Every day brings new headlines about immigration and the growing challenges facing immigrant communities. It can feel overwhelming, but there are meaningful ways we can respond together.
The Immigrant Justice Team is exploring ways to help Marianists and local communities support immigrant families affected by detention, deportation threats, and anti-immigrant policies. Possible actions include organizing support networks for families, visiting detention centers, distributing “Know Your Rights” materials, coordinating legislative advocacy, and building local response efforts.
Is your lay community, parish, school, or local group interested in learning more about today’s immigration realities and how to take meaningful local action? Our team can offer a personalized guided conversations designed to help communities better understand these timely issues and explore practical ways to respond.
A number of Marianist-connected people have indicated interest in getting timely information about immigration issues. The Immigration team has created an e-news publication which provides monthly inspiration, education and opportunities for action to its readers. Sign up for the Immigration Update monthly newsletter below!
The Immigrant Justice Team, in partnership with the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS), has produced five immigration-themed community meeting kits. These kits include all you need for a community or small group meeting on each topic. The topics of the kits include:
· The Call to Be Advocates for Immigrant Justice
· Catholic Teaching on Immigration
· Why Do People Migrate?
· A Question of White Supremacy?
· An Evening at the Movies (in this case, TED Talks)
You can click on and download the kits here, or access them on the NACMS website.
MSJC’s Immigrant Justice Team has a deep concern about the challenges facing immigrants and refugees in the United States. Our Catholic faith calls us to uphold the dignity of every human person and to advocate for just treatment of all. (See recent letter from Pope Francis on this issue here.)
The current immigration system leaves many in distress. Families are at risk of separation, asylum protections have been denied, and policies have harshly impacted the well-being of documented and undocumented individuals. Our U.S. Catholic Bishops have spoken out strongly on the need for humane immigration reform, urging us to act in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters.
Blessed Chaminade so wisely said that we carefully seek for solutions in faith like a flowing stream to overcome obstacles in order to discern where the action of the Holy Spirit is leading. Read our team's most recent resource, Immigration Call to Action Letter, and take action today for immigration reform.
Each year on Ash Wednesday, team members join First Friends of New Jersey and Pax Christi at a vigil outside the immigrant detention facility in Elizabeth, NJ.
In the past, the team has sponsored a trip to the Mexican border and is currently promoting trips that other groups are sponsoring. The team has also sponsored a “Come to the Table” multicultural dinner that included immigrants and refugees from many different countries.