News

Exploring the Root Causes of Migration from Central America

Check out this week's digest of news, resources, faith reflections, and analysis of international migration and refugee protection, brought to you by the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS). This special issue focuses on the root causes of migration from Central America.

At Migration Summit, Bishops Commit to Work Toward ‘Church Without Borders’

On June 1st and 2nd, Catholic bishops from the United States and Central America held an “emergency” meeting to shape the Church’s response to migrants. Many US bishops pledged to support migrants in their Arch/dioceses that were seeking temporary aid or applying for permanent residence.

‘Get Back on Offense’: Immigration Advocates Look to Biden’s Next 100 Days

The president has been praised for following through on some major campaign promises, but he has also left unfulfilled others and suffered some self-inflicted wounds.

Catholic Immigration Advocates Say ‘Christian Response’ Needed at Border

Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso calls on elected officials to “transcend the partisanship” and to “Christianize” their response to migration by asking: “what would be a truly loving Christian response” to those arriving at our door?

Hope Border Institute: NOT IN OUR BOOK

The idea of a border crisis may sell newspapers, but it doesn’t fly for those of us who are doing the work of welcome at the border.

Oh Mercy: Searching for Hope in the Promised Land (Short Video)

This video is set in a refugee camp in Matamoros, Mexico across the border from Brownsville, Texas. It shows the effects of the MPP program, which went into effect in January 2019.

‘They Finally Stop Living In Fear’: Advocates Reflect On Return Of Asylum-Seekers To US

Families with small children among first to come over; claimants include adults persecuted for political views or ethnicity.

Vox.com: Biden’s Sweeping Immigration Bill Explained

President Biden has sent a comprehensive immigration reform and legalization proposal to Congress. According to this article, the US Citizenship Act of 2021 will create an eight-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, invest $4 billion of economic development, anti-corruption, and anti-violence funds in Central America to help reduce the migration flow from the region, and invest in new screening technology for the US border.

New Report Offers Guidepost for Rebuilding the Refugee Resettlement Program

The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) and Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) today released a new report, Charting a Course to Rebuild and Strengthen the US Refugee Admissions Program. This report outlines the findings from the first comprehensive national survey of resettlement stakeholders, centered on the experience and expertise of resettled refugees and those who work with them. The report speaks both to the strengths of the resettlement program and the challenges it faces, including those created by Trump administration policies.