IAUSA Irish Apostolate

Update on the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform  

Issue: # 119
 November 2015

In This Issue
Welcome to Fr. Dan Finn
ARTICLE HEADLINE
Fifty Years Later, Immigration Bill that Changed Ameria
12th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
Quick Links 
Current Articles 
Understanding Where We're At and What Comes Next in DACA/DAPA Case




Cupich comes out Swinging for Immigration Reform




Watch: Here's What the Refugee Screening Process Looks Like 

Other Links 

 

Join Our List
 
Welcome to Fr. Dan Finn
Chaplain, IPC Boston
The Irish Apostolate USA welcomes Fr. Dan Finn as the new Chaplain at the Irish Pastoral Centre in Boston.  Fr. Dan has been a familiar face to the Boston Irish community as he has served the people in the area for many years.  Fr. Dan is also the Archdiocesan Coordinator and is a member of the IPC Board.
 
Fr. Dan replaces Fr. John McCarthy, who will be returning to the Diocese of Limerick in the near future.  Fr. John provided pastoral care to the local Irish community for over ten years and was committed to helping the undocumented Irish, those in prison or detention, the elderly, and anyone who needed his assistance.   We know that Fr. Dan will continue to provide the same care and compassion in his ministry to the Irish community.

J1 Summer Work and Travel Program
Important information from the Embassy of Ireland and the CIIC regarding changes to the 2016 J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program.

This year the U.S. organizations that sponsor J-1 Summer Work and Travel visas, CIEE (Council for International Education Exchange) and Interexchange, who work with the Irish travel agents USIT and SAYIT respectively,
have introduced a requirement for citizens of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, such as Ireland, the UK, France and the Czech Republic to have a job pre-placement for the summer 2016 program.

The U.S. J-1 Summer Work and Travel program has been a very successful part of the Irish-US bilateral relationship for almost 50 years, with 150,000 Irish third level students having experienced the United States through the program over that time.

The Irish Government is committed to maximizing Irish participation in this program to ensure as many students as possible have the chance to experience life in the United States, further strengthening the Irish-US relationship.

The CIIC (Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers) is actively engaged with the Embassy and the U.S. sponsors to understand the new regulations in order to continue our support of the Irish students during their summer J-1 visa experience.

CIIC encourages prospective J1 students and their parents to be diligent in reviewing and understanding the new program requirements as outlined by the US sponsoring agencies.

CIEE and Interexchange have developed the following websites with information 

for students: 

for employers:

America's Immigration Battle 
By the Numbers

More than 2 million undocumented immigrants have been deported since President Barack Obama took office, a number that lawmakers on both side of the aisle agree points to a broken immigration system. 

A wide range of solutions has been proposed, everything from increasing deportations and strengthening the border, to expanding protections for millions in the country illegally. For now, the push for comprehensive reform is stalled in Congress. 

But when the debate resurfaces, here are several figures that could be key to the debate.

11.3 million
There were an estimated 11.3 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States in 2014 - down from a peak of 12.2 million in 2007 - a figure that is equal to about 3.5 percent of the population.

Mexicans make roughly half of this population, but in recent years, the number of undocumented immigrants arriving from Mexico has actually fallen off, while the number of immigrants making the reverse trip has pulled about even, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. Meanwhile, the number of immigrants from Central America has surged, from 354,000 in 1980 to 3.2 million in 2013.
In total, roughly 350,000 new undocumented immigrants enter the nation each year, according to Pew.

5 million
After immigration reform stalled in Congress in 2014, President Obama announced a series of executive actions designed to protect as many as 5 million unauthorized immigrants from deportation. One measure was designed to provide deferrals for approximately 4 million undocumented parents of American citizens or legal permanent residents who have lived in the U.S. for at least five years. The plan also extended a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which allows young people who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 to apply for deportation deferrals and work permits. The deferrals, though, would not create a path to citizenship.

In February, a federal judge approved an injunction on the programs in response to a challenge by Texas and 26 other states. The plan remains on hold as the case makes its way through the appeals process.

$11.84 billion
In 2012, undocumented immigrants collectively contributed $11.84 billion to state and local taxes - roughly 8 percent of state and local tax nationwide. That's according to research by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, or ITEP. Granting lawful permanent residence to all 11.3 unauthorized immigrants in the country would raise their state and local tax contributions to $14.04 billion, aligning their tax payments with what the ITEP calls "economically similar" U.S. citizens.

See: Frontline for entire article.
12th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference 
Sponsored by the Migration Policy Institute, Georgetown Law, and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

This conference held on October 29, 2015, offered policy, legal, and political analysis on key immigration topics, including an examination of the family detention system, unaccompanied child migrants from Central America, the future of executive action, and prospects for reform to U.S. immigration policy in light of the current political climate. 

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ant�nio Guterres offered keynote remarks.
 
Video and Audio from the conference are available on the

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Join the Justice for Immigrants Campaign

The 
Justice for Immigrants Campaign continues to build its grassroots support for comprehensive immigration reform.   

If you want to be notified of immigration legislation updates , NOW is the time to join the JFI Action Alert list.  Sign up at: 
The Irish Apostolate USA is the umbrella organization for the Irish Immigration Pastoral and Outreach Centers in the United States, under the direction of the Irish Episcopal Council for Emigrants.  

The IAUSA receives financial support from the IECE and also from the DFA Emigrant Support Programme for some of its' activities and outreach.

Please visit our website for more information: 
 
Geri Garvey, Administrator
Irish Apostolate USA
Phone: 240-535-9205    Email: [email protected]