic organizations in calling on President Biden to reverse restrictive border policies.
Watch Good Friday Economic and Ecological Way of the Cross
Watch the recording on YouTube
Maryknoll Statement on Death of Migrants in Fire in Mexico
The fact that these migrants – many of them reportedly from Venezuela – were forced to wait in Mexico while on their migration journey to the U.S. border is the United States’ shame.
Senate Hearing on Refugees Statement
Statement for the Record U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Hearing on “Living Up to America’s Promise: The Need to Bolster the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program” March 22, 2023
Add Your Comment: Protect Right to Seek Asylum
The Biden Administration has proposed a new immigration rule that will drastically reduce people’s ability to seek asylum.
CBP One App: Biased Against Dark-Skinned People
The agency’s app is now the exclusive way to schedule appointments to request asylum. The app, rated 2.7 and 2.5 out of five in the Google and Apple stores, respectively, has limitations and errors that effectively exclude the most vulnerable populations of asylum seekers.
Faith Groups Demand Restored Access to Asylum
Human rights organizations, religious groups, and members of Congress have repeatedly urged the Biden administration not to move forward with the proposed rule announced yesterday and to restore equitable access to asylum.
Take Action for Asylum Seekers
President Biden has announced a new set of asylum restrictions that will deny most migrants access to protection. Tell Congress to speak out against these policies and defend asylum seekers.
Maryknoll OGC Tells Biden Not to Ban Asylum
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined 164 other faith-based organizations in writing to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Mayorkas, and Secretary Blinken to express concerns over new immigration rules that could restrict access for some people to their rights to seek asylum.
Maryknoll OGC Asks Incoming House of Representatives for Humane Immigration Policy
We urge Members of Congress to reject the politics of fear and hate and vote no on the “Border Safety and Security Act” and all subsequent anti-immigrant legislative vehicles.