The Kino Border Initiative: The Year in Review

As we enter a new year, we pause to reflect on the important moments of 2016 and the KBI’s accomplishments along the way.

January

• Pope Francis’s message in honor of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on January 17 called for mercy and compassion in keeping with the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
• The KBI surpassed its 2015 fundraising goals, raising more than $1,000,000 through your generous donations.

February

• Pope Francis undertook a 6-day tour of Mexico, drawing worldwide attention to major issues in that country—drug violence, economic justice, indigenous rights, and immigration—and celebrating a Mass at the border.
• Director of Education and Advocacy Joanna Williams represented the KBI in a Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) delegation to Washington, D.C. advocating for greater protection of migrant rights and accountability at the border.
• The KBI and the Kino Teens hosted students from four southern Arizona high schools for a day-long Walking in Mercy Youth Summit held in Tucson.
• The Sixth Annual Kino Border Initiative Dinner in Phoenix drew 275 supporters and raised more than $122,000 for the KBI’s direct aid, education, advocacy and research programs.
• Pope Francis’s message in honor of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on January 17 called for mercy and compassion in keeping with the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
• The KBI surpassed its 2015 fundraising goals, raising more than $1,000,000 through your generous donations.

March

• The Jesuit Conference spoke out about the upcoming Supreme Court case on President Obama’s executive actions regarding immigration, scheduled for April: http://jesuits.org/news-detail?TN=NEWS-20160311094547.

April

• Holy Week at the KBI included special Easter week observances along with regular aid and advocacy activities.
• KBI Director of Education and Advocacy Joanna Williams participated in the quarterly Customs and Border Protection–NGO working group meeting held in McAllen, Texas.
• Marla Conrad, then KBI Migrant Advocate and Volunteer Coordinator, presented KBI research findings from a Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) report at a WOLA-sponsored conference in Washington, D.C.

May

• KBI Executive Director Sean Carroll, S.J. visited Milwaukee, WI to speak at Marquette University, Marquette University High School, and the Church of the Gesu and gave a talk for Jesuit Connections in Chicago, IL. (Here is a video of Father Sean’s Chicago talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrDEFrA1W5I. )

June

• The Kino Teens held their first-ever Kino Teens Leadership Days, a 4-day border gathering of high school students from around the country to discuss border issues, and ways to support immigration reform and advocate in their communities on behalf of migrants.
• The Supreme Court handed down a 4–4 ruling in United States v. Texas, leaving in place an injunction blocking President Obama’s 2014 executive order to provide temporary deportation relief and work visas to undocumented parents of U.S. citizens (DAPA) and expand a 2012 program offering deferments to non-citizen children who came to the U.S. while under the age of sixteen (DACA).

July

• The KBI was recognized by Catholic Extension as one of seven finalists for their Lumen Christi Award, given to organizations or individuals who demonstrate the power of faith and the “Light of Christ” to transform the lives of those who are marginalized and in need (https://www.catholicextension.org/lumen-christi-award).

August

• The KBI welcomed two new staff members: Jorge Arturo Capistrán, a Jesuit in formation, became the new Assistant to the Director of Programs in Mexico, and Sister Maribel Lara Hernández, M.E. joined the staff as Volunteer Coordinator.
• The first-ever Refugee Olympic Team took part in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, entering the stadium during the opening ceremony to a standing ovation.
• The U.S. Department of Justice announced that they will be closing private federal prisons where citizen and non-citizen inmates suffer harsh treatment and inhumane conditions, and the Secretary of Homeland Security called for a review of privately run immigration detention centers.
• Throughout the summer, nine groups from across the U.S. participated in KBI’s week-long immersion experiences (101 participants in all) to learn more about the migrant experience and the reality of the border.

September

• The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit filed to provide court-appointed legal counsel for immigrant children in deportation proceedings while calling for political solutions from the other branches of government.
• The MacArthur Foundation announced 23 recipients of their prestigious “genius” grants, five of whom are doing work that advances our understanding of immigration, the immigrant experience, and the border.

October

• KBI staff, Kino Teens, and students from Lourdes Catholic School and Brophy College Preparatory joined in the celebration of a Mass along the U.S.–Mexico border in Ambos Nogales, organized by Dioceses without Borders, a collaborative effort of the Dioceses of Phoenix, Tucson, and Nogales, Sonora.
• The annual Tucson fiesta at the home of KBI board member and photographer Larry Hanelin and his wife Rosemarie in their Tucson home with planning/hosting help from Mary Ellen Cook, brought together 32 KBI supporters, and raised $9,200 for the KBI.
• In collaboration with other groups and individuals, the KBI offered humanitarian support to Haitian migrants arriving in Nogales.
• The KBI participated in a regional Jesuit Migration Network meeting in Guatemala City.

November

• Donald J. Trump was elected as the 45^th President of the United States, giving rise to fears about the future of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the DREAMers who have enrolled in the program as well as concerns about the direction of immigration reform in the U.S.
• KBI Director of Advocacy and Education Joanna Williams and Assistant Director of Education Pete Neeley, S.J., along with Kino Teens from Lourdes Catholic School in Nogales, AZ attended the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice in Washington, D.C. The Kino Teens and Joanna gave workshop presentations. Also in attendance were four teens from Leadership days and dozens of students who have participated in KBI immersions.
• Joanna Williams also represented the KBI in a post-election strategy session of the Southern Border Communities Coalition held in El Paso, TX.

December

• The bi-national posada was held on December 10 in Ambos Nogales.
• The regional directors of Jesuit Refugee Service International visited the KBI.
• The Mexican Patronato held their annual “boteo” or change drive in support of the KBI’s work.