KBI Media Report: March 2017

Our report this month focuses on some of the KBI’s advocacy priorities. Read a recent publication about family separation, a reflection on the importance of accompaniment, an article about allegations of sexual assault by Customs and Border Patrol agents, and a piece about the KBI’s work and the legacy of Jesuit advocacy.

• The Impact of Detention and Deportation on Families: More and more families and children are among those seeking safety and security in the U.S. over the past five years. Yet, the U.S. has failed to change immigration policy to address these shifting demographics. To document these changes and the challenges they pose, the Women’s Refugee Commission, Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Service, and Kids in Need of Defense have published “Betraying Family Values: How Immigration Policy at the United States Border Is Separating Families.” The report includes cases and data from the KBI. Read more and download the full report at: https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/rights/gbv/resources/1450-betraying-family-values.
• The Meaning of Accompaniment: During this time of greater uncertainty for migrants and refugees, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has released a pastoral reflection encouraging Catholics to accompany those “who seek a better life in the United States” through prayer, community support, and advocacy. Read more from the Catholic News Service here: http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/us-catholics-asked-to-accompany-migrants-refugees-seeking-better-life.cfm.
• Gender-based Violence at the Border: As the number of women migrants has increased, so too have the instances of sexual assault, by strangers en route, smugglers, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers. While some dimensions of gender-based violence are difficult to stop, KBI is especially concerned by allegations of assault by US authorities. Here, the Los Angeles Times covers a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Northern California on behalf of two Guatemalan sisters who allege that they were sexually assaulted by CBP officers while detained: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-teen-border-patrol-sex-assault-20170322-story.html.
• KBI Direct Aid and Advocacy: This article from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the U.S. offers a profile of the KBI, its work with deported migrants at the U.S.–Mexico border, and the Jesuit commitment to those who are persecuted, marginalized, or in need: http://www.jesuits.org/story?TN=PROJECT-20170327115833.