Immigration and Migration

A New Orleans-based federal appeals court has issued an order allowing buoys installed by Texas to deter migrants from crossing the Rio Grande to stay in place for now.

A federal judge ordered Texas to remove controversial floating barriers in the Rio Grande and prohibited the state from adding or reinstalling additional buoys in the river aimed at reducing unauthorized border crossings, marking a legal victory for the Biden administration, which opposed their use.

Catholic immigration groups and the U.S. bishops have objected to the asylum ban, arguing it violates existing U.S. immigration law, and exposes those who may otherwise be eligible for asylum to additional danger.

The coalition, known as CHIRLA — along with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Central American Resource Center, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, city and county officials — had been meeting since 2022 to prepare for these exact scenarios.

Catholic migrant advocates condemned a report alleging inhumane treatment of migrants seeking to cross the border into Texas, including an allegation that the state directed its personnel to withhold water from migrants despite extreme heat.

To minister to those whose lives have been forever changed by displacement, faith organizations need to collaborate, make connections and advocate for lasting solutions, said a panel of experts at a multifaith event for World Refugee Day.