KBI Supporters By: Roxane Ramos This month, we profile the people who have kept the Kino Border Initiative active since its inception in 2009 and who have infused the national debate about immigration reform with compassion and thoughtful consideration—you, the supporters of the KBI. At the borderlands and throughout the country, your actions, prayers and donations—in direct and indirect ways—move us closer to instituting a humane immigration policy that allows families to be together, … [Read more...]

From the beginning, Pope Francis has led through both word and example, guiding Catholics—and the rest of the world—to the basic principles of love and compassion that Jesus taught. By Roxane Ramos The day before Pope Francis’s meeting with President Obama earlier this year, 10-year old Jersey Vargas from Los Angeles, CA rushed up to the pontiff as he greeted the throngs in St. Peter’s Square. She told him about the plight of undocumented migrants in the U.S., and the pain of being … [Read more...]

Father Clete Kiley, a participant in the delegation of Catholic clergy visiting the U.S.–Mexico border in early April, reflects on his experience and addresses our failed immigration policy. By Father Clete Kiley of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Director for Immigration Policy for UNITE HERE By now, many of us have become familiar with the cold facts and statistics of our nation’s failed immigration system and the immense human suffering it causes. Twenty-five thousand Central American … [Read more...]

Migrant Stories By: Roxane Ramos Each year, 600,000 to 800,000 undocumented migrants are deported. Though their reasons for crossing center around reuniting with their families and seeking better lives, each story is unique. Here are some—the names are changed to protect privacy, but the facts are unaltered. Yolanda, Mexico Yolanda grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico and when she was 14, her parents sold her to an abusive older man who migrated with her to Mesa, AZ. She’d had four daughters with … [Read more...]

A Mass right at the border fence, organized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and attended by an impressive delegation of clergy—including seven bishops and 17 priests—drew national attention to the immigration crisis as well as scores of supporters, among them, KBI board member Lucy Howell. by Lucy Howell April 1 was a day of both grace and contrast. Six of us left Phoenix long before sunrise in order to reach the Morley Gate separating Nogales, Arizona from Nogales Sonora … [Read more...]