Immigration and Migration

The story of Luis and Yesenia, who are husband and wife, and their infant son — all born in Mexico — illustrates what many immigrants like them go through once they arrive in the United States without legal permission.

The U.S. government is moving ahead with plans to extend a border wall in South Texas, an action long opposed by the U.S. Catholic bishops.

Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, commended the Biden administration’s refugee admissions allocations for fiscal year 2024 as “an ambitious and meaningful goal as we reflect not only on the global need but also the challenges facing American communities, including labor shortages, a lack of affordable housing, and high inflation.”

A surge in migration through Mexico during the month of September has provoked a “migratory crisis,” according to Catholics who are working with migrants, as shelters strain to handle increasing flows of people heading for the U.S. border — with even more continuing to pour into the country from points south.