Archives for September 2016

Immigration and civil rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Border Patrol in June 2015 asserting that detainees have endured abhorrent conditions while in short-term detention facilities. Now, recently released photos and expert testimony offer persuasive evidence supporting these claims. In mid-August, Federal District Court Judge David C. Bury, presiding over the class-action suit Doe v. Johnson accusing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of human right …Read More

The U.S. Department of Justice made a landmark announcement in August--they will phase out private prisons, which house the majority of non-citizens convicted of federal crimes and are known for their substandard conditions, over the next five years. Since the 1990s, two major legal changes have caused U.S. prison populations, already the largest per capita in the world, to escalate dramatically. The first was a crime bill signed into law by President Clinton, which increased the number of …Read More

This month, we welcome new staff members, invite you to a Tucson fundraiser, and provide information about a concert series benefitting refugees. New KBI Staff: The Kino Border Initiative is pleased to welcome two new staff members. Jorge Arturo Capistran, a Jesuit in formation, is the new Assistant to the Director of Programs in Mexico, and Sister Maribel Lara Hernández, M.E. joins the staff as Volunteer Coordinator. October Fundraiser: Save the date now and join us in Tucson to raise …Read More

Among the immigration headlines this month are stories about border life; the positive impact of immigrants in the U.S.; dangers faced by migrants on the road and in detention; the issues involved in identifying migrants who have died on the journey; the need for children to have legal representation in immigration court; the deportation experience of an undocumented young man raised in the U.S.; and two inspiring art projects. From the Arizona Daily Star (9/3/16), an article about …Read More