News from the Irish Apostolate USA

The Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad honours the work of exceptional people who contribute to Ireland and to Irish communities abroad. The awards are organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with nominations made by Irish communities abroad through Ireland's embassy network.

Fr. Brendan McBride of the Irish Immigration and Pastoral Center in San Francisco was among those honoured with the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for 2015 at a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday, December 3, 2015.

Fr. McBride with
President Higgins

The ceremony was attended by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, TD, and Minister for the Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan, TD.

Speaking in advance of the event, Minister Flanagan said: "I am delighted that the achievements of these ten remarkable people will be acknowledged by the President tonight. Collectively, they have helped to build and expand our reputation around the globe. Their service and commitment to this country is a shining example to us all and I am delighted that they are being honoured by the President in such a fitting manner."

Minister for the Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan added: 'As Minister for the Diaspora I am delighted that the achievements of our global family are being formally recognised tonight. These awards cover a number of diverse categories - from Arts, Culture and Sport; to Business and Education; to Irish Community Support - which reflects the remarkable and wide-ranging contribution of Irish people abroad to their diaspora communities."

To read more, go to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

National Migration Week 2016

January 3-9, 2016

A Stranger and You Welcomed Me

In the Gospel of Matthew (25:35) tells his disciples, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me." The call to welcome the stranger plays an important role in the lives of faithful Christians and has a particularly central place for those of us who work in the migration field. The migrant, who moves from one country to another is truly a stranger in the midst. Often unfamiliar with the local

tongue of the new country,

not to

mention its customs, the migrant needs the support of local communities so that she can better adjust to her new surroundings. National Migration Week 2016 picks up on the theme of welcome and, in doing so, calls on each of us to welcome the stranger among us.

Resources can be found here.

This week, the American Immigration Council released the guide, Giving the Facts a Fighting Chance: Addressing Common Questions on Immigration.

This guide seeks to provide answers to many of the most common questions that policymakers, the media, and the public ask about immigration and provides background on what immigration means to the United States.

The guide delves into a wide range of issues including the economic benefits of immigration, the high cost and diminishing returns of enforcement-only approaches, the various roles states play in immigration policy, and the importance of additional due-process protections for those in immigration court.

View the guide here.

Texas v. U.S.

Executive Actions of Immigration

On December 1, 2015 a coalition of 224 immigration, civil rights, labor, and social service groups has filed an amicus ("friend of the court") brief, urging the Supreme Court to review the case, Texas v. U.S., that has blocked some of President Obama's executive actions on immigration. The filing comes less than a month after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction put in place by a Texas federal district court that blocked implementation of protections for millions of immigrants across the country.

Click here to see an interactive timeline outlining the process for review of the case by the Supreme Court.


*Christmas Blessings from the* *Irish Apostolate USA*

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: www.justiceforimmigrants.org

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:
Irish Apostolate USA

Geri Garvey, Administrator
Irish Apostolate USA

Phone: 240-535-9205 Email: administrator@usairish.org