Immigration and Migration

Catholic immigration advocates are paying close attention to — and expressing concern about — a possible change in how asylum claims are processed by U.S. immigration officials, as well as updates in the use of classified information in immigration proceedings.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton revived his attempt to shut down El Paso’s Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit serving migrants, just a couple of months after his previous effort was blocked by a state judge.

A U.S. archbishop has denounced the Biden administration’s decision to resume deportations of Haitian migrants, given the rampant violence and instability in Haiti.

– In a new report released April 17, Catholic migrant advocates detailed accessibility issues facing asylum-seekers using CBP One, the mobile app run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to secure appointments needed to claim asylum and legally enter the United States.

Continuing to minister to migrants at the border and beyond while advocating for policies that uphold people’s dignity is a way the U.S. Catholic Church follows God’s call, said experts during an April 11 migration conference at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

An increasing number of migrants are now staying put for long periods in Mexico City as they attempt to get their legal situations sorted out prior to risking crossing the U.S.–Mexico border — where drug cartels target them for kidnapping.