At the start of a new year, we share with you important events of 2017 and the KBI’s accomplishments along the way. January The KBI along with more than 20 other advocacy and human rights organizations drafted a letter to Mexican authorities defending the rights of asylum seekers at the U.S.–Mexico border. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) observed National Migration Week, January 8–14, focusing on the theme, “Creating a Culture of Encounter.” February The KBI …Read More
Archives for January 2018
Marisela’s Story: Fear, Trauma and Family Separation
When Marisela arrived at the comedor at the end of last summer after a smuggler left her behind, she had already endured domestic violence, threats to her life, and separation from her young daughter in Guatemala. Despite these spirit-crushing experiences, her perseverance and the KBI’s support have helped her continue to seek a brighter future. Marisela, like all who turn to the KBI, has a heart-breaking story that led her to our doorstep. In her home country of Guatemala, she faced …Read More
KBI Media Report: December 2017–January 2018
This month’s media report covers various human rights violations and inhumane treatment of migrants and asylum seekers—detention conditions, family separation, rejection at the border—and includes an update on Temporary Protected Status and an open letter from the Jesuits in Latin America and the Caribbean calling for the protection of a Honduran priest under threat. Asylum Seekers Turned Away: With San Diego ports of entry at capacity, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol staff are turning away …Read More
KBI January Announcements
This month marks the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and we share Pope Francis’s annual message for this occasion. We also look ahead to the KBI’s Third Annual Walking in Mercy Youth Summit and the Eighth Annual Phoenix Dinner, and offer details about our December immersions. Finally, we are pleased to announce that your generous donations during 2017 surpassed $1,000,000, exceeding our fundraising goals by 12%! World Day of Migrants and Refugees: Pope Francis’s annual message for …Read More
URGENT: Defending the Dreamers
Please join us in advocating for a clean Dream Act—one focused on providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and not tied to proposals that would harm others we serve in the comedor, such as restrictions on access to asylum or impunity at the border—before January 19, 2018, the deadline for Congress to act on behalf of Dreamers and pass legislation to protect their status. In September, President Trump announced the repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to go into effect …Read More