-
Afghanistan Immigration: The 3 Secure, Systematic Processes
We are expecting an influx of immigrants from Afghanistan in the coming months and years. The State Department will be processing those Afghans desirous to enter the U.S. in a secure, systematic process. While the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan has seemed chaotic and alarming, immigration protocols and safeguards will not be abandoned despite the immediacy needed. The three types of legal entry are Special Immigrant Visas, humanitarian parole, and I-9 refugee status. All three processes include rigorous vetting, but they vary in both process and limitations. As we begin welcoming our Afghan friends into our neighborhoods, we can do so with the assurance that we are welcoming people…
-
The Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions — and What We Can Do to Help
As quoted in Matthew 5:35, Jesus said, “I was a stranger, and ye took me in.” Our faith and our love for all humankind demand that we do our part to take in the stranger (see Exodus 23:9). The United Nations estimates that at this moment in history, more than 80 million people have been forced from their homes by threats to their lives. We must do our part to provide refuge for these families around the world (see Responsibilities). To appreciate the gravity of the current situation and have the strongest impact on the process, we must understand the background of refugee resettlement in our country. Each fall, the…
-
Release Detainees Now
COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, and learn in the United States, in the all-important effort to slow the spread of this virus. Difficult as these changes have been, most of us are fortunate to be able to socially distance and practice proper hygiene. Inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, however, conditions remain dangerously unsanitary. As COVID-19 continues to present new and pressing needs, consider the ethical obligations in these common scenarios: A young man with asthma fled gang violence in Honduras. He is in ICE custody after presenting himself at the border to declare his desire to obtain asylum. An elderly woman is detained in…
-
Update on COVID-19 and Immigration
Many of us are focused on our own social distancing and coping with the stress of strange schedules and new routines. Some of us are shuffling to find childcare or replacement income for lost work. All of these struggles are real and valid. As we deal with our own trials, may we also keep in mind those refugees who are unable to work or social distance while in U.S. custody or in camps, both at our southern border and around the world. Asylum seekers in border camps Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico Policy,” can remain in…
