Jesuit Migration Network on Capitol Hill
Along with other members of the Jesuit Migration Network, I spent last Friday on Capitol Hill meeting with staff from three Senate offices. We discussed the importance of tackling the root causes of violence in Central America that are forcing thousands of men, women, and children to flee the region.
In particular, we advocated for continued U.S. support for the region. We've followed an enforcement heavily policy for much of the last two decades, and it seems to have only gotten worse under President Trump. At this point in time, I urged public support for Guatemala's new attorney general and the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). I can't say that any of the staff members from the three offices were familiar with what is going on in Guatemala. See Kate Doyle and Elizabeth Oglesby's take on what is happening in Guatemala in Why Guatemala’s Anti-Corruption Commission Faces a New Wave of Efforts to Derail It for World Politics Review.
We also discussed the awful policy of separating children from their parents at the border and holding migrants in custody rather than releasing them before their hearings,. The staff seemed to overplay concerns about how some of these children could be released into the hands of human traffickers.
Finally, we discussed the damage that is being done to families and communities by deporting long-term members of our society and people from families of mixed immigration status.
The staff were clearly concerned about the plight of migrants. They also seemed to indicate that each of their Senators supported paths to citizenship for long-term undocumented migrants, even though I thought what they were willing to accept in return for sensible reform was too much. Finally, they were at a loss to understand what the administration would or would not accept on immigration reform.
In particular, we advocated for continued U.S. support for the region. We've followed an enforcement heavily policy for much of the last two decades, and it seems to have only gotten worse under President Trump. At this point in time, I urged public support for Guatemala's new attorney general and the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). I can't say that any of the staff members from the three offices were familiar with what is going on in Guatemala. See Kate Doyle and Elizabeth Oglesby's take on what is happening in Guatemala in Why Guatemala’s Anti-Corruption Commission Faces a New Wave of Efforts to Derail It for World Politics Review.
We also discussed the awful policy of separating children from their parents at the border and holding migrants in custody rather than releasing them before their hearings,. The staff seemed to overplay concerns about how some of these children could be released into the hands of human traffickers.
Finally, we discussed the damage that is being done to families and communities by deporting long-term members of our society and people from families of mixed immigration status.
The staff were clearly concerned about the plight of migrants. They also seemed to indicate that each of their Senators supported paths to citizenship for long-term undocumented migrants, even though I thought what they were willing to accept in return for sensible reform was too much. Finally, they were at a loss to understand what the administration would or would not accept on immigration reform.
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