August 25th A series of new rules came into effect in August making it exponentially more difficult for asylum seekers to gain work authorization, as detailed in this piece by CBS News. W.L. is a single mother who fled sexual violence in Guatemala and is currently awaiting her asylum proceedings in the US with her two young children for whom she is struggling to provide in the face of a pandemic. Her difficulty in providing for her family was just prolonged with the implementation of the new … [Read more...]

July 11th The Vatican's Congregation for Saints has approved Father Kino for the next step towards canonization. As the namesake of Father Kino, who was an extraordinary example of respect for the dignity of marginalized communities, we strive to continue his legacy. Read more here.  July 24th A 16-year old boy from Honduras who was detained in a hotel in Texas challenged his detention in federal court. His case was won on July 24th, which carried significant political significance and … [Read more...]

June 18th:  The Supreme Court upheld DACA which protects more than 70,000 DREAMers. This decision was made based on a technicality, therefore, Trump will likely seek other avenues to terminate DACA. The possibility of offering a more permanent solution for DACA recipients remains in the hands of the Senate. Passing DACA and creating permanency could help carve out a path to also making it less arbitrary, a fault of the program that is highlighted the this piece from the New York … [Read more...]

Our media report this month focuses on the Trump administration’s proposed changes to asylum, which would effectively gut what remains of the asylum process and system; the troubling realities surrounding how heavily the coronavirus impacts Latino communities in the U.S., and a call to anti-racism from a Jesuit priest in the wake of the recent and tragic murders of Black people in the United States.  1) Proposed and sweeping changes to asylum: On June 10, the Trump administration … [Read more...]